When people working at a Pennsylvania fast-food joint heard crying coming out of the customer's bathroom, they still had no idea as to what they were about to find inside. A newborn baby, probably no more than a few hours old, was lying there all by herself. The odds of survival didn't look good for her, but she definitely made it and became famous as the Burger King Baby. Without anywhere to start, she gave up hope finding the mother who left her behind. But she was in for a huge surprise 27 years later. Here's her incredible story and the truth behind the reason she was abandoned:
A Baby Abandoned In Burger King Toilet
It was September of 1986, and the people working at an Allentown, PA, Burger King branch, were minding their own business until they started hearing alarming noises coming from the bathroom. They heard something that sounded like a baby crying and screaming and when the manager opened the door, that's exactly what he saw! The baby was so tiny that it couldn’t have been more than just a couple of hours old. Unfortunately, no one else was at the bathroom and the baby’s parents were nowhere to be found. What were they to do?
The Mother Cared About the Baby (To Some Degree)
The mother obviously didn't want to go to the hospital, and she must have given birth not far from there. She then wrapped her baby in an old sweater, to keep it warm - which shows that she did care for the baby, to some degree at least. The surprised Burger King worker who found the baby wrapped up under the toilet sink quickly called emergency services since he knew the baby was in danger, and it didn't seem like the mother was coming back anytime soon. Everyone calmed down when the ambulance arrived at the scene and the paramedics said that the poor baby was in good health.
The Search For the Parents Began
The people working at the Burger King also knew that the baby they found was a newborn girl who was probably three hours old. From that point on, authorities could begin searching for her parents, even if the last thing they want was to be found. Allentown's Police Department encouraged anyone who had any information on the abandoned baby to speak out. However, one officer who arrived at the scene said that right now, the people there are the only family this baby has. Unfortunately, he was right.
"Burger King Baby" Becomes Famous Across The Country
Paramedics who examined the newborn immediately fell in love with her. They thought she was beautiful and charming. One paramedic said that the mother who gave her up must be feeling truly awful right now. When the news came out about the poor infant that was abandoned at the burger king and the search for the mother and father started, the baby became famous. Parents held their kids a bit tighter during that time after hearing the story about the burger king baby. As time passed, the hope of finding her parents became slim.
The Police Was Clueless
Allentown Police was clueless despite all of their efforts that included dusting for fingerprints and interviewing many people in the area, searching for a lead in their investigation. The baby's mother, whoever she was, made it pretty clear that she didn't want to be found or reunited with her baby. With the passage of time, nobody believed that the burger king baby's mom could ever be found, and she was adopted. Perhaps now she'll have a better life than if she stayed with her biological mother, that was the thing everyone was hoping for.
The Adopting Parents Gave Her A Happy Childhood
Carl and Brenda Hollis, a local couple, heard the story about the Burger King Baby and adopted her as their own. They decided to call her Katheryn. They were lovely and caring parents for the newborn girl and provided her with everything she needed. When she became old enough they wanted to tell her the truth about herself. In 1998, when Katheryn was 12, Brenda and Carl made up their mind that she was already old enough to hear her adoption story. They showed her all the newspaper bits they kept about the Burger King Baby.
Katheryn Became A Mother Herself
Brenda and Carl had no doubt that their adopted daughter would want to know more about her biological mother, and they were right. You can't help wondering where you came from. Katheryn said that she'd never want to replace her adopted family, but she still feels that a part of her is missing and that's something that's difficult to understand for people who weren't adopted. As time passed and Katheryn became older, she developed a career in medicine and married. At 27, she became a mother herself but still didn't give up on finding her own biological mother.
Social Media to The Rescue!
Katheryn knew she had to become an amateur sleuth in order to find her birth mom, and in 2014 she decided to start looking in the place where most of the people are – on social media. She posted a photo of herself along with a sign that explains her story. The post turned viral with more than 30,000 people sharing it on Facebook trying to help Katheryn. Amazingly, her birth mom was one of the people who saw the post! Two weeks after Katheryn first uploaded the post, a woman named Cathy Pochek approached her, letting her know she was the one who left her at the burger king restaurant 27 years ago. You won't believe why.
The Real Reason Why Her Birth Mom Abandoned Her
Cathy's unfortunate story was that she was molested while she was on vacation with her family, when she was in her teens, and got pregnant as a result. She was scared and didn't know what to do so she decided to hide it from her family, with hopes that the baby would be found and have someone who'll take care of it. Being a mom herself, Katheryn understood her biological mother's actions and felt glad that her upbringing was indeed happy. Katheryn's adoptive parents were both in favor of her new relationship with her birth mom.
Finally, Some Answers
After Cathy and Katheryn spoke, they agreed to meet at the office of Cathy's attorney, John Waldron. Katheryn anxiously awaited for her chance to have all of the questions she had over the years finally answered. Some might expect Katheryn to be mad at her biological mother. But towards the reunion, there was nothing in Katheryn’s heart but compassion as Cathy told her the full story. Cathy was scared that if she went to the hospital or to a doctor, she'd be questioned. So, she gave birth all by herself, in her bedroom, and then went into the closeby Burger King branch and left the baby there to be found - she knew that leaving Katheryn at such a public place would make sure she'll be discovered quickly.
A Truly Exciting & Emotional Moment
Katheryn, who started the search with the support of her adoptive parents, came to the reunion along with her adoptive mom and her third child, 7-month-old Jackson. She said that she felt joyous when she met her birth mother for the first time at the office of Cathy's attorney, John Waldron, who was kind enough to prepare chocolates, boxes of tissues and flowers for the reunion. Waldron said that it was probably the most joyful, exciting, dramatic and emotional moment he ever witnessed and added that he's certain that Cathy is Katheryn's mother.
Amazing Coincidences
Katheryn and Cathy appeared on the Today Show together, and couldn't stop crying. Her adoptive parents were also there right beside her. It didn't take long for them to realize they had quite a lot in common, not just genes. In a few startling coincidences, Cathy used to babysit for Katheryn's spouse! Another amazing fact is that both are named Catherine/ Katheryn Anne. They both also work as EMT's and drive the same type of car. Despite a rough start, Katheryn should now feel very lucky to have not one, but two families who love her.
The Honeymoon Period
Cathy was eventually pleasantly surprised by the positive reaction she got - people have been very supportive! She wasn't prepared for all the love that she got. Cathy and Katheryn now try to spend a lot of time together, making up for 27 years isn't going to be easy, but they're definitely up for it. The thing they love doing together the most is going to the zoo. They already visited Leigh Valley Zoo and the Philadelphia Zoo. Both women feel like they're in their honeymoon period, and they hope they'll always feel like this.
They Want to Help Others Who Are in A Similar Situation
While Katheryn and Cathy continue building their relationship and meet regularly, they’ve been candid about their reunion story - hoping that it would inspire others. Cathy knows she'll be harshly judged by some, but she’s brave enough to face the criticism in the hopes that coming forward regarding what she did might help save another person facing a similar situation. Cathy said that helping out another girl who's in the same trouble as she was is worth the judgment that she'll endure. Even if it's just one girl, it's totally worth it! How inspiring.