OCALA COUNTY, Fla. (WSVN) – When a newborn was surrendered to Florida’s first and only Safe Haven Baby Box on Jan. 5, the firefighter who found her knew he had to adopt her.
The baby, who the family has since named Zoey, was surrendered at a Safe Haven Baby Box at the Ocala Fire Rescue’s Fire Station No. 1 located in Central Florida.
“I picked her up and held her,” said the firefighter, who wished to remain anonymous. “We locked eyes, and that was it. I’ve loved her ever since that moment.”
The firefighter and his wife have reportedly been attempting to conceive a child for a decade, but when the firefighter saw Zoey he believed it to be a sign from God.
After two days, Zoey was able to live with the firefighter and his wife until they officially adopted her in April.
The family wanted to share their story to let Zoey’s biological mother know that her child is being taken care of and “loved beyond words.”
According to the Safe Haven Baby Box website, there are 148 active devices currently in the US, with 40 more neighborhoods working on placing a Safe Haven Baby Box in a local hospital or fire station.
At least 31 babies have been safely surrendered in the Safe Haven Baby Boxes across the country.
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