Vamarr Hunter had no idea baking was in his blood.
Sure, he loved eating baked sweets, which he regularly consumed at “Give Me Some Sugah,” just down the street from his residence on Chicago’s South Side.
“Lemon bars. That was my catch,” Hunter told ABC-7 in Chicago. “And the chocolate chip cookies. And the lemon pound cake.”
The modest bakery felt like home to him, a feeling cultivated by owner Lenore Lindsey.
“You know, she interacts on a personal level,” he said.
Little did he know how deep his connection was to Lindsey. When Hunter was 35, he confirmed what he had long suspected — he was adopted.
Lindsey had given up her son up for adoption when she was 17 years old. She had never met him, or so she thought.
“I left the adoption open, and I said, you know, if he really wants to find me, then he’ll be able to find me,” she said.
Hunter tracked Lindsey down, using a genetic profile and a genealogist. He was shocked to discover his birth mother was practically a neighbor.
Lindsey was notified and agreed to a reunion. She called him from work.
The number appeared on his phone as “Give Me Some Sugah.”
“And all I’m thinking in my head is why,” Hunter said. “Why do I have ‘Give Me Some Sugah’? I didn’t order anything. And it’s still not dawning on me.”
Then he hears his mother’s voice. They exchanged hellos “and that’s when we started screaming,” Lindsey said. “And I started crying on that phone.”
“When I called him, that connection was so immediate,” she continued. “I can’t even explain it. It was just like everything in my heart just broke open.”
The lost years melted away. Lindsey, who was dealing with serious health issues at the time, needed some help. Hunter volunteered. He had never worked at a bakery before but he quickly became comfortable plying the family trade.
“You can’t make up for time and days gone by,” Hunter said. What you can do is properly utilize the time that you have.”
Lindsey’s health has improved, and she’s back working in the bakery now run by her son.
“Man, I love, I love my mom,” he said. “I love having a mother. Um, it was rough, a lot of rough Mother’s Days.”
@nbcchicago For years, a Chicago man visited a South Shore bakery without knowing the woman behind his favorite treats was his birth mom. A phone call from the familiar number led to tears, hugs, and a beautiful family reunion that was meant to be. #familyreunion #heartwarming #feelgood #southshore #chicago ♬ original sound – NBC Chicago
Lindsey credits her faith for a blessing she could’ve never imagined.
“I love my son … and the fact I have him now, in these later years, is just, like I said, that’s just, God,” she said. “God is love.”
Hunter recently met the sister he never knew. He’s got four kids of his own.
When he retires, he hopes one of his children will take over the family business.
The touching story triggered a host of loving reactions from viewers, many calling for the likes of Netflix and Hallmark to make a movie.
“Netflix: “WRITE THAT DOWN!!!,” exclaimed one user on TikTok. “This needs to be a movie,” added another. “She did what was right for her baby and it worked out. She got him back. He got her back. Amazing,” wrote another user.
