A young woman who was the result of a one-night stand in the back of a lorry nearly 30 years ago has tracked down her trucker dad – who had no idea she even existed. Kennedy Wilson wondered about the identity of her father her entire life after being raised by her mum Claire Wilson from birth.
The 29-year-old said her mum was always ‘hesitant’ to reveal any information about her dad out of embarrassment for how she was conceived. It wasn’t until Kennedy was a teenager that she discovered she was the result of a one-night stand in the back of a lorry.
Kennedy, who lives near Newcastle, claims her mum tried to track down the mystery lorry driver after discovering she was pregnant but was reportedly told he was due to be married so ceased trying to make contact. After her mum’s death in 2014, Kennedy felt even more determined to track down her father using just three pieces of information – the couple had met on a night out in Whitley Bay, her dad had a Yorkshire accent, and she was conceived in an electricity supplier lorry.
Kennedy turned super sleuth to track him down, but after countless appeals online proved unsuccessful, she underwent an Ancestry DNA test in April last year. A cousin match on her dad’s side was able to narrow down her father’s identity to just two names.
Kennedy contacted one of the men – semi-retired lorry driver Alan Websdale from Pontrefract, Yorkshire – who confirmed her details about him were correct. Alan, 57, was shocked to discover he had a daughter from his liaison decades before – and the pair have since formed a strong bond.
Kennedy managed to track down her dad, Alan, after almost 30 years
(Image: Kennedy News and Media)
Kennedy said: “My mam was always very hesitant to tell me anything [about my dad]. I think she tried to convince herself that I had come from a loving relationship. I think she was a bit embarrassed that it happened from a one-night stand.
“Growing up, nearly everyone at school had both parents so I felt a bit different. I felt like there was something missing in my life. Last year my friend found out that her dad had other kids after she did an Ancestry test and something in my brain just clicked. I thought this could be my last chance.”
The urge to discover her dad grew stronger following the sudden death of Kennedy’s mum in 2014. Kennedy said: “I thought it would be impossible because she was the only one that had the information that could help.
“I knew it was something to do with an electricity lorry, my mam believed he had a Yorkshire accent and I put together the time of year I would’ve been conceived and I knew they met on a night out in Whitley Bay.” Kennedy decided to undergo a DNA test in April last year that revealed a cousin match on her dad’s side.
That helped narrow down Kennedy’s potential father to two men, one of whom was Alan Websdale. After appealing for help on social media, Kennedy was given Alan’s mobile number and made contact with her possible dad after nearly 30 years.
Kennedy said: “I left a voicemail to say ‘I might be your daughter’ and didn’t hear anything. I text him as well to say I believed I could be his daughter. Part of me prepared myself for him maybe not wanting a relationship with me.
“He replied that evening to say he was shocked. He said as soon as he heard about the lorry in Whitley Bay, he knew. He had no idea I even existed. He’d never heard anything from my mam after that night so in his eyes it was done.”
Dad-of-two Alan said it was the ‘strangest feeling’ when he discovered he had a daughter that he never knew existed. Alan said: “As soon as I heard the information about a lorry park, I put two and two together. Kennedy had more or less pinpointed where she was conceived. Her mother told me she had taken the morning after pill.
“I thought the world had fallen out my backside. It was the strangest feeling. I had no idea she even existed. I didn’t want her to feel mad at me, I was oblivious to it all. I’m probably not the first lorry driver to do something like this. You just don’t expect 29 years later for someone to come looking for you.”
The pair spoke on the phone for the following month before deciding to meet halfway between their homes in September last year. Kennedy said: “He said I was the spitting image of his sister. I think at first we didn’t know how to talk, then the conversation just sort of flowed.
“I’d always known that my dad was out there somewhere. If you’re thinking of doing your own journey, don’t wait. I wasted eight years pondering whether I should do it or not and I wish I did it a lot sooner. Everyone deserves answers.”
Alan added: “As soon as she got out of the car, it was like looking at my little sister. It doesn’t feel like talking to a stranger. It’s like I’ve known her for ages. It’s a strange feeling. It’s like I’ve gained something I never knew I had.”