It all started with a “joke.”

It was an unusually slow day for one of the busiest fire stations in the state. Marc Hadden from the Myrtle Beach Fire Station, South Carolina was doing training and cleaning fire trucks to help pass the time.

By the time he settled down to eat dinner together with his team, they received a call. Never in his life did he think that this call will change his life forever.

The report was unusual in itself.

It was a pregnant woman in emergency labor. But unlike fighting fire or climbing a high place to rescue someone stranded, he had to hop into an ambulance to help the woman.

They haven’t made it far but the woman was already ready to give birth. For the first time in two decades, he found himself taking charge of the whole process – from pulling the baby out to helping her take her first breath.

The mother made it to the hospital on time – albeit with a heartbreaking request.

While Hadden was filing paperwork, he overheard the mother tell the nurses that she wanted to put the baby up for adoption immediately.

It was then that he joked with the nurses. He said to throw his name in the hat it the adoption pushes through. It may have sounded like he was kidding, but Hadden wasn’t.

Hadden and his wife wanted to have another child.

They already have two boys, who were delightful blessings to them. However, due to medical complications, his wife Rebecca won’t be able to bear a child anymore.

“We checked into adopting, but it was way too expensive,” Hadden told CBS. “We prayed about it.” They just didn’t expect that their prayer will be answered that one “unusual” day.

The nurses asked Hadden to talk to the nurses about his plans.

He was hesitant at first, but after mustering his courage, he explained to the new mother about his family.

After the friendly chat, he swung by the nursery and sent a picture of the baby to his wife. Her wife also joked, “Can we keep her?”

At that point, they weren’t joking – they were hoping.

The couple talked about the baby and agreed that it was worth the try. Rebecca, a schoolteacher, went to the hospital to talk to the mother.

“With both of our boys, we had families, support, and a ton of stuff,” Hadden told CBS. “This mom didn’t. She had nothing. No family that was there.”

Through a message from a doctor, the mother agreed to push through with the adoption.

After the closed adoption was concluded, the baby girl was named Rebecca Grace. She stood out from the family with her blue eyes and blonde hair but she’s family all together.

Hadden always thought that the entire event was meant to be. Reflecting about his shift that day, the branch he’s assigned to, and the “unusual” tone of the day – he just knew that Gracie was meant to be in their family.

“So many things happened that made us 100 percent sure.” Hadden finally said to CBS. She’s since grown. And through all of the things she’s been through, her favorite story will always be the one where her daddy delivered her in the back of an ambulance.

Watch the 911 call that changed the lives of this child and this firefighter.

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Source: YouTube – ABC News, CBS, People, Facebook – Marc Hadden