Heartwarming Reunion in Danville: 64-Year-Old Australian...

DANVILLE, Ill. (WCIA) — Ronald Konkel is still in disbelief after fulfilling a lifelong aspiration. At the age of 64, he finally had the opportunity to meet his biological mother in person on Tuesday.

“It’s like something straight out of a Hallmark movie or a television drama,” Konkel said, reflecting on the emotional reunion.

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Residing in Australia, Konkel’s life took an unexpected turn following an email from a genealogy website. This correspondence revealed that his mother was alive and residing in Danville, sparking a life-altering journey.

Konkel referred to the experience as nothing short of a “miracle.”

That’s how long ago Konkel was put up for adoption.

“I treated that quite well,” he admitted. “Because most parents get stuck with their kids, my mom and dad chose me.”

However, he said that he was always curious about his birth parents and tried for decades to find them. He had almost given up hope when he got an email from Ancestory.com five weeks ago.
Konkel had matched to his first cousin, Grace, who he immediately messaged.

“I gave my name, my date of birth, my phone number, my address. I gave her everything, and I said, ‘Can you just ask family… if they know anything about me?’” Konkel said.

And 20 minutes later… he got a call back.

“I get a phone call and it’s Grace. She says, ‘I just talked to my Aunt Judy. She’s your mom, and she wants to talk to you,’” Konkel said. “I’m 64. At my age, I thought my mom would’ve been gone. To have it happen that she’s still alive and that she wants to talk to me… One of the first things that I said to her was, ‘Thank you.’”

Konkel said that he never held his birth mother’s decision against her.

“That was probably one of the hardest things she’s ever had to do, but it was probably one of the better things for me that she did,” he said.

Sanders got pregnant at 15. Years later, she married a man on active duty in the military, and they were moved to Panama. There, she was exposed to Agent Orange, an herbicide known for causing long-term health issues.

In Sanders’ case, it affected the lives of her other two children, starting with her daughter.

“Her heart was backwards and on the wrong side of her body. She lived one day, and my son was born eight years later, identical condition,” Sanders shared.

He died when he was only 14 years old.

After giving Ronald up for adoption, and losing her next two, she thought that was the last time she would ever see her children. However, she thought about her firstborn often.

“I didn’t know if he was still alive and that worried me,” Sanders admitted.

64 years later, now that Sanders has her son, she’s holding on tight and never letting go. She’s looking forward to keeping in touch.

“I ain’t letting that kid out of my sight,” she said. “Oh, well, he’s out of my sight but not out of my mind.”

Konkel will be here until Saturday, long enough to celebrate his mother’s 80th birthday on Friday.

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Heartwarming Reunion in Danville: 64-Year-Old Australian Discovers Birth Mother

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