We Found A Baby Abandoned In A Subway Station. Here's How He Changed Our Lives.
Dear Pete,
On an ordinary Monday evening in August 2000, you'll be waiting at home for your boyfriend, Danny, to arrive. You have plans to get dinner together, but he's late. Your phone rings... and what he says will change your life forever.
He found a newborn baby at a nearby subway station. You will run down to be with him, and see the baby, tiny, yawning, in a police officer's arms. A chill unlike anything you've ever felt pulses through you.
Danny will be in the media spotlight, but after a few days, life returns to normal.
Until it doesn't.
A few months later, a family court judge unexpectedly asks Danny if he would like to adopt the baby. He's caught off guard, but says, 'Yes.' When he tells you, you say, 'No.' You're not ready. You're scared. You don't feel worthy. Fear takes over and makes you resist. You say mean and hurtful things to the man you love. You don't want your life to change.
You spend countless hours analyzing how a baby will impact every second of every minute of every hour of every day. Objectivity betrays you.
The questions pile up: What does it mean to be a parent? What would it be like to have a baby be a part of everything we do? Who would we become? As gay dads, what kind of obstacles would we face? Do we have the patience, tenderness, and consistency? Who are we to believe we could be this miracle baby's parents? What if we mess up? What if he tugs at my pant leg one day and asks something I can't answer? What if I give him the wrong answer?
You are afraid of everything — being imperfect, getting too close, and the heartbreak of one day letting him go. Bottom line: you are petrified of loving so deeply and completely. You believe the baby deserves more, and you doubt you can give him the life he needs.
But you won't have a choice. A force greater than you is at work. It wants you to become a father. To have a family. It sees a future you can't yet imagine — one filled with joy, abundance, meaning, and most of all, love. Your better angels will whisper to you. They'll show you glimpses of the future: playing catch on grassy fields, orange-sky picnics along the waterfront, Christmas mornings, makeshift blanket forts, hide-and-seek, and bedtime stories.
They'll challenge you: Do you know how many people would give anything to trade places with you?This baby is a gift. He's the best thing that's happened in your life. You don't know it yet, but trust us, you will. All you have to do is let go. Surrender your resistance. Accept the gift.
When a social worker arranges a visit with the baby, Danny holds him and flashes the biggest, widest smile you've ever seen. It's beautiful. Graceful. Miraculous. You will see that expression again and again in the years to come when the boy he's holding falls asleep on your shoulders or calls you 'Dada' or 'Papa' for the first time or holds your hands while walking down the street or finger-paints a portrait of your family or sings himself to sleep in the back seat of the car or learns how to ride a bike, throw a ball, play the violin, dance on stage or teases you about going bald.
Then it will be your turn. You hold him. He squeezes your finger and stares into your eyes. In that moment, with all the innocence, promise, and hope he carries, a wave washes over you — peaceful, warm, overwhelming. The feeling alters your chemistry.
The boy in your arms disarms you. He is the reason to abandon logic, relinquish control, and stop needing everything to make sense. You will learn that in this wonderfully unpredictable human experience, sometimes everything happens for a reason, and sometimes everything happens in spite of reason.
You finally understand why Danny said, 'Yes.' It had already happened for him the night they found each other. He had fallen in love and inextricably bonded during those sacred, uninterrupted minutes they shared alone — before the police arrived, before the news crews arrived, before you arrived.
How could you have been so wrong? There was nothing to fear. You feel brave. Excited. Ready to embrace what's next. The future — your lives as a family, Papa, Daddy, and son — will unfold in mysterious, glorious ways.
On your first Father's Day, you will be stunned by all the well wishes. Your mom will gift you and Danny matching T-shirts embroidered with '#1 Papa' and '#1 Daddy.' You'll think they're corny and wear them once, but you'll keep them forever. Every Father's Day that follows, you'll reflect and marvel at the fact that you get to be called one.
Fatherhood will surprise and challenge you. Some days, you'll feel like giving up. But you won't. You'll rise to meet each moment with an open heart, with tenderness, and with love. Being a father will become the core of your identity and fill you with purpose.
You and Danny will show your son the world — and he will expand yours. Every day, you'll pinch yourselves in awe, disbelief, and gratitude. And above all, you'll learn the true meaning of unconditional love.
Dear Danny,
Something extraordinary is about to happen that will change your life forever. On the night of Aug. 28, 2000, you find a baby boy wrapped up in a bundle, lying on the dirty floor of a subway station. You don't know it then, but that moment sets in motion a fate greater than anything you could have imagined. That night, you become a father.
It almost doesn't happen. You could have kept walking, but something makes you stop — makes you look back. That one moment of hesitation becomes the beginning of everything.
When you were 18, you filled out your senior memory book. In response to the question, 'Where do you see yourself in 10 years?' you wrote, 'Married with children.' Even as you wrote it, you knew it felt out of reach. You were gay, closeted, living in Texas, and trying to imagine a future that seemed impossible. But something inside you — quiet, persistent — never let go of the desire to be a father.
You've always struggled with small decisions — what to eat, what to wear — but when it comes to life-changing choices, your clarity has never wavered.
So in December 2000, when the judge asks if you want to adopt the baby, you barely pause before saying, 'Yes.'
In your heart, you already know. This child is a gift — and you know gifts like this don't come twice. You believe in the love you have to give. You believe this was meant to be. You don't think about how this would reshape your life, not really. You don't map out the years ahead or imagine the complexities. But you also don't feel lost. Somehow, this moment — unexpected and impossible — feels like finding the exact place you were meant to be.
Your boyfriend Pete isn't sure about becoming a parent, but you want to do this with him. His hesitation will shake you — leave you feeling alone at first. But you remain steadfast. You believe the two of you have what it takes to raise a child or will figure it out. You aren't perfect, but you are enough. You have love — and that is your starting point.
Holding your son for the first time, you feel something expand in you — a love so full it feels like your heart might burst. Each time he falls asleep on your chest or laughs with delight, you're amazed at the depth of your love.
You also don't yet know the wonder of seeing the world through his eyes. The firsts — first words, first steps, first questions — will fill you with awe. His joy will become yours. His curiosity, your compass. These small moments will become the greatest gifts you didn't even know to wish for.
And every time you think back to that night — the one where you looked back — you'll be grateful, because in that moment, everything changed. You found your son and became a father. And with Pete, the three of you became a family.
On this Father's Day, we hope our story serves as a strong reminder that not all families form in the same way, and that love is what defines them. Foster and adoptive families still face many challenges today. For those interested in creating change on the ground, organizations like Second Nurture help transform the experience of fostering from one of isolation to one of belonging and shared responsibility through community-based circles of support. To support Second Nurture or join its network of volunteers, experts, and peers, visit 2nurture.org. To watch Second Nurture's new short film, '18 MONTHS,' based on our family's incredible origin story, visit 18monthsfilm.com.
Pete Mercurio is a writer, husband, and dad. He is the author of 'There,' a memoir, and 'Our Subway Baby,' a children's picture book. Pete enjoys hiking and exploring the National Parks. He has played on the same softball team, the Rookies, for over 25 years and was recently inducted into the Big Apple Softball League Hall of Fame. He lives in New York City with his husband Danny. You can find more information about him at www.petermercurio.com.
Danny Stewart is a social worker currently serving as director of operations & finance at Safe Horizon Streetwork Project, a program serving homeless and unstably housed youth and young adults. He is an adjunct instructor at the Silberman School of Social Work at Hunter College. Danny was named a 2025 Pride Trailblazer, LGBTQ+ New Yorkers fighting for equality and inclusion, by City & State New York.
Do you have a compelling personal story you'd like to see published on HuffPost? Find out what we're looking for here and send us a pitch at pitch@huffpost.com.
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