A teenage boy has admitted to falling in love with his birth mother after spending 14 years apart.
Shane Burke, 19, tracked mum Rose Bestall, 35, using Facebook and organised a physical reunion soon after.
It took only a few weeks before Burke, from Manchester in England, realised his feelings had changed and he confessed them to Bestall, who was living in nearby Surrey.
“The confession left me with a massive dilemma,” she told Sunday People.
“I knew Shane’s feelings were completely inappropriate but I had searched for him for so long and I didn’t want to push him away again.”
The 19-year-old said the minimal age difference became a factor in his attraction.
“She is only 15 years older and I started to think of her in a romantic way,” he said.
“It was a very confusing time but I’m so lucky she was understanding.”
Burke believes he suffers from the psychological condition called genetic sexual attraction – a condition that occurs when a person becomes attracted to a biological relative they meet in adulthood.
“I now understand I was overcome by feelings of love for Rose,” he said.
Watch to learn more about genetic sexual attraction. Post continues after video.