A LEGITIMATE STORY

N THE SUMMER OF 1960, AN EXPECTING MOTHER, Cathline Cunningham, arrived in New Orleans to spend time with a friend. While there, her life would change with the new life of a little boy.

At the time, Cathline and her husband Thomas Mullin were engaged and living in Indianapolis, Indiana, but because of still-unknown circumstances, they believed putting the baby up for adoption to be the best route.

Cathline’s friend was living at a home for unwed mothers in New Orleans with ties to an orphanage, but Cathline was denied admission because of an obscure rule banning new tenants that knew an existing resident.

Luckily enough for Cathline and baby, The Hotel Dieu Hospital – more commonly known as the now-closed University Hospital – was accepting.

On Saturday August 6, 1961, Cathline gave birth to a little boy, Patrick Malachi Cunningham.

The Hotel Dieu Hospital was the oldest hospital in the United States operated by Catholic Charities of America and the Sisters at St. Elizabeth’s Orphanage. In the weeks after Patrick’s birth, he contracted a vicious case of pneumonia. Under the care of the nuns, Patrick underwent months of treatment while Catholic Charities worked with Cathline on the adoption process.

Six months later, Patrick’s adoption was finalized, and he was given the name that many of us know him by today – Troy Patrick Wagener – the son of Joy and Gerry Wagener. Troy believes that on that day in February 1961 he “won the lottery!”

Investigating lineage is incredibly easy in this day of DNA swabs and a membership to Ancestry.com, however genealogy was an arduous task before computers. The next chapters of Troy’s journey became even more intriguing.

In 1991, his three-year-old daughter, Elizabeth, was diagnosed with leukemia, and she needed a bone marrow transplant.

In general, finding a donor match is always tough. And with Troy’s adoption records sealed, it became even tougher; not just physically but emotionally.

His mother, Joy, convinced Catholic Charities of New Orleans, to release the needed non-identifying adoption paperwork to assist in donor possibilities. Unfortunately, this did not result in the needed names for matches. Within the process, Elizabeth’s older sister, Meredith, was found to be a perfect match and became the donor.

Tragically, Elizabeth’s life ended. Troy lost the desire to seek out his roots.

As Troy got older, he began to experience unusual symptoms in his hands, which would later be diagnosed as “The Vikings Disease” or Dupeytrins Contracture.

His wife, Keely, suggested he return to searching his roots again to figure out if it was hereditary. Reluctantly, Troy submitted his DNA to Ancestry.com and months later he received the results.

The records identified a first cousin, Christopher Wilcher from Indianapolis and a close relative, Chris Murray, whose information could not be disclosed. Troy reached out to them.

Christopher Wilcher responded within 72 hours. Chris Murray did not respond, so the search continued.

Troy contacted a genealogical expert, Kimberly MacGregor. Her assignment was to search and identify his biological parents within the caveat of not contacting them if they were alive.

Three months later – November 2020 – Kimberly called Troy to see if it was a good time to talk. Troy responded, “I’m driving with plenty of time to visit.”

“Troy, you may want to pull off the road,” she insisted. “I have discovered your birth parents who are both deceased, six full siblings and a close relative named Chris Murray.”

Murray was his half-brother on his birth mother’s side. Cathline delivered Chris in Washington D.C. through Catholic Charities. Because of privacy restrictions on Ancestry.com, Troy was still not able to contact Chris.

Troy’s research found his roots set in Donnegal and Connacht, Ireland with three of his four grandparents born there and 100% Irish Ancestry. Troy’s biological father, Thomas, died July 2, 1991. His mother, Cathline, died July 10, 2011. The report notes several biological siblings all living in Indiana.

Now intrigued by his adoption

ANCESTRY: 100% Irish

BIRTH PARENTS: Cathline and Thomas Patrick Mullin

BIOLOGICAL SIBLINGS: Colleen, Daniel and Anne (Twins), Timothy, Eileen

RESIDED: Indianapolis, IN

OCCUPATIONS: Cathline: School Teacher, Community Activist Thomas: Hudepohl and Heilman Brewing Company

DEATHS: Thomas: July 2, 1991

Cathline: July 10, 2011 and respective family members, Troy began the connection process which resulted in reaching Chris through LinkedIn!

He believes his adoption day was a day in which he truly “won the Powerball.” They picked him up from the orphanage in New Orleans, cared, nurtured, taught, parented and directed him for years to come. With his roots set in Ireland, and both parents and grandparents connected to the “Old Country,” he may have been born Thomas Patrick but we know him as the son of Joy and Gerry Wagener –Troy Patrick Wagener.