Man who grew up in foster care because of abusive father discovers his long-lost mom is a world record holding bearded lady
- Richard Lorenco was initially shocked to discover that his biological mother was a famous bearded lady
- Since the age of five, Vivian Wheeler has performed in circuses and sideshows
- She was born with 'werewolf syndrome' and has an 11-inch beard
- Since reuniting the two have developed a close relationship
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A man who grew up in foster care because of an abusive father was shocked when he discovered that his long-lost mother is the world record holder for the woman with the longest beard.
Richard Lorenco, 35, of Kansas was abandoned by his father in a motel room aged 4-years-old. Over the next seven years he was moved around seven foster homes and he says he coped by pretending his mom was a famous rock star.
In a recent episode of Shocking Family Secrets, Lorenco describes his ‘complete shock’ when he found out that his mom, 64-year-old Vivian Wheeler, was in fact a famous circus performer, who held a Guinness world record for her 11-inch beard.
Reunited: After more than 30 years apart Richard Lorenco and his mom, bearded lady Vivian Wheeler, are close once again
Lorenco says that despite the unusual nature of her profession, he thought it was ‘really cool’ when he found out his mom had spent her life as a famous side show performer, using the stage name Melinda Maxie.
When Lorenc finally made contact with his mother after more than 30 years he was surprised to find out about her unusual life, but heartened to finally meet her. ‘I had a loving mother the whole time,’ he explained on a recent episode of Shocking Family Secrets, which airs on the Discovery Fit and Health Channel.
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ShareHis mother told him how they had escaped from her abusive husband, but he had tracked them down and snatched her child.
As a result of his difficult childhood, Lorenco had chosen to spent most of his adult life focused on the future and building a new life with his wife and two young daughters.
But when a back injury led to questions about his family medical history, Lorenco decided the time was right to find out about his biological parents.
64-year-old grandmother Vivian Wheeler maintains a Guinness world record breaking 11-inch beard
Lorenco says he was initially surprised to find out his mom was a bearded lady, but also says it was 'kinda cool'
Six weeks after filing his request with the Department of Social and Rehabilitation Services, Lorenc received a letter saying his biological mother was a Wheeler of Bakersfield, California
The letter also informed him that both his mother and his maternal grandmother had been born with a condition known as hypertrichosis or werewolf syndrome, which meant that even as children they had facial hair.
The letter also stated that his mother had born a hermaphrodite, with both male and female reproductive organs, although as a baby the male genitalia had been removed because the parents wanted a girl.
If Robert Lorenc had a traumatic childhood, it pales in comparison to his mom.
Wheeler’s father had told her to go and work in the field of performing at the age of five years - with a salary of $1,000 per month he sent to the house - because he was ashamed of her.
Vivian Wheeler, pictured in 1992, has spent most of her life working in circuses and sideshows as a bearded lady
Between tours, she would return home and reach for a razor.
'My dad said to shave because people wouldn't understand why I had facial hair, saying, "This is what you'll have to do to fit into society,'" Wheeler told AOL News in 2010.
As she grew older, she would shave sometimes to placate the men she dated, 'because of their low self-esteem. It didn't bother me.'
Wheeler stopped shaving her beard entirely in 1990 shortly after the death of her mother.
'I let it grow back to be myself,' she said. 'Without my beard, I'm not me. I'm pretending to be someone I'm not.'
It is now two years since Lorenc and Wheeler were reunited and they have gone on to build a kind and loving relationship. Their story is told in the recent issue of Shocking Family Secrets entitled ‘Debutante in Distress’.
Video: My mom is a bearded lady
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