For more than a decade, Florida firefighter Vincent and his wife Katy struggled with infertility but never gave up on their dream of becoming parents. That dream began to come true in the most unexpected way — with a 2 a.m. alarm at Vincent’s fire station.
On January 2, 2023, Vincent was on duty in Ocala when a Safe Haven Baby Box (SHBB) alarm went off. Inside the box, he found a newborn girl wrapped in a pink blanket. “I picked her up — she wasn’t crying. That was it — I was in love with her,” he said.
Safe Haven Baby Boxes, founded in 2016 by Monica Kelsey, allow parents to safely and anonymously surrender infants. Once a baby is placed inside, alarms alert staff to respond immediately. Over 300 boxes now exist in 20 states, and Safe Haven laws have reduced illegal abandonments and infant homicides nationwide.
Following protocol, Vincent brought the baby — later named Zoey — to the hospital, leaving a note expressing his and Katy’s wish to adopt her. Two days later, Zoey was placed in their care, and the adoption was finalized in April 2023. “When the judge said, ‘You’re a family,’ we looked at each other and said, ‘Holy guacamole, we’re a family!’” Katy recalled.
The couple celebrated Zoey’s first birthday on January 1, grateful for the miracle that changed their lives. “It’s about this beautiful little girl who was given the chance of life,” Vincent said. “Her birth mother doesn’t have to worry — her daughter is loved beyond words.”