Starbucks Barista Helps Deliver Baby—And They Reunite Almost 20 Years Later
Lisabeth Rohlck gave birth to her baby boy in a Starbucks bathroom. She wasn't supposed to go into labor for a few more weeks. The event was a shock to Starbucks employees and people all over the world.
Recently, one employee organized a meeting with the teen that he had helped bring into the world all those years ago.
Babies Don't Always Come As Expected
Even though babies are typically born at the hospital, there are tons of crazy, surprising birth stories out there.
One woman gave birth in a Starbucks with the help of a customer and an employee. This is her story.
Back In 2002
On August 20, 2002, 21-year-old Griffin Baron was working as a barista.
It was a typical day until he sold a woman named Lisabeth Rohlck a bottle of water. After she went to the bathroom, neither knew that both of their lives would change forever.
Screams Coming From The Bathroom
A customer at the shop became alarmed when they heard screams coming from the bathroom.
Griffin called 9-1-1, then went to the bathroom to see what was happening. When he got inside, he was in for a big surprise.
Lisabeth Was Giving Birth
Lisabeth—the woman that Griffin had just sold the water to—was sitting on the floor, clearly in pain.
Griffin saw that she was in the process of giving birth to her baby!
Griffin Knew He Had To Help
Even though Griffin had no medical experience, he jumped into action.
In an interview, he claimed that he knew virtually nothing about delivering babies. But even though he couldn't help her with the delivery, Griffin remained by the woman's side. The customer who had heard the screams was also in the bathroom.
It Was A Quick Delivery
The baby came only four minutes after they had first heard her screaming. Lisabeth gave birth to a baby boy.
An ambulance crew soon arrived and took Rohlck and her newborn baby to the hospital for further medical attention.
The Story Became Widely Known
This crazy, inspirational story received tons of media attention. Several news outlets interviewed Griffin, the new mom, and Trisha (the customer) about that remarkable day.
Lisabeth was only 37 weeks pregnant when she began feeling cramps. She thought nothing of it and decided to use the bathroom at Starbucks, but her baby had other plans.
Griffin Always Wondered What Had Happened To The Baby
Today, Griffin is a 40-year-old father of two. He said that he often thought about the little boy and Lisabeth.
He would find himself wondering about who the little boy grew up to be.
He Was Saddened To Learn That Lisabeth Had Passed
So one day, he decided to do a little online digging. Eventually, he came across a GoFundMe page, where he learned that Lisabeth died from breast cancer in 2012.
Her husband, Thomas Celner, had also recently passed away.
Griffin Left A Comment
Griffin donated to the family and left a comment explaining that he was the barista who was present at Jonathan's birth.
He added that he would love to be able to talk with him.
The Two Decided To Meet
After speaking with Jonathan's aunt, Griffin was so happy when he found Jonathan on Facebook. He knew he had to reach out.
They decided to meet back in March, at the same Starbucks where it all began.
The Two Reunited
Griffin was so happy to finally meet the baby that he had helped bring into the world.
In an interview, Jonathan (now 18 years old) said that his mom would always tell him the story and would say how insane those next few weeks were for her—just a total media circus. When Griffin reached out, the story came full circle.
Jonathan Loves The Story
"The story always reminded me of my mom, which I really enjoy," Celner told Good Morning America.
He notes that his mom was an amazing, tough person who enjoyed acting. I mean, you do have to be pretty brave to give birth in a Starbucks bathroom!
After The Meeting
After their meeting, Griffin digitized all of his own mom's VHS footage from that day and sent it to Jonathan.
"The day he was born was a life-changing experience for me (and obviously him)," Griffin wrote on Instagram. “Not only was it great meeting him, but I gained a new friend out of it, too.”
