A Dallas fire captain has adopted an abandoned child.
Dallas Fire Captain Nick Hilton and his wife have officially adopted an abandoned infant left at a hospital.
Paramedics responded to a woman who was giving birth to a child in February 2022. Captain Hilton had trained the paramedics who tended to the woman.
After hearing of the child being left at the hospital and conversing with his wife, Hilton began the adoption process. The adoption was finalized on April 3, and the child takes the official name of Ezra Hilton.
Some of these medical personnel members also witnessed the final adoption proceedings.
“It was exciting the connection with the fire department and them,” said Hilton, according to Fox 4 News. “I’ve worked at that station before so it’s all cool. It’s crazy how God works things out for us,” he continued.
The hospital where the baby was left was a Safe Haven hospital, which allows a parent to relinquish possession of a child to authorities anonymously.
The Safe Haven law, also known as the Baby Moses law, was put into place for parents with a newborn they cannot care for. It allows parents to legally leave their infant at any hospital, fire station, emergency medical services (EMS) station, or free-standing emergency center anonymously.
Since 2009, 172 infants have been voluntarily relinquished under the Safe Haven law, according to data acquired by The Texas Tribune.
The Hiltons had previously adopted another girl, who is now six years old.
In Texas alone, 5,963 children are awaiting adoption as of August 2022, according to the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services.