Katie’s Story – Transcript

Katie’s Story

“[When you were five] You asked [your mom] : “How come I don’t have a Daddy?”(2)

 And she told you that you do. She showed you a picture of a man in uniform. (3)

That man is me. Your Father.” (4)

TEXT

Katie Francis is a fourth year Criminology student at St. Thomas University. (5)

She was born and raised on Prince Edward Island by her mother Bev and her mother’s common law husband, Billy. (6)

This is her story.(7)

CLIP – Katie

“Because Billy was always around so I don’t think I ever really missed out on having a dad because I had Billy and he did an excellent job of raising me.” (9 sec)

TEXT

She never knew her biological father, James Gallacher. (8)

But one year ago he found her on Facebook. (9)

CLIP – Katie

“So I was like James Gallacher messaged me. And I’ve never heard that name in my life and I opened it up and it just said hi, is your mom’s name Beverly? I think I might know you. And I knew, I have no idea why, but I knew right away that it was him.” (20 sec)

“So I quickly messaged him back and I didn’t really know what I was supposed to say. I knew it was him and so I didn’t really know what I was supposed to say to him back. So I messaged him back and I was like yup, how do I know you? Your name sounds familiar? It really didn’t. At all. But I had to have something so, like I didn’t recognize his name whatsoever.” (21 sec)

“I didn’t expect for him to be like hi Katie I’m your father. And I didn’t really want that. Anyway so yeah   I opened it up and started reading it. and I still didn’t know what to do, the whole time I was reading it I was like oh my gosh what am I supposed to do with this it can’t be real. This really isn’t him. It can’t be. Even though I know it’s him it’s not going to be. And then I just started crying cause I had no idea what I was supposed to do with it.” (27 sec)

TEXT

James was hesitant to contact Katie. (10)

His friend encouraged him. (10)

He said it was time. (10)

CLIP – James

“And he said hey, I happen to get on facebook and he said come on in and take a look into the control room tell me if this is your daughter. And I said oh no, you didn’t do this really? And he goes just tell me if it’s your daughter or not? And I went in and said yeah that’s Katie and he said well are you going to email her? And I said no, I’m not going to email her. And I was scared to death at this point I mean I had no contact with Katie up to this point and the he kind of kept on needling and prodding me and I did finally get to sit down and I shot an email off.” (45 sec)

“I was kind of hoping to have a little bit of a break to think about some things but it was pretty quick. So I basically just said oh no what am I going to do now? And of course Chris says to me email her, tell her what you think. I said I can’t do that! I haven’t had any contact with this young lady for twenty years, I’m not just going to fly into her life like that, she’s going to have a heart attack! Never mind me! And I said what is she doesn’t want anything to do with me. I was scared. I was deathly scared. Truthfully I wanted to know her but a part of me didn’t because I was so scared of rejection I guess.” (41 sec)

TEXT

Katie’s world was upside down. (11)

She was planning on finding him, on her own terms. (11)

CLIP – Katie

“Oh my gosh him finding me not on my own terms was terrible! It was the worst feeling ever. I like to be in control of that type of thing. Especially since my entire life I didn’t know he knew anything about me, like let alone if I existed. So, him kind of coming out of the blue, I didn’t know what to do with it. At all. And I wasn’t happy. After it kind of sunk in I wasn’t happy.” (38 sec)

TEXT

Then it sunk in. James told her she had two sisters and a brother. (12)

For an only child, that was music to Katie’s ears. (13)

CLIP – Katie

“Finding out I had siblings was so exciting! I was so excited.” (5 sec)

TEXT

And they welcomed her with open arms. (14)

CLIP – Matthew

“I was pretty excited to have a new sibling to get to know. Hopefully she would be pretty cool which she is and that’s pretty neat and she just fits right in with our kind of crazy family.” (9 sec)

CLIP – Katie

“We get along as well as most siblings do. I think they’re great. Me and matt fight constantly, we pick on each other so much. Just because we can.” (13 sec)

CLIP – Hannah

“I was happy. And excited that I had a new sister and I could rub it in my brother’s face.” (9 sec)

CLIP – Katie

“And Hannah and I, Hannah’s really sarcastic and she’s the youngest and we just tease each other all the time.” (6 sec)

CLIP – Amanda

“I was pretty happy. Yeah because it’s nice to have an older sister and not an annoying brother.” (6 sec)

CLIP – Katie

“I just feel like I’m part of their lives now.” (2 sec)

“I wish I would have known them my whole life. It would have been great to grow up with a brother and two sisters, especially a brother I could have picked on. But I don’t know. I kind of go back and forth. Sometimes I regret not having them in my life for all those years but now we wouldn’t have the relationship that we do now.” (22 sec)

TEXT

Katie couldn’t have imagined this. (15)

They met at her roommate’s house in Saint John, on Easter weekend of 2009. (16)

She was beside herself. (16)

CLIP – Katie

“I remember looking out the window being like oh my gosh he’s here. What do I do with him now? Make him go home. Now that he was here I didn’t want him to be there.”

“…and I just kind of stood in the doorway for a little while when he got out of the car and everyone just looked at him and he came up and I still didn’t know what I was supposed to do. And as I saw him coming up the driveway and I came outside and I was just kind of standing on the steps and I slowly walked down and I was still like do I shake his hand? I was still trying to figure out how I was supposed to greet this guy. Do I just say hi, do I give him a hug? Anyway, I’ll figure it out once I get to see him in like 3.5 seconds. And so  walked up to him and I didn’t really get a chance to figure out what I was going to do because he just ended up hugging me and I was like ok, this is what we’re going to do so I was like excellent, I get to hug him! So I gave him a hug but then I thought we were done but he wasn’t done hugging me yet so I remember trying to pull away but he was still hugging me so I was like ok so we’ll just keep hugging for a while. And then he kind of looked at me and all I remember saying to him was hi. Cause there was really nothing else to say.” (67 sec)

TEXT

Katie had nothing to worry about. (17)

James poured out his heart and she was more than ready to listen. (17)

CLIP – Katie

“He basically thanked me for letting him into my life and he apologized for everything..and ..I think everyone was crying…and Liz’s dad was sitting there and was like oh my gosh and Liz’s mom was crying and everyone was crying and so he basically poured out his entire heart at Wendy’s…in the restaurant in the middle of the afternoon on Easter. It was really nice to hear.” (55 sec)

“And I was mad at him because I was like where the heck have you been over the rest of my life? And so he basically just wanted me to know about him and who he was and a little bit about his family. And if I wanted to I could contact him and it was up to me whether I wanted to start a relationship and he told me in one of the first emails…I don’t want to take anything away from you. I only want to add to your life.” (48 sec)

TEXT

Words James wanted to share for a long time. (18)

CLIP – James

“It’s just, I see my kids. I got to be able to be there when Hannah or Amanda or matt rode their first bike or when they hurt their knees, you know? As a dad. And it bothered me. But do I have regrets? I have a lot of regrets. I wish I was there. But the reality of it is I wasn’t.” (24 sec)

“I’m just glad that Katie forgave me for not being there for her throughout the years. And now we have the future to look forward to together. And I plan on making up for all the years of not being there for her. So she’s an awesome, awesome girl.” (21 sec)

TEXT

He wasn’t alone. His wife Robin welcomed Katie with open arms. (19)

CLIP – Robin

“I was glad because it was like our family was complete. It wasn’t anything that was being hidden or left out, that we are finally a family.” (7 sec)

TEXT

Robin wanted to be Katie’s friend. Nothing more. (20)

CLIP – Robin

“Step mother seems, I’m just such a casual person that step mother just seems too formal. I’m just a friend, I’m just out there. And I hope she looks at it more as a friend who she can talk to when she wants. And doesn’t have to feel like she owes me anything. Just be herself.” (15 sec)

TEXT

The kids had their own reasons to be happy. (21)

CLIP – Hannah

“So I can have more people to play with when someone comes down.” (5 sec)

CLIP – Matt

“Still wanted that little or big brother but once again, oh well big sister, she fits right in and she’s as close as I’m going to get to a big brother.” (8 sec)

CLIP – Amanda

“Probably doing nails and makeup and shopping together…even though I know Katie’s not one of those shopping kind of people.” (8 sec)

TEXT

Katie’s newfound family welcomed her without hesitation. (22)

But she worried about her family at home. (23)

CLIP – Katie

“And Billy never really said anything and since he was less vocal I was actually more worried about him because Billy was my dad and he’s always going to be my dad and that won’t ever change. Guaranteed. Like I have no doubt in that. So I was kind of more worried about him than anyone else because he just kind of had to sit in the background while me and my mom tried to figure this whole thing out. And so one night I got on the phone with him and we talked about it and stuff like that. And so he was kind of just like you need to do what needs to be done. Go for it, whatever you think is necessary it’s ok. He’s like I’m not mad at you and it’s alright. And I was just so thrilled to hear that because I was worried that he was angry with all of this but he wasn’t.” (52 sec)

TEXT

Katie’s journey hasn’t been easy. But she said it’s worth it. (24)

CLIP – Katie

“It’s kind of cool because I have two dads now and they’re both amazing and they’re both great and like I have another entire family that loves me just as much as my other one does.” (14 sec)

CLIP – James

“But I mean it’s been fantastic. I mean, she’s really completed the family. I have seen such a change in our kids. When Katie’s..Katie’s a blessing. She’s really changed our lives and she changed particularly the kids’ lives.” (19 sec)

CLIP – James

“Like I said, she completes our family. Katie is definitely a part of us. She’s always been a part of me, when I was at sea in the North Atlantic in the navy I thought about her constantly. I thought about then sitting down and writing to her. But I never did. I should have. Or I shouldn’t have. You know there are so many ends and ifs and what if, and I’ll never be able to answer them nor will she be able to answer them but she just completes our family.” (34 sec)

TEXT

This family is a part of Katie now. (27)

CLIP – Amanda

“Because she’s my older sister!” (3 sec)

CLIP – Matt

“She fits in, she’s funny, she’s pretty cool to hang out with so she’s everything we hoped for.” (5 sec)

CLIP – Robin

And see if they stay in touch, if they stay close. As they get older and have their own lives if they’ll stay in touch. And hopefully she’ll give me lots of grandchildren! Yes! Lots of grandkids!” (22 sec)

TEXT

And they’re not letting go. (28)

CLIP – James

“I guess after I had emailed Katie and talking back and forth to her on emails it was always James or Jim. And when we went down to Disney world I said to robin it was so funny, we were walking behind Katie, it was at the airport and she said “dad” and I was like, I just, it was a pretty exciting time for me. And I just know that sounds goofy coming from a grown man and a daughter that’s twenty years old. But I never expected that. (Hannah in the background – “you’re starting to cry”) I never expected that. I never expected her to ever call me dad. And it means a lot to me. So, don’t ever stop calling me dad!” (61 sec)

TEXT

And Katie wouldn’t have it any other way. (29)

CLIP – Katie

“I have no doubt that they will be in my life now. I have no doubt in that. Like the kids are beautiful, they’re so funny. Robin is hilarious and James is James. Really James is just James. He’s great and he’s funny and we just all get along really well and I think as a family we work. Like whenever I first went over to their house I was like can I get a drink of water? And now I just go through their cupboards. Like, stuff has just worked itself out. And so what the future holds I don’t know but I’m excited to find out.” (42 sec)

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Posted by Liz Dail on Apr 14, 2010. Filed under Transcripts. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. Both comments and pings are currently closed.