As it turned out, the woman disguised her pregnancy from her family as weight gain. She eventually gave birth in her bedroom, alone.
“At that time, I feel scared, I feel I don’t know what to do,” she said, according to 9News. “Especially if you’re pregnant, with no husband and not married and 18 at that time.”
The woman then took her newborn to the emergency department of Liverpool Hospital.
But as seen in the surveillance footage, she snuck out of the hospital without the infant — a decision that since made her feel “guilty every single day.”
“I ran away for 14 years. One day you have to face it no matter what,” she said.
Boatwright, who has the full support of her adoptive parents, said that their reunion has filled the “beginning” of her life. “It’s amazing to fill a hole I’ve had for 14 years.”
A DNA test confirmed the match. According to the woman, her daughter has forgiven her for her actions.
“I heard the word she said — she forgives me, she loves me, no matter who I am,” her mother said. “That’s what made me stand up and say, ‘Okay, you’re my baby, I’m your mum.'”
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