In December 1960, a baby boy, just days old, was found abandoned in the second-floor hallway of an apartment building in Golders Green, north London. Wrapped in colorful woolen clothes, he was nicknamed the "Rainbow Baby." The Stevenson family adopted him, naming him David, and raised him in Edgware.
Years later, after starting his own family, David, who currently lives in Peterborough, began a determined search for his birth relatives. His adoption records offered minimal information, presenting a significant challenge.
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David Stevenson, 66, in Peterborough, England. Photo: Long Lost Family/ITV |
David Stevenson, 66, in Peterborough, England. Photo: Long Lost Family/ITV
The search gained momentum in 1995 when David's wife, Julie, located the name of the original police officer in the records. She arranged a meeting to gather clues. By 2009, the couple launched a nationwide appeal for information.
A breakthrough came in 2015 when DNA test results revealed his Dutch and French ancestry. That same year, David contacted the team behind ITV's "Long Lost Family" program at the Foundling Museum, hoping for expert assistance.
In August 2026, genealogy expert Ariel and the program's team successfully connected David with his maternal family. They identified his birth mother as Petra, born in 1940 in the Netherlands to a Catholic family. Sadly, Petra passed away in 2010, before David could meet her.
His maternal family revealed Petra's difficult past: at 19, she worked as a nanny in France and the UK, where she became pregnant. Facing intense societal pressure and her family's strong disapproval of an out-of-wedlock birth, she delivered her son alone and left him at the apartment building. She never had more children after returning to the Netherlands.
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David reunited with his aunt Marianne (left) and cousin Saskia (right) in early August 2026 in the Netherlands. Photo: Long Lost Family/ITV |
David reunited with his aunt Marianne (left) and cousin Saskia (right) in early August 2026 in the Netherlands. Photo: Long Lost Family/ITV
Petra's sister, Marianne, and other relatives in the Netherlands expressed their surprise at the revelation. They had no prior knowledge that Petra had ever had a child.
Following the discovery, David flew to Rotterdam, the Netherlands, to meet his maternal family, marking a poignant reunion.
Reflecting on his mother's choice, David stated, "During the 1950s and 1960s, single women faced immense obstacles. I believe my mother did the best she could under those circumstances".
David currently lives with his wife and three sons. While French privacy laws restrict DNA testing, preventing the identification of his birth father, the 66-year-old remains committed to uncovering clues about his paternal family.
By Minh Phuong (based on reports from BBC, Dailymail, Mirror)
