Woman Leaves Newborn on Business Class Plane Seat, Decides to Find Him 13 Years Later — Story of the Day

A woman abandons her newborn baby on a business plane seat, fearing she won’t be able to care for him. Years later, when her situation improves, she decides to find him and take him in.

“PREGNANT?! You must be out of your mind, Rhonda!” her father, David Harris, yelled when he discovered she was pregnant with her boyfriend Peter’s child.

Unlike Peter, Rhonda came from a wealthy family, and her father owned a large textile company. Her mother had died when she was just two, so her father had raised her alone, providing her with the best of everything. However, he was also very controlling and did not tolerate any defiance.

When Rhonda found out she was pregnant, she tried to hide it from her father by wearing oversized clothes. But as her baby bump became more visible, she couldn’t conceal it any longer. She decided to tell Mr. Harris about her pregnancy, but he was furious. “You’re going to get rid of that child, Rhonda. Do you understand?”

“No, Dad,” 16-year-old Rhonda declared firmly. “I will not terminate the pregnancy. It’s too late now, and I can’t abort the baby.”

“Then you’ll have to figure out how you’re going to raise that child yourself,” Mr. Harris warned her. “No one in our family has ever dared to marry someone from a lower class. So if you want to raise that man’s child, get out of my house!”

“Fine, Dad,” Rhonda said after a brief pause, her eyes filling with tears. “Maybe if Mom were still alive, she would have supported me. But that’s fine. I’ll raise the child alone and prove you wrong.”

Rhonda packed her belongings and left that evening, cutting all ties with her father. Mr. Harris didn’t budge and slammed the door behind her, ordering her to return only after she had aborted the child or placed it in an orphanage.

Rhonda booked an Uber to Peter’s house. When she arrived, she explained that she had left her father’s house because he refused to accept their child and that she wanted to start a new life with him. But to her shock, Peter refused to take responsibility for the child.

“Look, babe,” he said. “I am not ready to become a father. And why did you leave your father’s house? He could have helped us financially when we married and decided to start a new life. Get rid of that child or forget about me, Rhonda.”

A shock ran through Rhonda. “But Peter, this is our baby. How can you…”

“Look, Rhonda, that baby and you are causing me nothing but trouble right now. You know what, just forget about us! It’s over!”

“Peter!” Rhonda cried. “You were so happy when you found out about the pregnancy! What happened?”

“You’re nobody right now, babe. Your dad kicked you out, and I can’t raise that kid, so goodbye,” he said and slammed the door in her face.

Rhonda’s life was turned upside down in one night. Heavily pregnant and abandoned by both her father and her boyfriend, she wandered the streets, unsure of where life would take her. Suddenly, she felt a sharp pain in her abdomen and went into labor. Pleading with passersby for help, one woman noticed her and, with the help of her driver, rushed Rhonda to the hospital.

Rhonda gave birth to a baby boy that night. When she awoke, the woman who had assisted her, Angela Bamford, was sitting by her bedside.

“Thank you for helping me,” Rhonda told her in a low voice. “My child… he’s safe, right?”

“He’s perfectly fine,” Mrs. Bamford assured her. “Are you new in town? I noticed you were carrying your luggage.”

Rhonda couldn’t hold back her tears. She burst out crying and told Mrs. Bamford the story of how she ended up there. “I don’t want to live here any longer,” Rhonda sobbed. “I just want to get out of Texas. But I’m not sure I can provide a good life for my child.”

Mrs. Bamford felt terrible for Rhonda. “Don’t say that, dear,” she consoled her. “I used to have a daughter your age. When we found out she was pregnant, we were furious and kicked her out of the house. My husband owns an airline company, and we were wealthy enough to support our daughter. But we were opposed to such a young pregnancy. She took her own life because she couldn’t bear it. I don’t want someone else to go through that.”

“I’m sorry to hear that,” Rhonda said, wiping away her tears.

“I, too, feel sorry for her,” Mrs. Bamford added. “However, it’s too late now. Don’t worry, I’ll help you. I can book the ticket for you. Make sure your child lives a good life in a new place.”

“Oh no,” Rhonda exclaimed. “You’ve already done a lot for me. I’m afraid I won’t be able to return this favor.”

“Please,” Mrs. Bamford requested. “If I help you, it’d be like I helped my daughter. And it will help me get over my guilt.”

Rhonda couldn’t say no. She accepted the ticket, and a few days later, she was flying business class from AUS to JFK, ready to start her life over again.

However, as she settled into the plane with her baby in her arms, she was constantly worried about her ability to provide a good life for him. “What if I am unable to care for my child? What if he ends up living with me on the streets?” These thoughts consumed her until she didn’t notice the flight was over, and the pilot announced their arrival at JFK.

Rhonda was terrified at the thought of being alone in a strange city with a newborn and no means to provide for him. Her mind started to spin, her heart pounded, and she was anxious about what lay ahead. In a moment of desperation, she made a painful decision. She left her baby on the plane, hoping someone would take him and give him a good life.

She waited for the passengers next to her to leave, and when no one was looking, she placed her son on the seat, along with a note she had scribbled earlier, and exited the plane quickly. It took all her strength not to look back, but she decided it was for the best.

When a flight attendant, Lincy, approached the seat after the passengers had left, she was taken aback to discover the baby. She couldn’t help but feel bad for the child as she read the note Rhonda had left.

“I’m a poor mother who couldn’t care for her child. Don’t waste your time looking for me if you find this note. I would never have been able to provide a good life for him. I hope you accept and cherish him as your own. I’d be delighted if you named him Matthew. Matthew Harris. That was the name I had chosen for him.”

Thirteen years later…

After struggling for almost a decade, Rhonda finally found a stable job and was doing well financially. However, there wasn’t a single day when she didn’t regret leaving her son on the flight. She had struggled as a homeless person for nearly seven years after moving to NYC, and the remaining years were spent trying to earn a stable income and rent a house. Things had eventually worked out for her, and she thought she’d be able to provide her son with everything he’d want.

She was ashamed of what she had done and feared her son would never accept her. But she decided to take a chance and meet him. Unfortunately, things did not go as she had hoped.

“My mom? You must be kidding me!” Matthew lashed out at her when they met. “Where have you been all these years? I don’t need you! I am happy with my adoptive parents.”

Rhonda’s eyes welled up. She had approached the local police for assistance, telling them her entire story, and one of the helpful officers had assisted her in locating her son. Initially, she feared she would never find Matthew because he could have been adopted by anyone and given a different name. She was lucky to begin her search in New York and find him there with the name she had given him.

She contacted Matthew’s adoptive mother, explaining why she had abandoned him. It turned out the boy was adopted by Lincy, the flight attendant, and her husband. Initially hesitant to introduce Rhonda to Matthew, Lincy eventually agreed to let Rhonda explain herself.

“I’m sorry, Matthew,” Rhonda said. “I know you’re upset, and you don’t want to accept me, but can’t you give me one chance?”

“No way!” the boy yelled. “You are a mean woman who left me all alone. If my parents didn’t adopt me, I’d be in an orphanage today!”

“But Matthew,” Rhonda said. “I didn’t want to do that. Will you not let me explain why I left you?”

Matthew was reluctant, but he agreed after his parents persuaded him. Rhonda didn’t tell him about the early pregnancy or how she was kicked out, as he was only 13. She explained she was poor and that his father had left her. Lincy added that Rhonda couldn’t provide a good life for him, so she gave him up. However, Matthew still didn’t want to accept her as his mother. “I can forgive you, maybe,” he said. “But I can’t call you mom. I have only one mother.”

“It’s all right, Matthew,” Rhonda said. “Can I come to see you at least on weekends?”

“Okay, I don’t mind that,” the boy said.

Ten years