MISSION – After 34 years, a father is reunited with a son he never knew existed.

Gerardo Sauceda says the biological mother of his son told him he “didn’t make it.”

Michael Scherer, a New Jersey fire captain, was born in Illinois and adopted soon after.

He tells CHANNEL 5 NEWS his adoptive parents were honest with him from the beginning about the adoption.

“They helped me, and we tried to go back to the adoption agency. The adoption agency was closed down. The hospital where I was born was also shut down,” he says.

Scherer says after years of searching for his biological dad, he finally found him with a little help.

He says he went online to trace his family lineages through Ancestry.com.

His newfound brother, Michael Sauceda, says “it was something out of the movies.”

“We're basically being reunited with a brother we didn't know we had,” says Sister Lori Laboy.

This week, the family waited for Scherer’s plane to land with posters and open arms at the McAllen airport.

“I'm speechless. I don't even know what to say. This is amazing,” Scherer told CHANNEL 5 NEWS upon landing.

His brother Michael shared a message for others still searching for their families.

“If you guys are looking for your family, I hope you guys find them,” he says.

Scherer will bond with his new family over the next five days.

He says his next trip to the Rio Grande Valley will be with his wife and kids.