Calling all Jasons from Syracuse who attended the "K-Rockathon" concert in Vernon, NY, in July 1996: Your biological son, Jette Collins, is now 18 and looking for you. But, he assures you, he only wants to meet and say hi, he tells ABC News. After a little prodding from his girlfriend and her family, Collins, who lives in nearby Durhamville, last Wednesday posted a photo with his story to Facebook. He writes that a man named Jason met a girl named Diana Collins one fateful night in 1996 and that he is "the product of that night." (The concert featured acts like Butthole Surfers, Poe, The Refreshments, and The Verve Pipe, Syracuse.com recalls.) The post has already been shared more than 12,000 times and commented on 3,000 times, including negative comments directed at his mother.
"Everyone makes mistakes," Collins tells Today, and adds: "It's just something I needed to do. ... I've always felt like I was missing something." As for the birthdate on his Facebook profile predating the July 28 concert itself (a point highlighted by skeptics), Collins admits it's not accurate, saying that his grandparents, with whom he lives, always warned him to keep his personal details under wraps on social media. About to turn 19, he says he's gotten tons of messages already—even K-Rock radio host Rainman wants to help, having not met his own biological dad until he was 21, he tweeted—but so far none have panned out. Either way, "I'm proud of my son," Diana Collins tells ABC News. "I will stand by him through anything." (These siblings took to Facebook to find their oldest brother.)