A heartbroken young woman has this week issued a desperate plea to find her long-lost Wishaw dad.
Stephanie McAloon has never met her father, and knows very little about him, but believes he still has ties with Wishaw.
With her mum splitting from the man and leaving the area in 1995 when Stephanie was just a toddler, the young woman has never had the chance to get to know her dad.
Now aged 26 and with a baby daughter of her own, Stephanie is keen to be reunited with her biological father.
“I feel like a part of me is missing,” said Stephanie.
“I know very little about my dad, only bits and bobs my nanny told me before she died.
“He was adopted as a boy and used to kick about the Bonkle and Holytown areas.
“My mum was pregnant with me aged 15 and I was born when she was 16.
“But I really don’t know anything else about my background, it’s all been kept from me.
“It’s not a nice feeling, and is something that is hard to put into words.
“It’s horrible to go through this, and I certainly would never want my daughter to be separated from her dad, no matter what our relationship was like.”
Stephanie’s mum was named Leona Wilson when she met the unknown man, and their daughter was born on February 18, 1993 in Law Hospital.
At the time, Stephanie’s mum had been attending Brannock High School in Newarthill.
Stephanie said: “We moved away to West Lothian when I was aged around two, but my nanny told me that my dad’s sister had stopped us in the street one day and wished us well.
“My birth name was Stephanie Wilson but my mum later changed our surnames to McAloon.
“I don’t know what happened, whether there was a big argument or my dad was told to stay away. It doesn’t matter.
“I never asked many questions because I cared about my mum’s feelings and didn’t want to hurt her.
“But I’ve not been given the information I want, and now that I’m nearly 30 I really want to meet my dad.
“I hope that some of your readers can help me find my dad.”
If you can help Stephanie, please contact Wishaw Press reporter Marc McLean on 01698 205205, or email marc.mclean@reachplc.com
