‘Nothing could compare to this’: Father reunites with son he never knew he had after Ancestry.com match

TOLEDO, Ohio. (WTVG/Gray News) - A father in Ohio reunited with his son, whom he never knew he had, after an Ancestry.com match.

Calvin Cooper, 71, and Tim Holloway, 33, discovered their relationship this week after Cooper’s DNA test results were entered into the genealogy website’s system.

The discovery came after Cooper participated in a virtual support group meeting where a woman noticed he was from Toledo.

The woman and Cooper initially thought they might be related and took DNA tests, but those results showed no match.

However, that interaction led to Cooper’s DNA information being entered into the Ancestry.com system, where it matched with Holloway’s profile. The two connected through a mutual friend who knew Cooper’s sister.

“Nothing could compare to this moment,” Cooper said. “We start FaceTiming and it’s like, oh my God, you are! I have seven kids, eight now.”

His son, Holloway, who lives in Atlanta, was placed in the foster care system as a child and had spent years searching for his biological parents. He tried multiple methods, including Ancestry.com and hiring a private investigator.

“The search itself was draining. For a while, it just felt like it was out of arm’s reach,” Holloway said.

Holloway said he had almost given up hope before this week’s discovery.

“The best way to describe it is I could probably have a million dollars and I’d trade it in for this moment right here,” Holloway said.

Since the discovery, Cooper and Holloway have been in daily contact through FaceTime and participate in group calls with family members. They are planning an in-person meeting so Holloway can meet his extended family.

“Everyone’s looking forward to meeting him; everyone is looking forward to having their private moment. The next thing to do now is it plan it out and make it happen. I’m so excited, I’m overwhelmed,” Cooper said.

“I wanna talk to this dude every day. I’ve established my whole life in Atlanta and I’m ready to run back to Toledo and say ‘Hey, let’s go hang out,’” Holloway said.