Friends help make room for fireman's unexpected gift

MYRTLE BEACH, SC (WMBF) From time to time, you hear a story of such amazing timing that it stops you in your tracks. The story of Grace, is one of them.

For first responder, Marc Hadden seeing the unusual is all in a day's work, but he never expected that taking this call would forever change his life.

"911, what's your emergency?"

It was a cool crisp November night when Marc Hadden and his crew arrived on scene.

"It was just a somewhat normal call. Very quickly we realized that it was going to be a life changer for us," says firefighter, Marc Hadden.

There was no time to get to the hospital and before he knew it, Marc was delivering a baby girl.

"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?" says wife, Beth Hadden.

Shortly after the amazing experience, the Haddens discovered Baby Grace was immediately put up for adoption, an unknown blessing for the family of four who always knew they wanted their family to grow, but couldn't.

"Ever since we had the boys, we knew that we wanted more children," explains Beth. "But I was pre-term with them so we knew that it wasn't possible to have any more babies. And we had it in our minds and in our hearts for years to adopt and we just left it in God's hands. We said if its meant to be, it will be."

In a strange twist of fate, it was as if little Grace picked them.

"I don't know if I have words. I never envisioned that I would have a daughter. We are truly blessed, for sure," says Marc.

Just 48 hours after the emergency call, their new bundle of joy wrapped in pink was coming home.

"As soon as we signed the papers I looked a Marc and went, 'Oh my gosh, we have to pay for a wedding.' I was like, that was my first thought? I guess just having a girl is so different after having two boys," laughs Beth.

As for the boys, Will and Parker haven't skipped a beat taking on the roles as the protective, older brothers. They realize they may not share the same DNA as Grace, but the way they light up when they see her can only be described as true love.

"I just love her to pieces," says big brother Will.

It's been nearly eight months now since little Grace miraculously fell right into her daddy's arms. The family of five is happy and healthy and life has proven once again that being in the right place at the right time can change everything.

Marc jokingly says, "I've been telling people that, you know [that old saying], 'I brought her into this world and I can take her out' and I'll be able to tell her that."

Most would say little Gracie was saved the night she was born, but the Haddens would argue it was Grace who saved them.

"I don't even think about her being adopted. She's ours and we love her," says proud dad, Marc.

Making room for their bundle of joy

Word about the Haddens spread quickly after their appearance on WMBF News.

Their family was growing as Marc and Beth Hadden opened their arms, their hearts and their home to Grace, and that outpouring of love is contagious.

A friend of the family who has witnessed the tale of Haddens first hand wanted to pitch in and help, donating time and supplies to construct an expansion to their home.

The contractor Buddy Satterfield explains, "It feels good to do something that we feel is relatively simple in the construction business, but it just means so much to somebody else. So it's just great to be able to pass on the blessing that has been sent to us."

The new construction on the Haddens' home began on Monday, July 23 - and now on Tuesday - the additions are nearly complete.

Proud father Marc Hadden cheers, "I don't know what we would have done because we have definitely outgrown our home. So we're just truly blessed to have friends that will pull together for us like this."

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