A Land O' Lakes family is throwing a birthday celebration for a brother they just learned about.
- Robert Mauskoapf, 67, given up for adoption when he was born
- Brothers Elee, Tico Dumas found Mauskoapf while researching ancestry online
- Mauskopf's children paid to fly him from Phoenix, AZ to Florida to meet his brothers
Robert Mauskoapf, 67, of Phoenix, Arizona was given up for adoption when he was born.
His brothers, Elee Dumas of Land O'Lakes, and Tico Dumas of Jupiter said they had no idea he existed.
"Our family was broken apart due to things that happened 60 to 80 years ago," said Elee Dumas.
Recently, family members started doing online searches about their ancestry. Mauskoapf came up as a match.
"We just knew right away that it was definitely a brother," said Tico Dumas.
"Over the last six decades, I've had recurring dreams of brothers and sisters, and it was always a good feeling to be part of a family," said Mauskoapf.
For Mauskoapf, that dream is now a reality. He said his children gave him a birthday gift to fly to Land O'Lakes to meet his brothers.
They're already noticing all the things they have in common.
"You name it, we're talking about different subjects and I say, 'That's me,' and they say 'Oh, that's me!'" said Mauskoapf.
"He understands, he gets me, it's like we think alike," said Elee Dumas.
"We were talking about how we don't like hot spices and it's like, 'Whoa!' you know, just little things like that," said Tico Dumas.
The Dumas brothers bought Mauskoapf 67 birthday cards to make up for all the years they were apart.
"What made it so beautiful was when they found out I existed they were so welcoming, so loving. Every conversation we have now we end by saying 'I love you,'" said Mauskoapf. "Unfortunately, we lost 67 years of being together, but as long as we live from this point forward we will be together."