Patti met Dean in August of 1982 while stationed at an air force base.  Patti was 21 at the time and Dean was only 19. They shared two weeks together before Dean returned home to Austin, Texas.  Patti and Dean knew that they would miss each other but agreed that in order not to mess up their lives, they had to say good-bye.  Two months later, Patti discovered she was pregnant.  Patti planned to give the baby up for adoption, but the second she held him in her arms, she knew she had to raise him herself.  To this day, Dean doesn’t know that he shares a child with Patti. 

Patti - She realizes that for her son Chad, 25, growing up without a father has had a negative impact.  He was a lonely child, and Patti, 47, feels like she is to blame.  Chad wants to find his father, and Patti wants to help make her son happy and to see him smile again.

Dean - He has been married to Connie for 24 years and they have three children who are 16,18 and 20. He is unaware that he may have another son. Patti hopes that finding Chad’s father will help Chad steer away from the self-destructive path that he is on.  Patti also wants to apologize to Dean for denying him the opportunity to participate in Chad’s childhood.