Firefighter Rushes To Save Pregnant Woman, When The Unthinkable Occurs

Marc Hadden, a firefighter from Myrtle Beach, North Carolina, was always dedicated to his selfless work. Though he had served for years, nothing could have prepared him for this unbelievable emergency delivery.

Devoted Husband, Father, and Firefighter

Marc Hadden derived much joy and fulfilment from his work as a firefighter in Myrtle Beach, North Carolina. Every day on the job brought with it new challenges and dangers, but there was little that could stand in Hadden’s way to perform his duty.

Emergency Call

When Hadden wasn’t saving lives, he spent time at home, as a husband to his wife Beth and a loving father to his two sons Will and Parker. On November 14, 2011, Hadden would receive an emergency call that would soon change everything.

Just Another Day

The day began just like many others – uneventful and ordinary without much action. Hadden and the other firefighters thought it would be a quiet day for the hard-working crew, until they received an emergency call.

Very Quickly Realized Disaster Struck

“It was just a somewhat normal call,” Hadden told WMBF News. “Very quickly we realized that it was going to be a life changer for us,” he went on to say. Hadden had no idea that this particular call was going to be especially life-altering for him and his family.
 

Call of Duty

The woman on the line of the emergency call complained of severe pain in her abdomen. With no time to waste, Hadden hurried to the woman’s destination to offer her whatever aid he could.

No Time to Waste

When Hadden arrived on the scene he saw that the woman was indeed in severe intermittent bouts of pain. He quickly determined that the pain she was feeling was actually labor pain and contractions; she was about to give birth.

Time Slipping Away Fast

Time was of the essence, Hadden and his fellow firefighters believed that the woman was just minutes away from delivering her baby. They knew they had to act fast. The ideal solution was to rush the pregnant woman to the nearest hospital, but the group worried they wouldn’t make it in time.

Think Quick

“It was a pretty serious call for us,” Hadden told People. “We got her on some oxygen, started some IVs and literally as we were getting ready to leave the parking lot in the ambulance, my partner said, ‘We’re about to deliver a baby right here.’”

The Moment of Truth

Hadden had to act very fast to ensure they could save both the woman and her baby. They had to deliver this child without doctors present or adequate medical supplies. A normal day at the “office” turned into a grave struggle to save two lives.

Pivotal Moment

He had years of experience behind him but Hadden didn’t have any experience delivering a baby. Thrown unexpectedly into the life-or-death situation, Hadden proved to be in the right place at the right time. He didn’t know it yet, but this was going to be one of the most important moments of his life.

It’s a Girl

Thankfully, the delivery went smoothly. When the baby girl was born and immediately handed to him, the firefighter was soon overcome with emotion. “She struggled from the minute she was put in my hands,” Hadden told People.

What Now?

Just mere hours after delivering the baby, both the mother and her child were rushed to the hospital to be cared for. The woman was a single mother who was already struggling to raise her teenage son alone. She expressed her concern and fear to the doctors.

Not Ready For Her

In fact, the new mother was certain she wasn’t capable of raising another baby, and quickly made the harrowing decision to put her up for adoption. When Hadden heard the doctors talking about this new development, something told him to call his wife.

 

Fatherly Instincts

It broke Hadden’s heart to imagine what this helpless child was going to go through, having to go through the adoption system which might not find her the loving home she so deserved. He jokingly told the doctors that he would father the little girl.

A Lightbulb Went Off

But the comment resonated with Hadden.  He made an emotional call to Beth. As unexpected and crazy as it sounded, the Haddens wanted another child. This innocent baby girl seemed like the answer to their prayers.

“Can We Keep Her?”

Beth clearly remembers the phone call that Hadden made to share news of the unexpected delivery with his wife. “He called me and he was ecstatic. I mean, he delivered a baby and who in the world gets to deliver a baby in their lifetime that’s not a doctor,” she told ABC News. After Beth heard the incredible news she jokingly replied, “Can we keep her?” That’s when Hadden told his wife that the little girl was being put up for adoption. When Beth heard these words she felt compelled to visit the woman and the baby at the hospital the following day.

Unexpected Timing

The Haddens had actually dreamed of adopting a baby girl for years. “Ever since we had the boys, we knew that we wanted more children, but I was preterm with them so we knew that it wasn’t possible to have any more babies,” Beth lamented to People Magazine.

A Special Visit

“I will never forget that day. It was a day when a lot of things came full circle,” Hadden told CNN. Everything seemed like it was meant to be. The next day Beth, who works at an elementary school as an instructional coach, went to visit the woman and her newborn baby at the hospital with a prayer book in her hand. “My heart just went out to this woman,” she told People.

A Heart to Heart

Just as the doctor told the woman that her daughter could indeed be given up for adoption and the legal process could begin, something came over the young mother. She finally realized what this all meant for her and the future of her child.

Love at First Sight

“I want you to adopt my baby. I can’t give my baby to someone I’ve never met,” the woman exclaimed. With tears in her eyes, she asked the nurse to bring in the baby for Beth to meet. As soon as Beth looked into the eyes of this baby girl, she called her husband and proclaimed, “I think we just had a baby!” The gift that they had been praying for for years had unexpectedly arrived.

Rebecca Grace Hadden

Soon after Beth visited the hospital, the Haddens signed temporary custody papers and were permitted to bring their new baby girl home. They named her Rebecca Grace, the lucky little girl is now affectionately known as Gracie.

A True Blessing

When Marc Hadden unexpectedly delivered this precious baby into the world, he would have never believed that just 48 hours later she’d be in his arms as his adopted daughter. A year later Beth and Hadden would have full legal custody of little Gracie.

Paying It Forward

“It felt like winning the lottery.” Hadden told CNN. “To see my wife’s face light up when we brought Gracie home. I can’t even begin to tell you.” Well, it turns out Gracie also touched the hearts of people in the community with this beautiful and unique story.

The Butterfly Effect

The family’s heartfelt journey warmed the hearts of the community, with the entire neighborhood paying it forward to help the Haddens with their new addition to their family. Hadden’s contractor even paid to add an extension to their home for the new baby.

Father of the Year

Following Gracie’s birth, the Myrtle Beach Fire Department also awarded Hadden a Firefighter of the Year accolade for his unrivalled courage at the scene of the emergency, and for giving Gracie the loving and stable home every child deserves.

Broaching the Subject

Beth and Marc have never hid the truth about her adoption from their daughter. “We told her pretty much from day one. I’ve taken her to the back of the ambulance where she was born, so she knows – no doubt about it,” Mac told ABC News.

Gracie’s Take on Things

At just six years old, Gracie actually knows the whole story about her unusual entrance into the world and into the Hadden family. Whenever anyone enquires about her birth, the little girl says, “My daddy delivered me in the back of an ambulance and helped me take my first breath.”

A Daddy’s Girl

Gracie and her father have an unbreakable father-daughter bond. Admittedly, she’s definitely a proud daddy’s girl. “She is my best friend. We share an amazing bond.”

A Full Time Dad

Hadden made the tough decision to retire from firefighting and now works solely on a volunteer basis. Despite his retirement, his days are even fuller now that Gracie is in his life. “Every day I look forward to waking her up, getting her ready for school, then picking her up later on,” Hadden told CNN while beaming with pride.

Sibling Love

The Hadden brothers, Will and Parker, fell in love with Gracie from their very first introduction. Will, now 15 and Parker, 13, naturally took on the role as Gracie’s protective older brothers, which will definitely come in handy when she gets older.

Like Mother, Like Daughter

After two boys, Beth relishes the mother-daughter relationship she shares with little Gracie. They love doing girly things together. Whether it’s watching Gracie practice gymnastics or painting their nails together, she feels blessed and overjoyed to be her mother.

A Message to the World

Adoption isn’t always an easy option for families, but the Haddens knew they made the right decision. Beth and Marc believe that fate brought Gracie into their lives, that the hand of God placed Marc at the scene of her birth.

Coming Full Circle

When people talk about the adoption with the Haddens, they often tell them what an incredible and compassionate couple they are for saving Gracie’s life. The Haddens always respond to these compliments saying, “We didn’t save her, she saved us!”