After finding his daughter through Facebook after a 40-year separation, Christopher Lupella longed to meet her in person.

But he didn’t have the money to travel from his home in Colorado Springs to where his daughter lives near Chicago.

Enter Julie Dashiell, a guest educator for the Fountain-Fort Carson School District 8, who is paying for Christopher’s trip after reading about his desire to meet his daughter, Jennifer Lupella, in The Gazette earlier this month.

Dashiell will cover the $1,000 cost of round-trip airfare, meals and a five-night hotel stay from Thursday through next Tuesday.

Because of her work with military families – whose children often go months without a dad or mom because of deployments – Dashiell said she understands the importance of having a parent around. And, she added, it was heartbreaking to hear that all Lupella wanted to do was reunite with his daughter after they were separated when she was 3.

It wasn’t until Dec. 16 that Jennifer realized her father was alive. Relatives told her that he was dead, and her mother told her not to look for her father because it wasn’t worth the effort.

But after finding him online, she was able to determine that he was her father.

Reuniting in person would strain both their budgets, though.

An Air Force veteran who served during the Vietnam War, Christopher said his only source of income is a $700 monthly disability check, adding that “I barely make it” and “it’s embarrassing” he lives check-to-check.

“I have a lot of mental health issues from back then,” he said, referring to his military service. “My lower back is severely hurt. I get shots in my lower spine and neck.”

Now 43, Jennifer is looking forward to meeting her dad as an adult but she’s still worried about having enough money during their reunion. She’s staying at a friend’s home while putting in 12-hour days as a construction worker.

She has four adult children and three grandkids. She said her funds are “tight” and is hoping to have enough to show him around the Chicago area.

“It’s gonna be hard,” said Jennifer, who lives in Elgin, about 40 miles from the Chicago airport. “I want to do things.”

Several readers contacted The Gazette and asked how they could contribute to a fund to help Christopher meet his daughter. The Lupellas tried to promote a GoFundMe campaign benefiting their reunion but never received any funding, they said.

Dashiell made the trip happen.

“The story touched a chord with me as an educator and as a parent,” said Dashiell, who has two teenage children. “When I read that money was keeping him from a reunion with his daughter, I thought it would be a minor sacrifice for me to help make his wish of 40 years come through.”