Alberta man launches social media search for 'long lost' brother

For Jay Haskins, a boy named Keith has been a mysterious part of his family tree.

He was just 17 when his parents sat him down in the family livingroom to share their secret: he and his older brother Aaron had a thirdsibling.

"My mom and dad, they sat me and my brother downand said, 'If a guy named Keith ever approaches you, saying he's your brother, we just want you to know, he very well could be.'

"We were very confusedand my mother explained to us that she had givena boy up for adoption. They just gave it to us straight."

Now, decades after that startling conversation, the Calgary man is hoping to track down his half brother, who was given up for adoption after his birth in St. Albert, 38 years ago.

His name at birth was KeithDarcy and was born at Sturgeon General Hospital on Nov.30, 1978.But the rest of his story remains a mystery to the family.

Haskins posted these scant details with his photograph on Facebook, pleading for any information which might lead to a reunion. The post has since been shared more than 27,000 times, and has gone viral around the world.

"I made the post and it gained a little more momentum than I was expecting so that's awesome," said Haskins.

"I'm exceedingly hopeful. Social media these days is incredible."

'I would really like to meet this guy'

For years Haskinthought little about reuniting with hisbrother,but when he started a family of his own, everything changed.

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"I have a son and a daughter. And when I had my second child and watching them interact with each other as siblings," Haskins said. "It got me to the point where I was curious about my ownbrother."

Just over a week into his search, he's already had a few tips, though so far they have led nowhere.

Haskins hasreached out to government agencies and adoption groups across the province, and has asked his mother to begin filling out paperwork so the family's desire to reunite is on record.

"It took me having my own family to develop that sense of long lost family," Haskins said. "I would really like to meet this guy."