Former Miss Nevada, abandoned as baby, meets birth mother for the first time

Former Miss Nevada Elizabeth Hunterton had an emotional reunion on May 18, meeting her birth mother for the first time years after being abandoned as an infant at an airport.

Hunterton, a 44-year-old who previously held the title of Miss Nevada, was famously known as the Baby Jane Doe who was found abandoned at the Reno-Tahoe International Airport in 1980. Years later, a 23&Me search led her to find her birth mother. As the two connected virtually, the woman, who has remained anonymous, told Hunterton that a friend had promised to take the infant Hunterton to an adoption agency, but instead, abandoned the newborn at the airport. Hunterton was adopted by a loving family who she says has given her a beautiful life.

Though she has been in contact with her biological mother since 2020, the recent meeting was the first time the two had met face-to-face.

“As my husband and I approached the location where my birth mother was waiting, I stopped walking and wasn’t sure if I could go through with it,” Hunterton told PEOPLE. “Ultimately, I chose courage over fear and I’m glad I did.”

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“Our initial embrace was somehow both a lifetime in the making, comfortable and uncomfortable all at once,” she told PEOPLE. “We stared at each other quite a bit and attempted to do so without the other noticing, but we were both definitely doing it. Our resemblance isn’t physical, rather in heart and demeanor.”

Hunterton has been documenting much of her story and her journey to reconnect with her mother on TikTok. In a recent video, she talked about the meeting.

“The first question I get asked is, ‘How did it feel?’” she said in the video. “It felt then as it feels now, the whole thing is freaking strange. I know. This is my story, so it shouldn’t feel as weird as it does, but it’s weird.” She also recounts telling her birth mother that she has felt nothing but love and gratitude for giving her life — a sentiment her adoptive mom wanted her to share.

When Hunterton asked her adoptive mother if there was any message to pass on to her biological mom, Hunterton said she was told: “Please thank her for you.”

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