Man looks to reunite with child after more than two decades.
LIVE OAK – She is the motivation for his songs, poetry, short stories and Web site.
Paycheck to paycheck, he even created a home for her he named Wahoo Ranch.
He has never met her except in his dreams.
Arjary A. Alkire’s life revolves around the search for his daughter who was adopted at birth in the early 1980s in West Palm Beach.
His latest project will be a nationwide tour to spread his message.
He knows that his daughter was born at Good Samaritan Hospital between 1983 and 1986.
Alkire has worked as a truck driver, a radio DJ and even an actor in the “Police Academy” movies and commercials.
However, his most treasured role is being a father and searching for his daughter.
He is preparing for his tour in which he will visit major cities in an 18-wheeler with the following painted on the side od the truck, “Daughter adopted out of birth, whoever, wherever you are. Wahooranch is being built for you of every mile traveling in search of you.”
During the tour, Alkire will be having periodic live airings on Linda Hammers’ national syndicated radio show, “The Seeker.”
Hammer will be doing a tour of her own and the two plan to advertise for each other.
“I want people to read the message and have it hit them in their hearts,” Alkire said.
He plans to go to big cities including Chicago, Philadelphia and Boston among more.
“This has been my dream for years,” he said.
Labor of Love
In the 1990s, Alkire asked himself what was truly important in his life. He decided that finding his daughter mattered most. He wanted to be a man she would be proud of when they met. One of his first goals was to create a home for her. He bought several acres of land in Live Oak in 1994.
“It was all in virgin land when I bought it,” he said. Wahoo Ranch how has a pond with an island that has a gazebo on it. Alkire also built a dock on the pound.
He created a driveway on a small hill at the entrance of ranch. He built a white picket fence with gardenias running alongside. Alkire also planted rows of palm trees and other plants. Every week after paying bills, Alkire used what he had left over to beautify the property.
“When I meet my daughter, I will tell her that Wahoo Ranch is hers,” he said.
He dreams of making a gazebo at the top of one of his oak trees with a glass roof fro star gazing.
In 1997 Alkire decided to share his story with the world by creating a Web site, http//www.wahooranch.com.
The site serves biological parents, adoptees and all people searching for their loved ones.
Although he quit school in the 10th grade, Alkire loved his English classes.
Putting his talent to work, he wrote a book of poetry for his daughter in 1997 called “Whoever, Wherever You Are.”
The 70-page book sold approximately 700 copies.
In addition to the last book, Alkire said he is working on a novel about his life.
The book covers his life experiences including his childhood in the Bahamas and jobs as a radio DJ and actor.
Close Calls
Alkire knows exactly what he would do it he meets his daughter.
“I’ll cry,” he said. He has had some close calls, but says he had not found his daughter yet. He received information on one young woman who was born at the same hospital. He, the woman and the woman’s adoptive mother communicated and became friends. They shared photos of Alkire and the woman each at 8 years old. There were striking similarities between the two photographs.
“I swore she was my daughter,” he said.
However, the woman’s birth date didn’t match with details Alkire remembered and it was concluded that were not related, she ran away from home. Alkire says because no DNA testing was done, there is a chance the women is his daughter, but he lost contact with her.
“I have no other children and don’t even know what she looks like,” he said. “She is all I have.”
Alkire says he is not trying to find his now-adult daughter to snatch her away from her adopted family.
“But I am trying to get the message out that adoptees are dear to their birth parents,” he said.
Alkire still remembers some details about the birth of his daughter but is not sure about the exact date she was born. He remembers driving to the hospital and his truck breaking down in the middle of the street.
He left in and ran into the hospital with a poinsettia. His truck was towed later and he says eh never had an opportunity to see his daughter.
Alkire still still knows the birth mother of his daughter.
He sent her a postcard in 1996 asking for his daughter’s birth date, but never received anything back.
“Some say I should go to the property and chain myself there until I can get the information, but I am not going to do that,” he said. “I am going to get it my own way.”
Alkire says he has no regrets.
“Right now I am doing what any parent does, try to secure things for my child,” he said. “I can’t make a will because I don’t know her name.”
If all goes well, Alkire plans to continue working as a truck driver and touring the country until he retires.
“Even if I find my daughter, I am going to continue doing what I am doing in spreading this message.” he said. “This is not just for me, but for everyone searching for loved ones.”
–Ashley Cisneros
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Ashley Cisneros is a co-founder of Chatter Buzz Media, an Orlando Internet marketing firm that helps companies and organizations engage with their target markets through inbound marketing via the Internet. Chatter Buzz Media, which won the Social Madness competition for the Orlando small business market, is a full-service digital marketing firm specializing in website design, search engine optimization (SEO), social media marketing and content creation. Prior to founding Chatter Buzz, Ashley worked as a newspaper reporter, magazine editor, technical writer, marketing manager, public relations practitioner and freelance journalist. To see Ashley’s content writing, visit www.ashleycisneros.com. You can also reach Ashley on her Google profile.
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