Recounting a Heartwarming Adoption Story from February 2017
In February 2017, a remarkable story emerged from Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, where a firefighter’s routine day took a life-changing turn. Marc Hadden, a firefighter by profession, found himself on an unexpected path when he delivered a baby during an emergency call and later adopted the child.
According to a report from Today, Marc Hadden’s day began like any other, with nothing out of the ordinary until he received a call about a woman experiencing severe abdominal pain. Upon arriving, Hadden discovered that the woman was in the throes of labor.
“It was a critical situation for us,” Hadden recounted. “We began administering oxygen and starting IVs, and just as we were about to leave the parking lot in the ambulance, my colleague announced that we were about to deliver a baby. We were caught off guard, and before we could even react—Gracie was born right there. She was handed to me immediately.”
Gracie, the newborn baby Hadden helped deliver, was put up for adoption on the very day she was born, as her mother was homeless and unable to care for her. Marc and his wife Beth decided to adopt Gracie, seizing the opportunity to provide her with a loving home.
Just two days later, the Hadden family welcomed Rebecca Grace Hadden into their lives, and they were soon awarded full custody of her.
“She’s wonderful,” Marc Hadden told Today about his now five-year-old daughter. “She’s involved in gymnastics and will be starting kindergarten next year at the same school where my wife teaches. She’s an exceptional little girl.”
At the time of Gracie’s adoption, Marc and Beth already had two sons, who quickly bonded with their new sister.
“Most days are filled with the usual routines of getting Gracie to daycare, gymnastics, or soccer,” Marc explained. “Every so often, when my wife and I are out on a date night, we reflect on how we’ve been together for 15 years and now have three children. It can be overwhelming at times, but we wouldn’t change a thing.”
Readers praised the Haddens for giving Gracie a loving home and also admired her birth mother for making a difficult decision.
One commenter on the Today Facebook page wrote, “It’s incredible how life’s events align in such a meaningful way. This baby was meant to be with this family.”
Another noted, “The courage of Gracie’s birth mother to carry the baby to term and then give her up for a better future is truly admirable. I hope they meet again one day.”
“Blessings to Gracie’s mother for her brave choice in a challenging situation,” added another reader.
Sources: Today
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