Couple adopts baby found abandoned in NYC subway
NEW YORK -- In August of 2000, Danny Stewart found a baby abandoned in a New York City subway station.
"I glanced over my shoulder and noticed a bundle on the ground," said Stewart, who was heading home from work to meet up with his husband, Pete. "I just saw two legs sticking out of this bundle and I thought it was a doll." But when he saw the legs move, he rushed back down to see if the child was okay, and alerted bystanders to call the police.
After being taken by the proper authorities, the baby was named Daniel ACE Doe, after Stewart and the A/C/E subway line. The couple went on with their lives, until 6 weeks later when they received a call asking if they would make a statement about the incident.
Stewart gave his testimony in court, but after he was finished the judge asked him if he would be interested in adopting the child. "I said, 'yes, but I don't think it's that easy."
Although Danny and his husband had no plans to start a family, they decided to adopt the baby almost immediately. They named the child Kevin, after Pete's parents' first baby, which was stillborn. "This brother that he never knew was always an angel in his life so it was a very significant name," notes Stewart.
Twenty years later, Danny, Pete, and Kevin are one happy family. Kevin, now 21-years-old, is in college studying mathematics and computer science. Pete also published a book, titled "Our Subway Baby" about their experience.
"I hope it inspires people who are maybe going through this process of wanting to adopt kids or foster or any situation in life to just sort of take a deep breath and believe that anything is possible," says Danny.
