A shocked mum was reunited with lost baby items 13 years after they went missing after they turned up at a recycling centre.
Mum Catherine Tetley was convinced she would never see the items - from when her daughter Macy was born 16 years ago - again until out of the blue she was contacted by Liverpool City Council.
Remarkably, the items - which include a framed scan, Macy's baby bracelet, a first baby tooth and a locket of her baby hair - were found recently by council staff at the Old Swan Recycling Centre during the waste filtering process. They were then passed to the Liverpool Women's Hospital where Macy was born.
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The items were found by Liverpool Council Streetscene staff member Karl Clarke. A social media appeal by the council was then spotted by Matt Connor at the Women's Hospital who looked through records to locate Catherine, who was flabbergasted to be contacted and told the news.
She told the ECHO: "It's absolutely unbelievable, when the man from the council first contacted me I just thought it was some sort of scam. I can't believe these items have turned up after all this time, I was crying when he told me.
"I realised they were lost 13 years ago when Macy was three and my son was born, I went to look for the locket and couldn't find it anywhere. I was really upset to lose them." The items were particularly important to Catherine and her family as Macy weighed just 4lb 5 when she was born, causing worries for her mum.
The items were found by Liverpool Council Streetscene staff
Catherine and Macy collected the items from the Women's Hospital. In another twist of fate today is the second anniversary of the death of Catherine's dad.
She said: "I was really down about the anniversary of my dad's death and this news has just come along at the right time to really cheer me up. I feel like my dad is looking down on me today.
Making the miracle handover today, Councillor Liam Robinson, Cabinet Member for Neighbourhoods, said: “I’m absolutely thrilled for Catherine, Macy and all the family that we’ve managed to reunite these precious items with them, thanks to our appeal through social media. It’s truly a one in a million find and just shows the value of making sure we filter all our recycling items.
"To think that she realised she lost them 13 years ago and had given up all hope, only for them to turn up at Old Swan Recycling Centre is just staggering. And for then to be reunited on what is the 2nd anniversary of her father’s death is just pure magic. It’s the kind of story you only see in the movies.”
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