U.S. man reunited with daughter on German TV show

Published: November 9, 2006 | 5030th good news item since 2003

A U.S. man who fathered a daughter in Germany 22 years ago was reunited with her on German television, according to a media report. [Strong Fathers, Strong Daughters: 10 Secrets Every Father Should Know]

Glenn Godau was a U.S. Army warrant officer when Jennifer S’rgel, 22, was born near Ansbach, West Germany, before the fall of the Berlin Wall.

He was contacted in August by a German TV-production company to appear on “All You Need is Love” — a show that brings together long-lost family members, the Livingston County Daily Press & Argus reported.

A friend contacted the show after hearing S’rgel talk about wanting to meet her biological father. The father-daughter segment was filmed in mid-October in Cologne, Germany.

“They successfully got Jennifer there without her figuring out it was going to be her being surprised. It was pretty emotional,” Godau told the Livingston County Daily Press & Argus of Howell. “There wasn’t a dry eye in the house, let’s put it that way.”

After the show, Godau and his daughter spent 12 days together at her home in Bavaria. Godau learned S’rgel, a pediatric nurse, is engaged and gave birth to a daughter, Cecile, 12 weeks ago.

“Twelve days was not enough time. I jammed a lot of stuff into 12 days, I can say that,” Godau said. “It was the best time of my life.”

After Godau’s visit, he and his daughter are keeping in touch through phone calls, e-mail and text messages.

Godau learned that part of the reason he and S’rgel had trouble connecting was because her biological mother changed the last name on her birth certificate. [Daughters and Mothers: Making It Work]

Godau’s brother attempted to find S’rgel during business trips to Germany. Family members also tried to find her online for years.

Published in Fatherhood, Kids & Teens and Reunited
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