Baby Left in Shoebox at Fire Station Finds Forever Home

When Brittany Tyler saw a news report about a two-day-old baby left at a Louisville fire station in May 2022, she immediately started praying he would be placed with her family.

A few days later, her prayers were answered. A placement worker called Brittany and her husband Chris, experienced foster parents who had already adopted two boys, asking if they could take in the newborn.

The baby had been surrendered anonymously under Kentucky's Safe Infant Act, which allows parents to safely leave infants at designated locations without prosecution. He arrived in a shoebox wrapped in a pink blanket, weighing just over three pounds, with a handwritten note from his biological mother that ended with "I love you."

When Chris first held the tiny infant outside the neonatal intensive care unit, he knew instantly. "This is my boy. This is the next member of our family," he said.

The couple named him Samuel. They were chosen for the placement because of their history caring for medically fragile children, something Samuel desperately needed at three pounds.

Sunny's Take

Brittany understood the courage it took for Samuel's birth mother to make such a heart-wrenching decision. She carefully preserved the handwritten note so Samuel can read it when he's older and understand his story.

Even more touching, she took the pink blanket he was wrapped in and sewed it into a teddy bear. She wanted Samuel to always have a tangible piece of his biological mother's love.

"Everybody lives for Samuel's hugs," Brittany said. "He's such a cuddly kid."

On December 18, 2023, after 581 days of fostering, Chris and Brittany officially adopted 20-month-old Samuel. He joined big brothers Judah and Calvin in a family built on love and second chances.

The story doesn't end there: the Tylers are currently in the process of adopting a little girl, proving that families who open their hearts make room for miracles.