In the United States, a same-sex couple found an abandoned baby on the subway. Twenty-two years later, the fathers cannot imagine their life without their adopted son.
Twenty-two years ago, an unexpected encounter changed the lives of Danny Stewart and Pete Mercutio, a couple from New York , USA.
On August 28, 2000 at 8:00 p.m., when Danny was hurrying out of the Manhattan train station to join his companion, he saw an abandoned baby on the ground. The infant was wrapped in a black t-shirt.
“ His umbilical cord was still partially intact, so I could tell he was a newborn. I figured he might have a day or two ,” Danny told BBC News.
Faced with this situation, the young man rushed to the nearest telephone booth to warn the emergency services and his boyfriend. While waiting for their arrival, Danny watched over the baby and stroked his head to reassure him.
Moments later the child was picked up by the police and taken to hospital: “ I remember turning to Danny and saying to him on the sidewalk, as the police car drove away “You know, you’re going to be tied to this baby in some way for the rest of your life ,” Pete said.
The couple had no idea that this baby was about to change their life. As the two lovers returned to normal life, Danny was summoned to court by the Child Services Administration.
On the spot, Danny returned to this famous evening during which he found the baby. After his story, the judge asked him if he was interested in adopting the child.
Surprised, the social worker immediately accepted the proposal, without asking any questions: “I had never thought of adopting. But at the same time, I couldn’t stop thinking about it. I felt connected. I felt it was a gift, and how can you say no to a gift? » .
Initially, this news did not delight Pete: “I didn’t want my life to change. I was happy as we were and the adoption was going to change everything. We had no money, we had no room, we still had a roommate. I was also a bit mad at him,” he said.
Fortunately, Danny convinced his companion to come with him and visit the baby in his foster family. That’s when they realized the infant needed them.
“The baby squeezed my finger with his whole hand. He was looking at me and I was looking at him, and it was almost like he had found a pressure point in my finger that had just opened my heart. I understood that I could be his daddy ,” Pete said.
The couple adopt the abandoned baby on the subway
On December 17, 2002, the couple officially adopted the baby boy. New Yorkers decided to call him Kevin, in honor of Pete’s stillborn little brother.
Twenty-two years later, the whole family is doing wonderfully and living happy days. Kevin is a happy young man studying math and computer science at university. His parents are very proud of him and cannot imagine their life without him.
“ I can’t imagine my life if it hadn’t been like this . My life has become much richer and fuller. It changed my view of the world. I didn’t know you could love so much before my son came into my life,” concluded Danny, now 57.
