For 15 years, Chris and Janae Martinez faced the quiet and often painful struggles of infertility. Their hearts ached as they dreamed of parenthood—the sound of their child’s first cry, the warmth of tiny fingers grasping their hands, and the love they had longed to share.
But their journey would take an unexpected turn one cold February evening.
Chris, a firefighter in Belen, New Mexico, was working when he responded to an emergency at his station’s Safe Haven Baby Box. A newborn was left inside, awaiting a fresh start.
What Chris didn’t know that night was that this infant would soon become his son.
The Struggle with Infertility
Infertility is a challenge faced by countless couples, often in silence. For Chris and Janae, it meant 15 years of yearning for a child—wondering if they would ever become parents.
“I didn’t know if I’d ever become a mom, and it was always my dream to be a parent,” Janae told KOB4, reflecting on the painful uncertainty they lived with for over a decade.
Just weeks prior to this pivotal moment, the couple had completed their certification as foster parents in New Mexico. Then, fate intervened.
A Fateful Encounter
On the night the alarm sounded at the Baby Box, Chris was one of the first responders. He found a tiny baby, swaddled in a towel with his umbilical cord still attached. The newborn, fragile and small, had been abandoned but was ready for a second chance.
“I knew the moment I saw him that I wanted to be his dad,” Chris shared with TODAY.com. “It felt like he was meant to be ours.”
The baby, later named Mikel, was rushed to the hospital to treat pneumonia and hypothermia. Over the next month, Chris and Janae stayed by his side in the NICU, feeding him, comforting him, and holding onto the hope that they would one day be able to bring him home.
A New Chapter Begins
After weeks of waiting and uncertainty, the call they had been longing for came. On March 10, 2024, Chris and Janae officially became Mikel’s parents. Now 13 months old, Mikel is a joyful child, loves pulling socks out of drawers, dancing, and showering his parents with kisses.
“He’s almost walking!” Chris proudly shared.
As they witness their son’s milestones, Chris and Janae remain grateful for the selfless act of the woman who gave Mikel the chance at life.
“We are committed to giving Mikel the best life possible,” Janae said. “What she did for him was incredibly brave and selfless.”
Hope for Other Waiting Parents
For anyone still facing the struggles of infertility, Chris and Janae’s story offers a powerful reminder that love often arrives when it’s least expected. Their family is proof that parenthood can take many forms, and sometimes, the most beautiful stories are the ones we could never have imagined.
“Sometimes the greatest gifts come when we least expect them,” said Janae. “And our story is a testament to that.”
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