A gay couple finnd an abandoned baby on the subway: today he is their son
There are some things in life that happen for a very specific reason, even if at the time, perhaps, we don't realize it. Whether you believe in destiny or not, finding an abandoned baby will mark you forever and you will probably always think that it must have happened to you for a very specific reason. Fortunately, these are not events that happen every day! Back in August 2000, Danny Stewart was rushing to the home of his partner, Pete, for dinner when suddenly his gaze was caught by the sight of a "doll" in the New York subway. The "doll", however, was moving and soon Danny realized that he had found a newborn in the subway of his city! After some moments of panic, the man knew what to do and today he can tell the story with a smile, since that child has become his son!
via BBC
Danny couldn't believe his eyes: a newborn with only a sweatshirt and still with the umbilical cord attached had been left on the ground in the New York subway. Danny started calling for help, trying to get the attention of passersby, but no one stopped to listen to him. A woman who didn't speak English tried to understand what was going on but she probably thought she was dealing with someone deranged. At the time, people weren't all walking around with cell phones in their pockets and getting in touch with someone was much more difficult. Danny then thought about calling from one of those old pay phones; he called the police and the first thing that came to his mind to say was, "I found a baby on the subway."
His heart was pounding and, after waiting several minutes, he thought the police would never believe him. In all likelihood, no officers were making their way to his location to figure out what was happening.
On the other hand, Danny didn't even want to lift the baby, for fear that he was hurt. Then, another idea came to him: he would call Pete, his companion. Pete would surely believe him. And so he did: "When I got his phone call, he told me he had found a baby. The hairs on the back of my neck stood up: I knew that Danny was telling the truth, because Danny never jokes like that about these things", recalled Pete Mercury.
That same evening, the little boy was taken to the hospital by the police for health checks. At that moment, Pete, who had just arrived on the scene, remembers telling Danny, "You know, you'll probably feel attached to that baby for the rest of your life." What Pete meant was, "Eventually, this baby will grow up and learn about the night he was found and he might go looking for the person who found him. Maybe there is a way we can find out where he goes and send him a birthday present, for example, every year on this date?". Events actually took a very different turn, as not long after this incredible experience, Danny had to attend a court hearing to testify how he had found the baby. On that occasion, the judge shocked everyone present in the courtroom with the fateful question: "Would you be interested in adopting this child?".
Danny's answer was clear but uncertain at the same time: "Yes, but I don't think it's that easy." The judge, however, looked at him smiling and told him that, in reality, it could be much simpler than he thought. Danny had never thought about adoption and his life, and that of his partner Pete, was about to change suddenly. At first, Pete didn't totally agree with this choice and also complained to Danny that he had given an answer without consulting him first. But Danny probably had already chosen in his heart what was best to do, from the moment he found the baby.
In fact, Pete radically changed his attitude when he picked up Kevin, the name the couple gave to the little one, for the first time. A strong wave of warmth took over him and, suddenly, the idea of becoming a father seemed appealing. Danny and Pete adopted Kevin on December 17, 2002. A few years later, when Kevin was about 10, the couple legally married when New York became the sixth state in the United States to legalize gay marriage. Today Kevin is 20 years old and a college student; his parents describe him as a sensitive and kind person. For him, it was very fortunate to be found by Danny that evening of August 28, 2000!
