Woman, 35, Has Emotional Meeting with Biological Father After DNA Match Exclusive

For most of her life, Sarah Pilkington lived without knowing who her biological father was.

After her mother became pregnant at age 20, Pilkington claims she had multiple partners and never determined paternity – a question that faded further into the background once she married the man who would later become Pilkington’s stepdad.

Unfortunately, the 35-year-old from Vancouver, Wash., tells PEOPLE exclusively that she and her stepdad never saw eye to eye. Although she and her mother shared a close relationship growing up, Pilkington often felt that a large part of her identity was missing. 

So in August 2025, she decided to finally focus her energy on tracking down her biological father – and what she discovered surpassed anything she had ever imagined.

In a series on TikTok, Pilkington shares that, for the longest time, she considered herself a “burden” and was hesitant to begin searching for her biological father, fearing he might want nothing to do with her. 

“You tend to seek out a lot of outside validation. Unfortunately, never having a strong male role in my life definitely impacted my self-worth,” she admits. “I really pined for his approval, and when you are made to feel that way in your youth, it heavily impacts the choices you make in relationships of all kinds.”

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After getting divorced in 2024 and spending time rebuilding her self-esteem and the community around her, Pilkington felt like she was in a better place to move forward with her search.

“Up until this point, I was always so afraid of being rejected by whoever my father was, but I finally felt like I had the wide support to go look for him, and handle however it played out,” she shares.

In early August, after a morning spent laughing with one of her closest friends, Pilkington decided to order an ancestry test. She recalls the sun shining that day and feeling an unexpected sense of calm and peace about her choice.

Within three weeks of sending in her DNA sample, Pilkington got a notification that her results were ready. 

“I got an immediate close family member match, and it happened to be my aunt,” she explains. “My sister looked her up on Facebook and had sent me some photos of this man who had these striking brown eyes and… I just knew.”

Despite being off Facebook for years, Pilkington reactivated her account and made the bold move to message the California woman identified in her test.

Her aunt responded quickly and was more than willing to aid Pilkington in her search. She asked when and where Pilkington was born, and who her mother was.

Since Pilkington was out of state for a wedding, they planned to speak on the phone in the following days. During that call, she was introduced to her father, Greg Mickles, 55, for the first time.

“My dad and I spoke on the phone almost daily once we connected, so it was really just about trying to find the time with work schedules,” Pilkington reveals.

On Oct. 20, 2025, her father and stepmother flew into Seattle from Wildomar, Calif., and then drove to Vancouver to meet Pilkington in person.

Leading up to the highly anticipated moment, Pilkington recalls feeling “numb” and consumed by nerves, but the instant she opened the door, all of that vanished.

“I had my dad. He cried, I cried. We all cried. It was really so nice, and he is honestly a really kind person,” she tells PEOPLE.

“My dad is just like me, or I am like him. We are both tender hearts, big softies. He is better than I hoped for.”

The most unexpected part of the experience was just how effortlessly it all unfolded and how accepting her family was of her, especially after years of imagining every possible negative outcome.

“I have heard of these searches not going anywhere near as smoothly as this did. I did not think I would find him this fast or that it would be this easy,” Pilkington admits.

“Also, some of that self-esteem comes into play here – not really believing that he would want anything to do with me. Boy, was I wrong.”

Looking ahead, Pilkington is excited to learn more about her father and extended family while spending the upcoming holiday season together. “I feel a level of peace I cannot quite describe,” she tells PEOPLE. 

As for those who are still on the fence about searching for their own birth parent, Pilkington emphasizes that having a strong support system in place can make all the difference.

“My family, friends and partner have helped me get to this place where I felt safe enough to begin this search,” she shares. “I think, had I not had their support, it would have taken me a lot longer to get here.”