Girl who was born at McDonald's returns to celebrate 10th birthday
Eleanor "loved seeing where she was born," according to her father.
A Minnesota girl recently saw her longtime wish come true on her 10th birthday.
Eleanor, who was born at a McDonald's restaurant in Hugo, Minnesota, in 2014, returned to the same restaurant to celebrate her 10th birthday with family members and friends.
"She's always wanted to go back to where she was born," Eleanor's dad Eric Evenson told "Good Morning America."
Eric Evenson, his wife Clare Evenson and his mother-in-law were on the way to a birthday party themselves back on Oct. 11, 2014, when they stopped at a McDonald's so Clare Evenson, who was 28 weeks pregnant with Eleanor at the time, could use the bathroom.
"She spontaneously went into labor," Eric Evenson said of his wife. "She went into the bathroom and sat down, and [Eleanor's] legs popped out."
Eric Evenson, his mother-in-law, good Samaritans and a police officer all rushed in to help deliver Eleanor, who was born 12 weeks early and was diagnosed with a rare genetic condition called 22q11.2 deletion syndrome, a type of chromosomal difference.
Police officer Angi Kruyer, then with the Centennial Lakes Police Department and now an officer with the Metro Transit Police Department, told "GMA" she was one of the first responders who arrived at the McDonald's that day.
"I remember it like it was yesterday," Kruyer recalled. "As a police officer, there are certain calls that you go on that you never forget, and Eleanor's birth was one of those instances."
"I'm just honored to have been there to help Eric and Clare and Eleanor, because that really could have been their worst day, and it really could have turned out differently, and it didn't," Kruyer added.
Throughout the years, Eleanor has required multiple surgeries and has been in and out of the hospital. Today, the fourth grader is continuing with physical therapy, occupational therapy and speech therapy.
Despite the challenges she has faced, Eric Evenson said his eldest daughter has thrived.
"Every single thing she does, she works very, very hard, and she's a joy," he said. "As a parent, I'm super proud to see the impact she has in other people's lives. It almost [brings] tears every single time we step foot in her elementary school [and] we hear from teachers that just love her aura."
For her 10th birthday party, a few special friends -- including two of Eleanor's childhood nurses and Kruyer -- came out to celebrate.
"She was happy to see me and she was glad I was there," Kruyer said, adding that she has stayed in touch with Eleanor and her family through the years.
Eric Evenson said Eleanor "loved" going back to where she was born, and added that it was meaningful for all the people who have been part of the family's "community" over the years to be there too.
He also said it was an unexpected chance to complete the story for some McDonald's employees who were part of both Eleanor's birth and now her 10th birthday.
"I couldn't believe the graciousness and the kindness, and I also didn't know that a lot of their staff, who are still with them today, had questions about what happened to that little girl and the mother," Eric Evenson said. "And this really kind of provided some closure for them and some closure for us, and it was wonderful."
Melissa Kennedy, the owner of the Hugo McDonald's location where Eleanor was born, told "GMA" in a statement that she and her team were "thrilled" to give Eleanor her big celebration.
"Eleanor's story has become a special part of our restaurant's history, and it was an honor to help make this milestone a memorable one for her," Kennedy said. "While this celebration was extremely heartwarming for the family, this was also an unforgettable experience for our crew. The entire McDonald's family wishes Eleanor a very happy birthday and many more years of love, laughter and cherished memories."
Related Topics
Popular Reads
ABC News Live