Man Reunites With Father He Thought Was Dead After Sibling Tracks Him Down Through Facebook

A man finally reunited with his father from the other side of the world after 33 years - thanks to his half-sister discovering him on Facebook. Silver Young, from Fresno, California, last had contact with his father when he was an infant at Ban Vinai Refugee Camp, in Thailand, where he was born in 1981. During the war in Laos, Silver's parents fled to the camp, and his father, Pana Saelee, was a soldier who fought alongside General Vang Pao and the American CIA. Having settled in the camp for a number of years, Pana, 60, was then called back to Laos for a mission to help more people flee the country. The family lost all connection with Pana, and believed him dead in the conflict. So, in 1987, Silver's mom moved him and his two sisters to the United States in search of a better life. Then, 30 years later, Silver received a Facebook message from someone claiming to be his half-sister, along with a side-by-side photo of him next to someone who liked exactly like him - his father. After initially ignoring the messages, he eventually discovered his father was a live and well and living in Thailand. After 33 years apart, they finally reunited in an emotional moment three decades in the making.