Forever bound by 'shoebox baby ' mother and nurse reconnect 12 years later
Allen Coates
It was a connection that kept the 15-year-old mom  Cherish Coates  coming back to the nursery each day to visit the baby and drop off breast milk. For the next several weeks   Coates  leaned on Joseph for support as the young mother began the process of putting the baby up for adoption. She relied on the nurse even more when she ultimately decided to tell her family â who had no idea she had given birth to a son in her own bedroom â about the baby  and to keep him  against all odds.
Although the nurse and mother eventually lost touch  their connection inspired  Coates  to become a nurse and eventually enter law school  with hopes of becoming a mental health attorney.
Nancy Stone/Chicago Tribune Allen Coates with  his  mother  Cherish Coates  in Phoenix  Ariz.  in September. After having  Allen  when  she  was a teenager  Cherish stayed in school and has become a certified nursing assistant.  She  also is now married and has two additional children.  Allen Coates  with  his  mother  Cherish Coates  in Phoenix  Ariz.  in September. After having  Allen  when  she  was a teenager  Cherish stayed in school and has become a certified nursing assistant.  She  also is now married and has two additional children. (Nancy Stone/Chicago Tribune)
After 12 years with almost no contact   Coates  reached out to Joseph on Facebook last year with a message that reunited the two women who said they had never forgotten each other. Since then  the pair have been in regular contact  sharing encouragement  photos and a bond that even they sometimes can't believe began more than decade ago with the case still known at the hospital as the "shoebox baby."
"I just wanted to let  her  know how much of an impression  she  made " said  Coates   now a 29-year-old mother of three  including the now 5-foot-3  13-year-old Allen  the baby in the shoebox who brought  her  and Joseph together and is now a thriving eighth-grader.
"It feels like such a blessing " said  Coates   who works as a law clerk in Mesa  Ariz.  while attending law school. "We will always be connected because we share this unique story."
 Coates  grew up painfully aware of the difficulties of teen pregnancies.  Her  own mother was 15 when  she  had Coates  whom  she  left to be raised by  her  loving and devoted grandparents in Rockford.  Her  mother  who dropped out of school and moved out  visited weekly. Family members often warned  Coates  that a pregnancy while  she  was young could keep  her  from becoming the first in  her  family to finish high school and go to college â something they were all rooting for   she  said.
Despite  her  grandparents' best efforts  Coates  at 13 years old  met a boy two years older than  her  while shopping at Cherryvale Mall in Rockford. It didn't take long before  she  and the boy were together every weekend  spending time at the mall and at the movies.
The couple had been inseparable for nearly two years when  Coates  suspected  she  might be pregnant.  She  shared the news with  her  boyfriend  who cried along with  her  as the terrified teens repeatedly discussed what they should do.
 Coates  didn't have to try hard to conceal the small bump that eventually surfaced in  her  belly  because it was barely noticeable.  She  hid morning sickness  kept up  her  A and B grades  and never missed a shift at  her  part-time job at McDonalds   she  said.
Family photo 2004 Cherish Coatesâ infant was 6 weeks premature and weighed 3 pounds when his father carried him almost 8 miles to SwedishAmerican hospital in Rockford. He was wrapped in a dish towel and placed in a shoebox with a note asking that he be taken care of and named Allen Corey. The young couple chose to take him there under the stateâs 2001 Safe Haven law  which allows parents to leave a newborn at a hospital  fire station or police station without fear of criminal or civil liability. Cherish  Coates â infant was 6 weeks premature and weighed 3 pounds when  his  father carried  him  almost 8 miles to SwedishAmerican hospital in Rockford.  He  was wrapped in a dish towel and placed in a shoebox with a note asking that  he  be taken care of and named Allen Corey. The young couple chose to take  him  there under the stateâs 2001 Safe Haven law  which allows parents to leave a newborn at a hospital  fire station or police station without fear of criminal or civil liability. (Family photo 2004)
Moments later  Coates delivered her baby on the SpongeBob SquarePants comforter covering her bed. She cut  his  umbilical cord with scissors her grandfather had in the house.
"I remember just looking at how beautiful  he  was  and how tiny  he  was. I had never held a baby before; I had never baby-sat or anything " Coates said. "I remember being scared that I was going to break  him ."
It was a connection that kept the 15-year-old mom  Cherish Coates  coming back to the nursery each day to visit the baby and drop off breast milk. For the next several weeks   Coates  leaned on Joseph for support as the young mother began the process of putting the baby up for adoption. She relied on the nurse even more when she ultimately decided to tell her family â who had no idea she had given birth to a son in her own bedroom â about the baby  and to keep him  against all odds.
Although the nurse and mother eventually lost touch  their connection inspired  Coates  to become a nurse and eventually enter law school  with hopes of becoming a mental health attorney.
Nancy Stone/Chicago Tribune  [TGT]  with   [TGT]   mother  Cherish Coates  in Phoenix  Ariz.  in September. After having  Allen  when  she  was a teenager  Cherish stayed in school and has become a certified nursing assistant.  She  also is now married and has two additional children.  Allen Coates  with  his  mother  Cherish Coates  in Phoenix  Ariz.  in September. After having  Allen  when  she  was a teenager  Cherish stayed in school and has become a certified nursing assistant.  She  also is now married and has two additional children. (Nancy Stone/Chicago Tribune)
After 12 years with almost no contact   Coates  reached out to Joseph on Facebook last year with a message that reunited the two women who said they had never forgotten each other. Since then  the pair have been in regular contact  sharing encouragement  photos and a bond that even they sometimes can't believe began more than decade ago with the case still known at the hospital as the "shoebox baby."
"I just wanted to let  her  know how much of an impression  she  made " said  Coates   now a 29-year-old mother of three  including the now 5-foot-3  13-year-old Allen  the baby in the shoebox who brought  her  and Joseph together and is now a thriving eighth-grader.
"It feels like such a blessing " said  Coates   who works as a law clerk in Mesa  Ariz.  while attending law school. "We will always be connected because we share this unique story."
 Coates  grew up painfully aware of the difficulties of teen pregnancies.  Her  own mother was 15 when  she  had Coates  whom  she  left to be raised by  her  loving and devoted grandparents in Rockford.  Her  mother  who dropped out of school and moved out  visited weekly. Family members often warned  Coates  that a pregnancy while  she  was young could keep  her  from becoming the first in  her  family to finish high school and go to college â something they were all rooting for   she  said.
Despite  her  grandparents' best efforts  Coates  at 13 years old  met a boy two years older than  her  while shopping at Cherryvale Mall in Rockford. It didn't take long before  she  and the boy were together every weekend  spending time at the mall and at the movies.
The couple had been inseparable for nearly two years when  Coates  suspected  she  might be pregnant.  She  shared the news with  her  boyfriend  who cried along with  her  as the terrified teens repeatedly discussed what they should do.
 Coates  didn't have to try hard to conceal the small bump that eventually surfaced in  her  belly  because it was barely noticeable.  She  hid morning sickness  kept up  her  A and B grades  and never missed a shift at  her  part-time job at McDonalds   she  said.
Family photo 2004 Cherish Coatesâ infant was 6 weeks premature and weighed 3 pounds when his father carried him almost 8 miles to SwedishAmerican hospital in Rockford. He was wrapped in a dish towel and placed in a shoebox with a note asking that he be taken care of and named Allen Corey. The young couple chose to take him there under the stateâs 2001 Safe Haven law  which allows parents to leave a newborn at a hospital  fire station or police station without fear of criminal or civil liability. Cherish  Coates â infant was 6 weeks premature and weighed 3 pounds when  his  father carried  him  almost 8 miles to SwedishAmerican hospital in Rockford.  He  was wrapped in a dish towel and placed in a shoebox with a note asking that  he  be taken care of and named Allen Corey. The young couple chose to take  him  there under the stateâs 2001 Safe Haven law  which allows parents to leave a newborn at a hospital  fire station or police station without fear of criminal or civil liability. (Family photo 2004)
Moments later  Coates delivered her baby on the SpongeBob SquarePants comforter covering her bed. She cut  his  umbilical cord with scissors her grandfather had in the house.
"I remember just looking at how beautiful  he  was  and how tiny  he  was. I had never held a baby before; I had never baby-sat or anything " Coates said. "I remember being scared that I was going to break  him ."