On August 28, 2000, Danny Stewart existed the Subway in New York City. He was on his way to meet his boyfriend, Pete Mercurio, for dinner, but something he saw next to the wall changed his life forever.

At first, Stewart thought he was looking at a doll that someone had lost, but no, it was not a doll. He saw the legs move and realized it was actually a tiny baby that someone had abandoned.

Stewart told BBC News, “He didn’t have any clothes on, he was just wrapped up in this sweatshirt. His umbilical cord was still partially intact, so I could tell he was a newborn. I was thinking maybe a day or so old.” He explained that he tried to get the attention of the people around him, but everyone simply ignored him.

Back in 2000, mobile phones weren’t as common as they are now, so Stewart ended up leaving the baby where he was and running up the stairs to the street to find a pay phone. He called 911 and told the 911 operator, “I found a baby.” Stewart went back and waited with the baby until the police arrived.

Then Stewart remembered that his boyfriend was waiting for him, so he ran back up to the payphone to make another call. He told Mercurio, “I found a baby. I don’t think the police believe me so call them please right now.”

Mercurio did believe Stewart. He left his apartment right away and rushed to the subway station, arriving at the same time as the police.

Stewart and Mercurio returned to their normal lives until December when the Administration for Children’s Services asked Stewart to attend a family court hearing so he could describe how he found the baby. While he was there, the judge asked him, “Would you be interested in adopting this baby?”

Stewart was shocked. He did not expect this at all, but he responded that he was interested in adopting the baby. He told the judge, “Yes, but I don’t think it’s that easy.” Mercurio was a little more hesitant to adopt the baby, but he ended up coming around after visiting the baby in foster care. He realized that he could be “one of his dads.”

About two years later, after paperwork, background checks and home visits, Stewart and Mercurio officially adopted the baby they decided to name Kevin.

Watch the video below to hear more about this amazing story including how Kevin is doing now.