A woman who became known as the “Burger King Baby” after she was abandoned in a restaurant 27 years ago has spoken of her "pure joy" after being reunited with her mother.
Katheryn Deprill, 27, was abandoned in 1986 as a newborn in a US fast-food restaurant in Pennsylvania. Despite a nation-wide hunt, her mother was never found.
Katheryn Deprill's appeal to her mother
Earlier this month Katheryn made an emotional appeal on Facebook, asking for her mum to come forward, explaining that she was not angry at being abandoned.
She wrote: “I want her to know that I am not mad at her for what she did, however I have so many questions to ask her and also to start a relationship with my biological mother."
Her moving post was shared 30,000 times and was successfully spotted by her unnamed birth mother, who made contact via a lawyer to arrange a meeting.
Katheryn said she felt "pure joy" at meeting her mother for the first time on Monday.
"She is better than anything I could've ever imagined. She is so sweet and amazing. I'm so happy," she told the Associated Press news agency.
The unnamed woman's heartbreaking tale was revealed when her attorney explained she had been raped at age 16 while travelling abroad.
“She left the baby in a location where the baby would be found and cared for,” said the lawyer.
“She kissed the baby on the forehead ... and left.”
Speaking of the pair's meeting, he said: "It was one of the most emotional, joyful, dramatic, exciting things I've ever seen."