Florida Man Meets the Son Who Had Been Searching For Him For Almost 40 Years

A man meets his son after almost 50 years—and what an emotional greeting it was. Terry Moore and his son Mike Martinez finally met at the Tampa International Airport for the first time, thanks to a DNA test. FOX 13 Tampa Bay was there to capture this special moment.

“I’m going to hug him and cry,” Terry says as he waits patiently for his son. At 75 years old, he had just found out he was a father. Terry never expected any of it. And was very happy with the news. In fact, he shared it everywhere he went, from the bank to the hardware store to the post office. He is quite the proud dad!

Mike Has Been Looking For His Father For a Long Time

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Terry and his wife Mary never had children of their own. But just a few days before the special reunion, they did find out he had a son from a brief relationship before he and Mary got married. Mike Martinez.

As for Mike, he had been looking for his father for a very long time. “He’s 48, and he’s been hunting for me since he was nine years old,” Terry shared.

Mike, who lives in Houston, used Ancestry.com and worked with a genealogist to find Terry. He was able to locate a relative who contacted Terry. When asked what Mike and his fiancé should call him, Terry said, “I’ve always wanted somebody to call me dad.”

You Can See the Love Flowing Between the Two

In the video, Mike and Terry greet one another with a big hug. You can see the love flowing between the father and son, who had only spoken on the phone up until that point. It had only been five days since Terry had even found out about Mike.

“We just clicked, you know?” Mike shares. “We’ve just been really really close since then. I’m glad to have this moment right now.

Mike shared that he and his fiancé hoped to start a family of their own soon. It was important to him to finally find his father after all these years. The two have a lot of catching up to do.

“I never even dreamed of it. I mean, this is way out of the ordinary, you know? And to find out that somebody really wanted to be with me, enough to where they hunted for me for 40 some years. That gets you in the heart,” Terry says.

What a Special Moment

And it certainly does. What a special moment for both father and son. May they enjoy getting to know one another and making memories together in the years to come.

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“Finally, all of you, be like-minded, be sympathetic, love one another, be compassionate and humble.” - 1 Peter 3:8

WATCH: Man Meets Son After Almost 50 Years

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h/t: Fox 13 News

Featured Image Credit: YouTube/FOX 13 Tampa Bay

Julie Provost is a GodUpdates staff writer and editor. She lives in Tennessee with her husband, three boys, and little dog Max. She loves to read, go to the movies, and enjoy time with family and friends.