In love, the parents separated the teenagers, and their newborn child was placed with a foster family. However, 50 years later, the daughter discovered them — to contribute to the lovely conclusion of this love story. Joe Cowgill and Donna Horn met in high school and fell in love. The quarterback of the football team and the cheerleader were dubbed “ideal” pairings.
It was a strong, passionate first love, but the lovers couldn’t see each other very often – their parents only allowed them to talk on the phone for 10 minutes before bed, and they only met on Saturdays in the presence of adults.Nonetheless, the relationship grew until Donna announced her pregnancy in April 1968. Joe’s parents assured her that the family would support her in any decision she made.
However, Donna’s father, a man of strict morals, demanded that the man be removed from his daughter’s life, and the child was placed for adoption. The teenagers had no choice but to comply. The Horns soon relocated to a different city entirely. On November 5, 1968, Donna gave birth. She was allowed to hold the girl in her arms for 30 minutes before being taken away.
And somewhere out there, 17-year-old Joe lost his mind. His athletic career was taking off – Indiana State University recruited him – but he couldn’t stop thinking about Donna and the emotional trauma she had suffered. He had not heard anything about her and had no idea he had a daughter who had been placed with a foster family.
Laura–as they called her–met some nice people. They loved her as if she were their own daughter, but the girl couldn’t get past the fact that she was nothing like them. Laura decided to find a foster family after the foster parents confirmed her guesses, but 30-40 years ago, there was not enough technology or resources to search.Laura grew up and moved to Arkansas, where she married and raised two children.
When her husband noticed that she was constantly watching the TLC channel show “Long Lost Family” (Long Lost Family), in which adopted heroes find their biological family, he gave her a set for home genetic testing in 2019. Laura discovered her own uncle with the surname Horn and her mother’s sister as the first results of the analysis. She wrote to them and received a letter back from Donna.
“I couldn’t believe what I was seeing,” Laura said. “I’ve been waiting for this my entire life.” The biological mother gave her daughter Joe’s contact information, and she immediately wrote to him. Laura was mistaken about their relationship; her best friend married Joe’s nephew. After losing his first love, the man married and divorced twice. He was left alone with two children by 2019. Joe’s sporting career is long over; he now works as a salesman in a supermarket.
Donna has also had two marriages. Her second marriage was blissful, but her husband died of cancer. Donna has survived cancer, specifically breast cancer.Laura didn’t want to put her father under any pressure. She sent him a very calm message, saying, “I don’t need anything from you.” “All I want to know is how I was born.” Joe was taken aback. He promised not to look for meetings with Donna, and he kept his word, so he could only guess whether he had a son or a daughter.
And then, after 50 years, such a letter… Then there was the first, very touching phone conversation. “My God, if you’re anything like Donna, you must be a real beauty,” the proud father exclaimed. Laura decided to arrange a meeting for her biological parents after learning the circumstances surrounding their divorce. Joe and Donna burst into tears and hugged for a long time when they saw each other.
It turned out that their love lives on even after 50 years apart. Feelings resurfaced with renewed vigor, and the couple married in May 2020. Laura carried out her mission with a vengeance. She not only discovered her ancestors and found her biological parents, but she also contributed to the wonderful conclusion of their love story.