God knew that it doesn’t matter how your children get to your family. It just matters that they got there.” — Kira Mortenson
Call it divine intervention or call it fate, either way when a newborn baby boy was left in a Safe Haven box outside a Kentucky fire station, no one could expect what would come next. The infant, named Samuel, was just a few days old when firefighters found him in the box nearly two years ago, alongside a note from his birth mother.
Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear had just signed legislation to implement Safe Haven boxes that made it safe for children younger than 30 days to be surrendered in the ‘newborn safety device.’ Unable to have children of their own, Brittany and Chris Tyler, who have fostered 17 children, said they heard of Samuel’s story in the news and had hoped their paths would cross.
Samuel Tyler with Brittany and Chris Tyler. Photo by Heather Shay Photography
“I read the news article that morning that there had been a baby surrendered at a local fire station,” Brittany said, “I told Chris about it and prayed all weekend.”
Call it divine law, the couple was contacted about fostering Samuel. “We got the call from the placement workers that they had a baby that had been surrendered, and would we be able to take him in? And we said, ‘absolutely,’” Brittany said. Shortly after getting the call, the couple were at the hospital where Samuel was in the neonatal unit. Brittany said he only weighed 3 pounds.
He was in the NICU for a couple of weeks before he was ready to come home [because] he was so small,” she said.
Samuel Tyler visits fire station where he was surrendered. Photo by Heather Shay Photography
Once his time in the NICU was over, Samuel went home with the Tylers and spent the next 581 days as their foster son. That is, until last month. “We knew [the adoption] would eventually happen but waiting for it was really taxing at times,” Chris said.
“But it has made it much sweeter now that it has finally come. We’re so excited to see what he will grow to enjoy and do and we want to encourage his talents and desires.” “We’re just thankful to God that He chose that we would be the family for him,” he added.
The couple have nothing but gratitude toward Samuel’s birth mother and the difficult choice she made for her son. “We want his birth mom to know that we are so grateful for her and we will tell Sam how much she loved him,” Brittany said.
“We may never get to meet her but she will always be a big part of his story. She wrapped him in a blanket and put him in a shoebox with a note saying she loved him and took him to the fire station. We have kept those items for him to have when he’s older.”
The couple hopes that other mothers will learn they have options such as the safe haven boxes. “We will continue to share his story to raise awareness of the safe haven laws,” Brittany said, “so other moms know they have that option if needed and also in the hopes his mom sees it and knows he is safe and loved.”
She said that it’s obvious how much Samuel’s birth mother loved him. “She’s made a very brave, selfless decision. And she wanted the best for him,” Brittany said. Watch this amazing miracle below!
