NYC’s Subway Baby Turns 25: The Incredible Story of Love, Fate, and Family
NYC’s Famous Subway Baby Turns 25 — And His Remarkable Journey Is Nothing Short of Inspirational 🚆👶✨
From a subway station floor to a thriving life built on love, this real-life New York story proves that fate has a plan — even in the unlikeliest of places.
It’s been 25 years since a newborn baby was found abandoned in a New York City subway station — a moment that would forever change the lives of Danny Stewart and Peter Mercurio, the couple who went on to adopt the child and raise him as their own. Now, that baby — Kevin — is grown, thriving, and living proof of the power of compassion, love, and unexpected second chances.
A Life-Changing Moment on a Subway Platform
The story begins in August 2000, when Stewart, then a 34-year-old social worker, was rushing to meet Mercurio for dinner in Manhattan. Running late, he exited the A/C/E train station at 14th Street — and spotted what appeared to be a doll wrapped in a black hoodie.
But something moved.
Realizing it was a real infant, Stewart immediately called 911 from a nearby payphone — this was before cell phones were everywhere — and then returned to the scene to comfort the tiny, helpless newborn. The baby still had part of his umbilical cord attached, a sign of how recently he had been born and left behind.
“I could not stop thinking about him,” Stewart later recalled.
Though authorities quickly took custody of the baby, Stewart couldn’t get the child out of his mind.
A Judge’s Surprise Question Changed Everything
A few months later, in December 2000, Stewart was called to testify in family court to help establish that the baby had been abandoned. What happened next stunned him — and changed everything.
“Would you be interested in adopting this baby?” the judge asked.
Despite having no prior conversation with Stewart about parenthood, the judge saw something in him. Without hesitation, Stewart answered “Yes.”
Mercurio, Stewart’s partner at the time, was skeptical — even jokingly warning, “Good luck being a single parent in New York City.” But the process moved quickly, thanks to a pilot program designed to streamline adoptions of healthy abandoned infants.
After one overnight visit, Mercurio held the child and felt what he described as an “instant bond.” From that moment on, they were all in.
A Christmas to Remember — and a Name That Healed Generations
By Christmas 2000, the baby was home with Stewart and Mercurio. They named him Kevin — a name that held deep meaning. Mercurio’s parents had planned to give the name to a child they tragically lost in 1967.
“The old tears of grief now mixed with new tears of joy,” Mercurio wrote in his book There: We Found Our Family in a New York City Subway Station — a touching retelling of their adoption journey.
Kevin quickly became known as “a really easy kid to raise,” full of kindness and curiosity.
Full Circle: A Wedding with the Judge Who Changed Their Lives
In 2012, when Kevin was 11 years old, Stewart and Mercurio were legally married — and they invited the very same judge who had first posed the life-changing adoption question to officiate the ceremony.
Referred to in the book only as Judge Cooper, she explained her instincts that day in court:
“All babies need a connection with someone — and I saw that you were that someone.”
From Subway Baby to Software Engineer
Kevin’s life has been anything but ordinary — and his accomplishments are a testament to the loving foundation his parents gave him. He attended the NYC Lab School for Collaborative Studies in Chelsea, and later earned a degree in computer science and mathematics from Swarthmore College.
Now 25, Kevin lives in Pittsburgh, works as a website developer, and captains his local Ultimate Frisbee team. His parents describe him as a “cool cucumber” — calm, grounded, and deeply thoughtful.
And while Kevin has kept a relatively low public profile, he had one message for Mercurio after reading the book:
“I’m proud of you.”
For Mercurio, that was the only review that mattered.
A Story That Continues to Inspire the World
The Subway Baby’s incredible journey has not only become a celebrated family legacy — it’s now inspiring millions. Their story is featured in a new book and a short film titled 18 Months, which recently won two awards at Cannes Lions. The film, produced by Second Nurture, highlights the importance of foster and adoptive families. Stewart serves as a board member for the organization.
“Everyone in New York can relate to something happening in a split second that could change their life,” Mercurio told The Post.
And for this family, that moment came in a subway station—proving that love can be found in the most unexpected places.
