I have the pleasure of working with Janae, our local afternoon radio personality on 93.3 The Q in Albuquerque. Last week, she and her husband, firefighter Chris Martinez, officially adopted a baby boy who had been dropped off at the Safe Haven Baby Box at the New Mexico fire station where Chris works.
The story began early last year when Chris discovered a newborn in the Safe Haven Baby Box. The baby, later named Mikel, was wrapped in a towel with his umbilical cord still attached and was suffering from hypothermia. Just weeks before, Chris and Janae had received their certification to become foster parents, making the moment feel like fate.
Chris and Janae were approved to visit Mikel in the hospital, and they spent every day with him as he recovered in the neonatal intensive care unit. Although they couldn’t be certain they would be chosen as his foster parents, they cherished every minute with him. Eventually, the Martinezes were chosen as Mikel’s foster parents, and just last week, their dreams came true when they officially adopted him.
Now 13 months old, Mikel is thriving. He loves dancing, cuddling, and asking for kisses, or “besos.” Chris and Janae are deeply grateful to Mikel’s birth mother for her bravery and selflessness, and they promise to give their son the best life possible. They view the opportunity to have Mikel in their lives and fulfill their long-held wish to become parents as a true miracle.
