As a man was rushing to meet his boyfriend for dinner in August 2000, something extraordinary happened that would quickly change their lives forever.
As the BBC reported, he found a newborn baby boy in a very unexpected place, a discovery which would eventually make for a very unique and inspiring story for years to come.
And now, 20 years after that fateful day, this couple is letting the world know just what exactly came of that baby boy. Their baby boy, to be exact.
That evening in 2000, then 34-year-old Danny Stewart was running late for dinner with his boyfriend, then 32-year-old Pete Mercurio in New York City.
Stewart was hurrying to catch a subway when he saw something on the ground.
At first glance, it looked like a baby doll that someone had simply dropped on the subway platform.
Although he thought it was odd, Stewart decided it was safe to leave behind and kept running for the train. That is, until he looked back one more time and made a shocking discovery.
After taking a second look at the "doll", Stewart discovered that its legs were moving and it was an actual baby wrapped in a sweatshirt in the corner of the 14th Street subway station exit.
He looked around for anyone that might have been with the baby but found no one.
"I stroked his head and then he whimpered a little bit," he recalled to the BBC. "It seemed really unreal, the whole situation, and at that point I was trying to alert people to what was happening, but I couldn't get anybody's attention."
Desperate for help but too afraid to touch what could have been an injured newborn, Stewart briefly left the baby to call 9-1-1, as well as his partner, Mercurio, before returning to him once again.
When the police arrived and took the infant, they realized the umbilical cord was still attached, meaning this was a very recent newborn.
The fragile baby was then whisked away to seek medical attention, leaving the two men alone on the subway platform.
They knew that he would grow up wanting answers about the people who had found him all those years ago in a subway station.
"I remember turning to Danny and saying to him on the sidewalk as the police car was driving away, 'You know, you're going to be connected to that baby in some way for the rest of your life,'" Mercurio recalled.
So they decided they would attempt to stay in the little boy's life, even if that just meant sending him a birthday card every year.
Stewart reached out to St. Vincent’s Hospital, where he figured the baby may have been placed, but still could not locate him.
Without any leads, the couple continued their lives as usual. However, things picked up again when Stewart was summoned to family court and asked a question that would ultimately change of both his and his partner's life.
During family court, the judged asked Stewart if he had interest in adopting the baby.
Although the question was startling, he instantly said yes. He and Mercurio had never really planned on having children, as they made little money and shared an apartment with a roommate, but everything about this decision felt right.
After meeting at a local softball league, the couple had been together for three-and-a-half years by that time.
Mercurio worked as a web designer and Stewart worked as a social worker. Their relationship seemed to be a very strong one, making them a great fit to be loving parents.
Mercurio held the infant they would eventually name Kevin for the first time after family court, and then the new family enjoyed their first Christmas together.
The first year after the couple brought Kevin home, he had a rash and was shaking after all the trauma he had endured.
However, before long, the child was healing and began to grow into a truly remarkable young man.
It's truly remarkable to see photos of Kevin as an adult and towering over his fathers.
Now 20 years old, he is currently enrolled in college and studying computer science and math. He is described by his fathers as being reserved and quiet, while also being very happy and kind.
Undoubtedly, stories like this don't happen every day. In fact, finding a baby abandoned at a subway station sounds like something out of a fictional movie. So Stewart and Mercurio decided to encapsulate the truth of their story in a book that they wrote together about the unconventional yet remarkable way their son came into their lives.
While Kevin's biological mom was never located, his fathers wanted to send him to college with a reminder of who he is and where he comes from. So, they gave him a copy of the book before he left for college. Now, that's what we call a happily ever after.
Let us know what you think of this amazing story in the comments and if you feel inspired.
h/t: BBC
