A baby boy surrendered to a Kentucky fire department nearly two years ago was officially adopted last month. His parents said they had hoped and prayed for this to happen ever since they first learned about their son.
“This is just an amazing story of grace being shown,” Louisville resident Chris Tyler, 43, told FOX News Digital.
“From a loving mother to her little baby and to us. God's hand is definitely in this.”
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The adoption was finalized just before Christmas, and Tyler and his wife, Brittany, said it was a blessing.
“Sam is a curious kid,” Chris Tyler said.
A baby boy named Sam (pictured) who was found surrendered at a Kentucky fire station has been officially adopted. (Heather Shea Photo)
“He's really a bundle of energy. He's the little brother who chases his brothers around with a pirate sword and rides down the little roller coaster we have here at home.”
The couple, who had already adopted two older children (Judah, 8, and Calvin, 5), were looking forward to adding another member to their family when they heard about Sam. .
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“We've struggled with infertility for a long time,” Brittany Tyler, 36, told Fox News Digital.
Baby Sam is depicted as a toddler at home with his older brothers Calvin, 5, and Judah, 8. The Tyler family adopted all three boys. (Tyler family)
“We wanted to start a family and traditional methods weren't working, so we started looking into adoption,” she said.
“Going through an adoption agency is very expensive, but when I found out that it was possible to adopt through foster care, I thought that was a great option.”
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It was in May 2022 that Louisville Fire Department firefighters found baby Sam in a baby box.
Maj. Bobby Cooper, Battalion Chief, Louisville Fire Department. “They put a ring on the door and went outside, and that's where they first met Samuel,” he said of the day little Samuel was left in a baby box at the fire station. (Louisville Fire Department)
“It was early in the morning on Truck 4, Engine 22 in West Louisville,” Louisville Fire Department Lt. Col. and Deputy Chief Bobby Cooper told FOX News Digital.
“They put a ring on the door and walked out, and that's where I met Samuel for the first time.”
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The tiny baby, just a few days old, was found wrapped and placed inside a shoe box.
The box also contained a note from the child's biological mother, revealing why she had to give up her child.
A firefighter from Louisville Fire Department Truck 4 and Engine 22 holds baby Sam a few days after he was examined at a local hospital. (Heather Shea Photo)
Exactly one year ago, Gov. Andy Beshear signed legislation into law creating the Safe Haven Act. As a result, it is now possible to leave children under 30 days old in “newborn safety equipment” or baby boxes at hospitals, fire stations, and police stations.
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“Safe Haven laws in Kentucky and across the country allow mothers to surrender their babies safely, anonymously and legally,” Cooper said.
“Our firefighters are very capable, competent and very knowledgeable about the law. This is part of their training,” he said.
Brittany and Chris Tyler adopted son Samual Ryan (aka Sam) on December 18, 2023. Sam was safely surrendered by his biological mother and placed in an infant crate at the Louisville Fire Department. (Heather Shea Photo)
Firefighters carried the baby inside and made sure it was safe.
“All of our firefighters are EMTs or EMTs, so we were able to do a quick diagnostic to make sure he was healthy. And he looked like he was. He looked rested and well-fed.”
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They notified the appropriate authorities and arranged for emergency transportation to take Samuel to a local children's hospital for further testing.
Brittany Tyler was pictured holding baby Sam in the hospital's NICU after he was handed over to a baby box at the fire station. (Tyler family)
“When I read his story, I prayed that we would be the chosen home for him,” Brittany Tyler said.
Shortly after the call, Chris and Brittany Tyler found themselves holding their baby in the neonatal unit of a local hospital.
He weighed only 3 pounds.
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That's when the Tylers began to unravel the small details of their adopted child's little life. For example, a difficult decision made by his mother, as described in the note.
Because of his small size, Sam stayed in the NICU for several weeks before he was ready to go home. (Tyler family)
“She wrote a little note that said a little bit about herself. She basically wrote that she needed help,” Brittany Tyler said.
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“And at the bottom it said 'I love you.' It was scrawled on a piece of paper and put in a box with him, so we kept it for him. Let's see, someday he's going to get these things from his mother, and then he'll know that she left him there the best way she could, and it's all over.”
The child's biological mother scribbled notes on a piece of paper as she dropped the baby off at the fire station. She wrote “I love you” on it. (Heather Shea Photo)
There is no judgment in the minds of the Tyler family.
“She cared about him and loved him,” Chris Tyler said.
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A few days after her baby came home from the hospital, Brittany Tyler brought little Sam back to the fire station where he was handed over for newborn photos.
After being admitted to the hospital, little Sam was taken back to the fire station and handed over for newborn photography. (Heather Shea Photo)
And on his first birthday, the family returned for another photo shoot.
Cooper said the Louisville Fire Department considers Sam part of the family.
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“I'm happy to be a part of Sam's story,” Cooper said.
Sam returned to the Louisville Fire Department for his first birthday, where we took more photos. Firefighters now consider little Sam part of his family. (Heather Shea Photo)
Over the years, the Tyler family has raised 17 children.
They are currently in the process of adopting their fourth child, a girl.
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