I texted a random stranger's phone number as a joke in 1998 - she turned out to be the love of my life
I texted a random stranger's phone number as a joke in 1998 - she turned out to be the love of my life
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A man has revealed how he met the love of his life completely by accident 27 years ago- after he texted a random number for a joke. Donovan Shears, 45, from Coventry, was given his first mobile phone on his 18th birthday and decided to fire out text messages saying 'hello' to made-up numbers.
![[Donovan, who was 18 years old at the time, was stunned when he received a message back from a woman who was living more than 100 miles away in Cleethorpes, Lincolnshire. She simply said: 'Who's this?']](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2025/01/29/12/94628237-14337083-Donovan_who_was_18_years_old_at_the_time_was_stunned_when_he_rec-a-23_1738153779747.jpg)
A former DJ who now works in cyber security, Donovan said: 'I started sending out random text messages, showing off to my friends saying, "I can page other phones.". 'I picked the first four digits the same as mine which were 07775, then the last three digits randomly - it was probably about five or six different numbers - and then didn't think anything of it.'.
![[The pair exchanged text messages and phone calls for six months before arranging to meet in-person for a date in Coventry]](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2025/01/29/12/94628221-14337083-The_pair_exchanged_text_messages_and_phone_calls_for_six_months_-a-20_1738153779744.jpg)
So the jokester was stunned when he received a message back from a woman called Kirsty Shears, who was living more than 100 miles away in Cleethorpes, Lincolnshire. Little did he know the stranger would later become his wife and mother of his two children.
![[Donovan and Kirsty Shears went on to get married in 2002 - four years after the initial text]](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2025/01/29/12/94628219-14337083-Donovan_and_Kirsty_Shears_went_on_to_get_married_in_2002_four_ye-a-21_1738153779745.jpg)
Upon receiving the random message on her phone, Kirsty simply replied: 'Who's this?'. Donovan revealed: 'When she told me she was living in Cleethorpes I was like, 'where's that in Coventry?'. 'We were texting so much my phone bill was over £250 a month, I think that's when I decided we should call.
![[Scots-born Kirsty (right), who had a Alcatel mobile, recalled how she and Donovan (left) had to describe what they looked like over text as phones with cameras had not yet become the norm]](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2025/01/29/12/94628243-14337083-Scots_born_Kirsty_right_who_had_a_Alcatel_mobile_recalled_how_sh-a-22_1738153779746.jpg)
Kirsty Shears (left) and her husband Donovan Shears (right) met in 1998 when he texted her number randomly while joking around with friends. 'Feelings started to develop and she'd got the most beautiful Scottish accent, which attracted me to her as well.'.
![[Donovan, who took Kirsty to a nightclub before buying her a kebab, described their first date as 'magical']](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2025/01/29/12/94628227-14337083-Donovan_who_took_Kirsty_to_a_nightclub_before_buying_her_a_kebab-a-25_1738153779748.jpg)
