Man Found Abandoned as Newborn in 1960 Connects with Birth Family 65 Years Later

Adam EnglandTue, August 4, 2026 at 11:50 AM UTC

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David Stevenson on ‘Long Lost Family: Born Without Trace’Credit: Long Lost Family/ITV -

A man who was abandoned as a newborn in the U.K. more than 65 years ago has connected with his birth family in the Netherlands through the series Long Lost Family: Born Without Trace

He discovered his birth mother, Petra, died in 2010 but met her sister and cousins who welcomed him to the family

DNA testing revealed both Dutch and French ancestry and he plans to explore his birth father’s side next

A man who was abandoned as a newborn in the U.K. more than 65 years ago has connected with members of his birth family in the Netherlands — all thanks to a TV show.

In December 1960, David Stevenson was discovered in an apartment building in London when he was a few days old, the BBC reported.

The police appealed for information at the time, but nobody came forward, his wife, Julie Stevenson, explained in a Facebook post. He was later adopted by the Stevenson family.

“Growing up, I knew I was a foundling,” David, who recently returned to the apartment building for the ITV series Long Lost Family: Born Without Trace, told the BBC.

David Stevenson on ‘Long Lost Family: Born Without Trace’Credit: Long Lost Family/ITV

“My adopted parents had shared that with me. But it wasn’t until I had children of my own that I started to think about where I had come from.”

For years, David, who now lives in the city of Peterborough, about 75 miles north of London, couldn’t find any leads. But Julie, a former local councilwoman, was able to make some progress. She found the name of the police officer who worked on David’s case in his records, and they were able to meet 17 years ago, per the BBC.

After first meeting the team behind ITV’s Long Lost Family in 2015, David eventually learned the identity of his birth mom, a woman called Petra who was born in the Netherlands in 1940 and spent time in France before working as an au pair in the U.K.

She died in 2010, but David told the BBC he’s been told she was a “very loving lady,” and said he didn’t hold his start in life against her.

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David Stevenson on ‘Long Lost Family: Born Without Trace’Credit: Long Lost Family/ITV

“It was difficult for girls in the 1950s and ‘60s to be unwed mothers,” he said. “I think she did the best she could.”

Through the show, he was able to connect with his mom’s sister, Maryanne, and cousins, Bart, Saskia and Jan, in the Dutch city of Rotterdam. He also learned that he is one-eighth Indonesian through a great-grandmother.

David Stevenson reads a letter from his cousin, Bart, on ‘Long Lost Family: Born Without Trace’Credit: Long Lost Family/ITV

“The family have been so welcoming and are such nice people. It was a delight to meet them,” he told the BBC.

He appeared on ITV’s daytime show This Morning on Tuesday, Aug. 4, alongside Saskia, and she revealed that she sees similarities between David and his mom. “When I saw the picture [of David], no doubt in my mind it was Petra’s son,” she said.

David, meanwhile, told the BBC that his next goal is to look into his birth father’s side.

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Long Lost Family host Davina McCall explained on the show that his DNA testing indicated both Dutch and French ancestry, but that French privacy laws would likely make it more difficult to find out about his dad.

As for embracing his newly discovered Dutch roots, the show revealed that David backed both England and the Netherlands during this summer’s World Cup.

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Source: “AOL Entertainment”