A 3-Month-Old Baby Boy was Abandoned with a Nanny. 63 Years Later He Finds Out the Truth About His Family

A 3-Month-Old Baby Boy was Abandoned with a Nanny. 63 Years Later He Finds Out the Truth About His Family

Becca Longmire

Mon 21 July 2025 at 1:57 pm BST

3 min read

A man named Chris was dropped off with a nanny in London over 60 years ago, but nobody came to pick him up

A 63-year-old man in England has learned the truth about his birth parents after he was dropped off with a nanny as a 3-month-old baby and never picked up.

During a recent episode of the U.K. television show Long Lost Family: Born Without a Trace, a man named Chris discussed being left with a nanny on the morning of July 20, 1962 at a location near Kings Cross in London. The nanny ended up calling the police that evening after nobody showed up to take the infant home.

Chris wondered on the show, “Was the man who dropped me off my father? Was it an uncle or my mother’s father? My mother… was I taken against her wishes or did she decide it was best?"

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Christopher Thorne discovered the truth about his family on 'Long Lost Family.'

"Why at that age and not a day old? Why wait three months, you know? You got one of the biggest stations in the country on the doorstep, so I could actually come from anywhere,” he added.

Chris, who grew up in Camden, north London, after he was adopted as a baby by a couple named Jean and Arthur Thorne, said he learned he was adopted when he was 10 years old. However, he didn't discover exactly how he'd been left until years later, after he became a dad himself.

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Christopher Thorne as a child.

“The child was placed with a [nanny] who advertised her services in a newspaper. As the child was not collected the police were informed. It is likely that there is no birth certificate and there is no birth certificate on file," the adoption file stated.

Chris ended up taking a DNA test in 2021, and the results showed that he was "100% Irish," despite his wife Paula and two young sons, whom he lives with in Northumberland, describing him as a "proud Englishman."

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Christopher Thorne with 'Long Lost Family' searcher Davina McCall.

The show's research team discovered who Chris' birth parents were after months of investigating, learning that his birth mother had sadly died, while his birth father was still alive. However, researchers noted that it had been difficult to ask the elderly man questions, stating that it's not known if he's aware of what happened all those years ago.

The team discovered that Chris' birth parents weren't married at the time and were both very young when he was born, noting that having children before marriage in the '60s in Ireland could have resulted in rejection from a person's family and community.

The couple did eventually end up getting married, and Chris learned on the show that he has full siblings, with some being ready to meet him despite being shocked at the news at first. He also questioned whether the man who dropped him off at the nanny's home was his father, stating it could have been an uncle or a family friend.

Chris was shown a photo of his birth parents, and saw the resemblance between him and them. Despite being left, Chris remained positive on the show and said he'd "go as far to say it's worked out the best for everyone."

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Chris, who ended up heading to Ireland for the first time to meet some of his siblings, insisted of his birth parents, "Because, you know, they stayed together. They've had children. I've lived in a fantastic family, so everyone's a winner, do you know what I mean?”

“Really pleased. They seem lovely. Really are. Full of fun. Laughter. I think we'll get there," he added after getting together with some of his siblings.

Read the original article on People