Wisconsin father, daughter meet for 1st time after health scare
STURTEVANT, Wis. - Scary news about his health led one Sturtevant man to a surprise even more life-changing.
Paul Zervopoulos was at Mitchell International Airport with loved ones Friday, June 16 because of a big departure from the usual.
"I’m just still in shock here," said Paul Zervopoulos.
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Zervopoulos has learned you don't even have to leave the airport to go on the journey of a lifetime. You never know where life will take you, and the worst things in life seem to come out of nowhere.
"Just absolutely mysterious symptoms," he said. "In January, they discovered I had a small meningioma in my brain."
Father and daughter Paul Zervopoulos and Jennifer Day meet for the first time
While addressing the cyst, Zervopoulos got genetic testing. It got him curious about his own background, so he took an Ancestry test. The results in April led to an even bigger discovery.
"I get a message back going, ‘Oh my god, you’re my dad, I’ve been looking for you my whole life,'" Zervopoulos said.
It showed good things can come out of nowhere, too.
"At this point, I’m ecstatic, and my heart’s beating out of my chest," said Zervopoulos.
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"In 2017, I decided to give myself a DNA test in hopes of finding my dad because my birth mom never told me about him," Jennifer Day said in a TikTok video.
Day, who's adopted and living in Cyprus, Texas, is the 31-year-old daughter Zervopoulos never met.
"My birth dad reached out to me on Ancestry. I’m overwhelmed with joy. I never thought something like this would happen," the video continued.
This Father's Day weekend, Zervopoulos is as anxious as any father. He flew his daughter in for a visit.
"Never knew she existed until 71 days ago," Zervopoulos said. "There’s a lot of catching up to do: there’s 31 birthdays, there’s 31 Christmases, there’s 31 Father's Days."
To meet your child for the first time, waiting isn't easy. Zervopoulos looked for Day in each passing face until her arrival brought pure joy to his. It's a moment she said she's waited her whole life for.
"Every year for my birthday, I always wished to find or meet my dad," said Day.
Father and daughter Paul Zervopoulos and Jennifer Day meet for the first time
It's a wish granted for both of them.
"No words can describe what all this means to me," Day said.
Proud as a new father, Zervopoulos said he can't wait to see where life takes him – and his daughter – next.
He said this year has brought him not one, but two miracles: His brain cyst is clearing up, and now he has Father's Day weekend to spend with his daughter in Milwaukee.