Firefighters save lives every day – it’s their job. But then they move on to the next job and rarely know what ends up happening to the people they rescue. Except in this case, where the firefighter rescued a baby and then decided to adopt her.

Marc Hadden is a member of the fire department in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, and on Nov. 14, 2011, he had an unusual day at the office – rather than fighting a fire, he ended up delivering a baby for the very first time.

An unusual 911 call

The baby’s birth mother had called 911 complaining of abdominal pain, and Hadden ended up at the scene.

“She struggled from the minute she was put in my hands,” said Marc in an interview with People. Marc had to give the baby emergency oxygen just seconds after she was born to help her breathe on her own.

“It was amazing to hear her cry.” – MARC HADDEN

But soon after, at the hospital, the birth mother said she couldn’t care for her daughter – and Marc immediately wanted to be the one to step up to take care of her.

Welcoming Rebecca Grace into the family

Just two days later, that baby ended up coming home with him and his wife. They named her Rebecca Grace.

Marc and his wife Beth already had two sons and really wanted a third child, but had experienced some complications while trying to conceive. They were already on the road to adoption when they met baby Rebecca.

Beth said she knew it was meant to be as soon as Marc called her with the news of his day at work.

“I delivered a baby.”
“Can we keep her?” she even had replied. Beth had been half-kidding, but then Marc gave her the news.

“I think she might be going up for adoption.”