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Cop rescued baby, 24 years later, he was stunned after learning the child's identity
When you vouch for someone, whether a stranger or a loved one, you always hope they succeed. There are people we encounter who become a memorable part of our lives and when we think of them, we wish nothing but the best for them. Retired lieutenant Gene Eyster often found himself thinking about a newborn whom he had rescued 24 years ago, per CBS News. The man had a dramatic encounter with the infant and became the man who saved his life. After over two decades, he stumbled upon the thought of the boy, who was now a supposed young gentleman. Shortly, Eyster was overjoyed to learn what had become of the boy.A strange call near Christmas in 2000It all began in the year 2000. Close to Christmas, the police officer received a call. "That was one of the strangest calls I think I've ever had: 'We have a found baby in a box,’” the officer recalled. Like every other person, even Eyster was keen to know what became of the boy years later. Titled, “Baby Boy Doe,” Eyster did his duty and took the abandoned baby from his cardboard box to a hospital. Representative image: The officer didn't know he'd be seeing the baby again.Photo credit: CanvaA teddy bear and a new nameHowever, things didn’t end there. The officer went back and visited the newborn and took a teddy bear with him too. "Just a symbol to let everyone that walked past know that he was cared about,” he remarked. Eyster remembered calling him “Baby Jesus,” since the previous title didn’t sit right with him, per TODAY.There were no records of the boy and Eyster unfortunately had no way to find out how he’d been doing. “I wondered, ‘What did he turn out to be?’ And God forbid, have I ever arrested him? Was he still alive?’” Eyster would think to himself. It was in 2019, after his retirement, that the officer was rewarded for his kindness in a heart-melting sight. He received a call from one of the officers to let him know about Matthew Hegedus-Stewart, a rookie.The rookie with a familiar pastBut there was something special about this rookie that caused the cop to make the call to Eyster. “He goes, ‘You’re not going to believe this, but Baby Jesus is sitting next to me right now. He’s my rookie,” the retired officer recalled. The little infant he had rescued in swaddling clothes was now a beaming hope, preparing to be a cop!Why the reunion hit even harderStewart had learned about Eyster after he grew up while tracking down his history. The old man was deeply moved by this moment of fulfillment and joy. Having lost his son shortly before he could receive the news, he was delighted to find another son figure in Stewart. “I see some mannerisms in Matt that remind me of my son — he’s got the same grin, the same laugh, the same dark hair and stature,” Eyster recalled. "Full circle moment. That hit home. I can only imagine from his point of view,” Steward remarked. Representative image: A call from a fellow officer answered old questions. Photo credit: CanvaLooking back, Eyster calls it a collection of coincidences that he is beyond grateful for. “I mean, Matt completes his field training and randomly gets assigned to the same beat of the apartment complex where he was found. What are the odds?” he said. “The irony of everything falling into place the way it did. You have a better chance of winning the lottery,” he added.In the years since...Hegedus-Stewart now patrols the same neighborhood where he was found in December 2000, and the pair have stayed in touch. PEOPLE reported that their first sit-down included paging through old case files, and noted a sweet coincidence: Hegedus-Stewart’s daughter, Aspen, shares a birthday with his adoption anniversary. This article originally appeared earlier this year.
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