Katheryn Deprill was left in the bathroom of a Burger King restaurant when she was a newborn baby and earned the nickname the Burger King Baby. Now 27, Deprill decided it was time to find her birth mother. She took her search to Facebook and after searching for only three weeks, she has found her mother.
Deprill posted a photo on Facebook that showed her holding a sign that read, “Looking for my birth mother. … She abandoned me in the Burger King bathroom only hours old, Allentown PA. Please help me find her by sharing my post.” She asked her friends to share the photo, hoping it would circulate far enough to reach her mother.
The photo was shared over 30,000 times on Facebook and Deprill’s story was quickly picked up by the media. Deprill’s mother became aware of the story and asked her attorney to arrange a meeting with the daughter she had abandoned 27 years ago.
“I got the hug that I had wanted for the last 27 years, and that broke the ice,” Deprill said. “I asked if I could have it, and she said, ‘absolutely,’ and just held her arms open, and the rest is history.”
Deprill and her mother spent several hours together during their first meeting and Deprill learned why her mother had abandoned her.
The woman was only 16 years old when she gave birth in her bedroom. She has been raped while traveling abroad and hidden her pregnancy. She did not want to have her baby at a hospital because she was afraid she would be judged and did not want to answer questions about the rape. She chose to leave her baby in a public place, hoping she would be found quickly.
Deprill said that her mother explained how regretful she was for giving her up but felt that she had no other choice. Deprill said that she forgave her mother and was looking forward to having a relationship with her.
Do you think Deprill would have found her mother without the help of Facebook?
Image via Wikimedia Commons