text: A former soldier has been reunited with his long-lost son after 25 years - after he spotted his Facebook page appealing for help finding his father. The post by Lewis Helget, 27, appeared on Darren Goddard's timeline when he logged into the social networking site with the intention of deleting his account. A quarter of a century earlier, the 48-year-old had made the heartbreaking decision to leave behind his 18-month-old son, who he thought he would never see again. Finally reunited: Darren Goddard (right) finally met his son Lewis Helget, 27, last month after 25 years apart . Mr Goddard 'cried himself to sleep' when he parted ways with Lewis in 1989 after his marriage broke down following a horrific car accident. Just six years earlier, he had moved to Germany to pursue a career in the Army and met Lewis' mother Aggi, who he married two years later. Following his return to the UK from Germany, where he had been based as a soldier, he endured a 'real struggle' to move on with his life. He eventually came to terms with the fact he would never see his son again. Around three years ago, Mr Goddard's daughter Cally, 15, created a Facebook page for him. The former soldier never used the account and was about to delete it when Lewis' appeal turned up on his newsfeed. Happy ending: Former soldier Mr Goddard says his life is now 'complete' after seeing his 27-year-old son . Mr Goddard, of Basingstoke, Hants, said: 'Cally set me up with a Facebook account but I had no clue how to use it. 'I opened up my Facebook to shut it down and get rid of it and then Lewis was there and it said he had been looking for his father for four years. 'When I left the Army and came over here, I cried myself to sleep for two years. I knew his mum was a good mother and had lots of family so I was happy in the knowledge of that. 'But it still took me two years to get over the fact I was never going to see him again.' Lewis, who lives in Emsdetten in north west Germany, was finally reunited with his father in March. Mr Goddard made the first contact and the pair now speak to each other every day via Skype. They met at Stansted Airport last month as Lewis flew to the UK from Germany to attend his grandfather Ron's funeral - a man he never met. They spent a week together before Lewis returned to Germany on March 25 - and Mr Goddard says his life is now 'complete'. Troubled past: Mr Goddard's marriage to Lewis' mother ended after he was involved in a serious car accident which ended his career as a solider and led to him getting depression and leaving Germany . Describing how his marriage to Lewis' mother ended, the father-of-two spoke of the terrible injuries he suffered in a car accident. Following a year of agony, he was taken to a hospital near his Army base in Munster, Germany, to have an operation to remove a smashed disk in his back in 1988. It soon became clear he would not be able to carry out his Army duties and his career came to an abrupt end. Mr Goddard then began suffering from depression - which led to the breakdown of his marriage to Aggi. He added: 'Lewis has always been in my heart and I have never stopped thinking about him. 'When we met you wouldn't believe we have spent any time apart and we had our arms around each other and hugged. 'It has been so lovely and we have had the most fantastic week. He is a lovely man and is quite a bit like me.' Lewis said: 'It was very important for me to know my dad so that is why I came to England to meet him.'
target: Darren Goddard met first wife Aggi while based in Germany with the Army .
  The pair had a son called Lewis before their marriage broke down .
  Mr Goddard, of Hampshire, returned to UK and never had contact with son .
  But Lewis' appeal to find father appeared on Mr Goddard's Facebook page .