A father frantically flew from Australia to America to prevent his baby daughter from being put up for adoption by his former partner.
As reported by A Current Affair, a man named Dan Gaut, who resides in Sydney's north shore, met his ex-girlfriend Liz while vacationing in San Francisco in early 2023.
The couple were so loved up that Liz left her home and community in Austin, Texas, to live with the builder at Berowra Waters, according to the publication.
"She was saying there’s nothing in Texas for me anymore, all my heart and energy is in Australia," Dan revealed to ACA. "I was like 'Great, that’s awesome. Let’s make this work.'"
Watch Dan's story below:
Dan shared that he and Liv were inseparable when she first moved to his homeland, adding: "She was helping on the job sites, it was lovely... It just felt so right, and I was just so happy."
Unfortunately, cracks started appearing in the relationship shortly after Liv's pregnancy announcement as she told her partner that she had a house in Austin, and wanted to go back there to be with her "community" and "support network".
Shortly after, Liv returned to the States for a visit and stunned Dan when she revealed that she wasn’t coming back. "I was actually leaving the job site as she's telling me the news that she got back with her ex-partner," he said. "I couldn’t believe it, what is happening? Like, you’re pregnant with my daughter?"
She also shocked the father of her baby when revealed that she was looking for adoption options in Texas. "I said 'no, stop, don’t promise her to anyone, this is against all my morals,'" he told the outlet.
After Liv dropped the bombshell, Dan leaped into action and said he would raise their daughter himself, which thankfully, his ex-partner agreed to. But that forced him to make a 15-hour flight to the United States for his little girl’s birth, as well as to complete the necessary paperwork.
During his long-haul flight, Liv went into labor and Dan recalled the "magical" moment he met baby Ana for the first time. "She's just the cutest little thing, she's so good, she's just adorable and just picture perfect. Really, from the first moment of meeting, it was like, 'OK, this is it, this feels right, this is perfect ... I'm so happy,'" he said.
He expressed that "whatever apprehension or possibly awkwardness" he had prior to her birth "dissolved" at the moment he held his baby, adding: "The love for her took over and it was like such a magical loving moment that I just, just couldn't wait to hold her. She's just a little angel, really chill which is phenomenal, I couldn't ask for anything more."
The builder disclosed that Liv has voiced her interest to be in Ana's life but he doesn't know "how exactly it's going to go," once he moves back to Australia. She's even willing to make the trip to accompany him, as he is nervous about flying alone with their newborn.
But, it could be some time before Dan can bring Ana home to meet her Australian family as he has to go through the arduous process of organizing migration papers, getting a US passport, and obtaining an ETA (Electronic Travel Authority) app - which allows non-citizens to travel to Australia for up to a year or the life of their passport.
Until then, the Aussie is taking fatherhood "one day at a time," stating in a crowdfunding campaign: "I will do everything I can to bring my daughter home and shower her with love and acceptance. Every child should know they are loved and wanted.
"I just want to be the best Dad that I can possibly be. I want to be there every step of the way for my little Ana. And if you can’t donate, I’d be thankful for a little prayer to help me get through this," he added.
As of the time of writing, the fundraiser - set up by Dan's friends - had raised $32,592, exceeding the $30,000 target.
