Families are created through many different ways, one of those being adoption. One couple who had been wanting a baby for a while was recently surprised when their community came together in order to give them the one thing that they wanted most: an addition to their family.

The story of Michael and Karen Faherty began back when both were students at the University of Scranton. It was there that they met after they joined the Reserve Officer Training Corps. It didn’t take long after meeting for them to begin dating, and after a few years they got married.

The happy couple were excited to start trying to add to their family but unfortunately, after four years, the couple realized they were struggling with infertility. After a spout of frustration and feeling disappointed with themselves, the couple realized they could still have their dream of children through adoption.

ONLY ON @ABC7News —

A firefighter with @AACoFD & nurse with @UMMC are surprised with a baby boy this weekend. They waited a year to #adopt after dealing with #infertility and are now parents.
The heartwarming surprise video & interview at 6 pm. pic.twitter.com/Tf8VFh2qUK

— Victoria Sanchez (@VictoriaSanchez) February 19, 2019

By then the couple had settled in Baltimore, where Michael worked as a firefighter for the Anne Arundel Fire Department, while Karen was a nurse at the University of Maryland Medical Center. The two made the decision to get the help of Adoption Makes Family. The process was long and had taken a year, with home inspections and interviews being conducted in between. So, naturally the couple wasn’t expecting anything when they saw a group of people gathered outside their house.

They also didn’t want to get their hopes up that Dean Kirschner, the agency founder, would turn up to their home with good news. As Karen explained in an interview with WJLA, “We had convinced ourselves almost a little too well which is partially why we were so shocked when we opened the door and saw the fire truck and ambulance and 30 firefighters.”

The crowd outside began to sing “Little Red Wagon” on the steps of their home. Then, Dean Kirschner climbed the steps with a baby boy in his arms to present to the couple as their son. Dean said that he always strives to make such occasions memorable for parents. He refers to adoption days as the “Gotcha Day.”

After Dean found out that Michael worked as a firefighter, he enlisted the help of the entire department to help him make it a wonderful surprise. The couple named their baby boy Michael Terrance Faherty III. In addition to the gift of their new baby, the couple also received several gifts from family and friends such as a truck full of diapers and other presents for the little Michael.

The surprise was recorded on video and has since gone viral on Facebook, having touched many people. Parents looking to add to their families were inspired and warmed by the couple’s surprise. The special occasion was made even more special by all the friends and family of Michael and Karen who helped out.

You can view the video below.

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