Gay couple adopted baby boy they found in New York Subway

A couple who found a baby boy in a New York subway station 13 years ago have adopted him.

Danny Stewart was returning home to his partner Peter Mercurio in August 2000 when he thought he saw a doll lying in the corner of the 14th Street A/C/E subway station in Manhattan.

As he glanced back, he saw little legs wriggling and realised it was a baby boy wrapped in a sweatshirt.

The Daily Mail reports that the social worker immediately called the police and made a panicked phone call to his partner saying: 'I found a baby! I called 911, but I don't think they believed me.'

Mr Mercurio rushed to the scene where authorities had already taken charge of the day-old child who had his umbilical cord still attached.

Officials searched for the mother of the boy but after four months of searching no one came forward to claim the child.

NBC 4 New York reports that Mr Stewart had to appear in court to testify as to how he found the boy and the judge suddenly asked him if he would be interested in adopting him.

'I think everyone in the courtroom, their jaws dropped, everyone was quiet,' said Stewart.

'Everyone was looking at me, and I said, "Yes, but it's not that easy." And she said, "Well, it can be."'

The couple who were not married, as gay marriage was not legal at this time, thought they would have a mountain of paperwork to get through before they could adopt the child but the judge surprised them again by asking if they would like to care for the baby over the Christmas holidays.

'And he's been with us ever since,' said Mercurio. 'It was the best Christmas present ever. It was amazing.'

They named their son Kevin and the judge that proposed the adoption later married the couple.

Kevin is now 12 years old and told NBC 4 New York that he feels 'very lucky'.

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