Life is full of surprises, isn’t it?

Just when we think we’re sure about so many things, life unexpectedly drops something on our laps. These surprises usually come at the perfect timing or when we need them the most.

Gary Barnes had one such surprise that filled a void in his life.

The Vietnam veteran once vowed that he would never have children, and he was sure of that. But as he grew older, he felt like that vow left a void in his life. He suddenly felt like he had lost a lot in life without children.

His life changed when something filled that void when he was 78 years old.

Gary was called to serve the country during the Vietnam war. At that time, he frequented the Philippines during his free time, and there he met a young woman he fell in love with. But during his last visit, the two lost contact.

Life went on for Gary until, one day, he received a surprising call.

It was a woman who he had never known before. What surprised him was the woman’s question: “Would you be willing to do a DNA test?” Gary was shocked but said he was very much willing.

Olivia Robles knew the truth when she was only ten years old.

She learned that the man she thought was her father was only her stepfather and that her biological dad was out there somewhere. She began her search and years later found the website called Ancestry.com. That’s when she discovered that she had a distant cousin who helped her find Gary.

Fifty years after the last time he saw his girlfriend, Gary met their lovely daughter.

He never knew she was pregnant until Olivia reached out to him. The two met at the airport, and they immediately connected.

“This is truly a miracle. I’ve been on this quest for so many years since I was ten years old. And here we find each other at age 50 and 78,” Olivia told CBS Sacramento, who was there to witness the first time the father and daughter met.

The two had much catching up to do – 50 years at that!

It was then that Gary knew that he did not only gain a daughter when he met Olivia. He also had three grandsons and one great-grandson. The void in Gary’s life was more than just filled; it overflowed.

He made up for all the lost years with his daughter.

The two spent their first holidays together on vacation. He also accompanied Olivia to New York, where her youngest son was finishing his studies. He also got the chance to pin his first military badge.

Gary and Olivia were grateful they met, but all that happened was because of divine intervention.

“They say everything happens for a reason, so there are all the reasons I look back on [what] had brought us together today, and it’s just such a feeling of being blessed,” Olivia told WTSP.

Watch the video below to find out more about this incredible story!

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Source: CSB Sacramento, WTSP, Olivia Robles Mauger Facebook Profile