A Chicago bakery owner recently discovered that her longtime patron was actually her long-lost son, who she had placed for adoption as a baby.
Lenore Lindsay, 67, owned the Give Me Some Sugah bakery in the South Shore neighborhood, where she placed her son up for adoption when she was just 17 years old. For years, she had a loyal customer named Vamaar Hunter, 50, who would stop by the bakery for breakfast or a sweet treat.
"I loved the service; I loved the products," Hunter, who lived in the same neighborhood, said. "The pancakes are the best I ever had, period."
Discovering the Connection
Hunter was 35 when he discovered that he was adopted. Curious to meet his birth mother, he submitted results for genetic testing.
In March 2022, Hunter received a phone call from the bakery. When he answered, Lindsey told him she was his birth mother.
"It was just so unbelievable," Hunter said of the moment.
Lindsey had to give up Hunter for adoption in 1974 after she gave birth at 17 years old. She never saw her son's face when he was born, as it would have been much harder for her to let him go.
Nearly 50 years later, Lindsey---who now had a daughter, 40-year-old Rachel---received a call from a genealogist informing her that her son was looking for her. At the time, she had just recovered from breast cancer surgery and was about to undergo chemotherapy.
Lindsey reached out to Hunter that same day. Chicago Sun-Times was the first to report their story.
Taking Over the Bakery
Shortly after they reunited, Lindsey suffered from a stroke. This led Hunter, who had no prior baking experience, to help her manage the bakery and ensure all the baked goods were ready to sell in the morning. Hunter has since left his job in the logistics industry to run the bakery full-time alongside Lindsey.
In addition to meeting his birth mother, Hunter had met other family members, including his siblings. Lindsey, on the other hand, has met Hunter's four children, as reported by PEOPLE magazine.
