Tiny Baby Girl Abandoned without a Name Is Adopted by Loving Couple after Unexpected Call from Foster System

A little girl was heartbreakingly abandoned at a hospital without a name. Soon after, she was adopted by a loving couple who received an unexpected call about the young baby while at a superstore.

Without a clue about what was happening around her, a young baby girl was abandoned at the hospital shortly after her birth. She had no name, no parents who claimed her, and no place to go home to after being discharged from the hospital.

For Grace Kriegel Wilson, it was a regular day at a local superstore where she was running errands with her husband and 12-year-old foster daughter. She had fostered several children through the years and had seven children under her wing.

A Life-Changing Call

While at the children's department of the store, she received a call from someone she frequently spoke to from the foster care system. Upon answering the call, Grace was immediately told:

"A baby girl was abandoned at the hospital. She doesn't even have a name. It probably won't be forever, but we need to place her in a foster home. Can you come pick her up in an hour?"

Grace looked at her husband in shock, and they knew then and there that their answer would be "yes." They grabbed a couple of newborn clothes and a pack of diapers, rushed home to get their car seat, and in less than an hour, they had their gorgeous baby girl in their arms.

Caring for Safe Surrender

At the time, the little girl's legal name was "Safe Surrender," named after their county. They took the little girl home and had eight children under their care. They tried to change the little girl's name but weren't allowed to.

When Safe Surrender turned four months, Grace and the rest of the family were on vacation when they got a call from foster care. It turned out that the little girl wasn't examined at birth and needed to be looked at.

So, without hesitation, Grace cut their vacation short and made it to Grace's screening appointment. The hospital paged "Safe Surrender" on the speaker, and Grace could instantly feel the stares of all those who wanted to know who would name their child such.

Safe's Health Complications

That day, the young baby girl underwent tests on her heart, kidneys, spine, and more. They all revealed a couple of birth defects that required multiple surgeries and living with a colostomy bag for a couple of months.

Grace updated the foster care system workers on the baby's situation, and they realized it might be too much for Grace, who already had several children under her care. "We can move her to a level 2 home if we need to," the woman suggested.

Grace and her husband refused, and they cared for their sweet little girl without complaints. They accompanied her to all the surgeries, consoled and soothed her pain, and paid for her supplies with their own money.

Falling In Love with Safe

Through it all, Grace and the rest of her family took care of Safe Surrender and fell increasingly in love with her. She was starting to become a happy baby girl and began trusting her family.

When the young girl was nearing her first birthday, the foster care staff revealed that they published an ad in the paper to locate the girl's dad, but they received no response. "It looks like this case will be going toward adoption. Are you willing to adopt Safe?" she was asked.

Throughout her foster journey, Grace always had one thing in mind: hope. While the journey could get heavy, she leans into hope when she needs strength, which lightens her load. She hopes to see her foster children's biological parents in better circumstances, but she realized this wouldn't be the case for Safe.

It was a no-brainer for Grace – she wanted to adopt Safe, so she did. Grace proudly took the stand and swore to adopt her little girl. There were 75 people in the room to witness the beautiful adoption, including family and friends who have supported them since the start.

As Grace looked at her husband and their sweet little girl, 14 months old at the time, she was asked: "Grace, what has your family decided to name her?"

With a huge smile on the little girl's face, Grace proudly turned to the judge and said, "Her name is Arya. Arya Hope."

Click here to read about an Indiana police officer who adopted a little girl she found in a safe haven.