A father went on the most important journey of his life when he flew from Australia to Texas to prevent his newborn daughter from being put up for adoption.
Dan Gaut, who lives in Berowra Waters, Sydney’s north shore, met and fell in love with his ex-girlfriend Liv while vacationing in San Francisco in early 2023.
Liv, from Austin, Texas, didn’t want to part ways with Dan, which is why she followed the carpenter home to Australia, where they agreed to have a baby.
Highlights
- A dad took a flight from Australia to the US to prevent his ex-girlfriend from putting their baby daughter up for adoption.
- Dan and Liv met in San Francisco and started a whirlwind romance, but cracks started appearing in the relationship after her pregnancy.
- Liv then moved back to her home in Austin, Texas, where she gave birth to Ana.
"She was saying there’s nothing in Texas for me anymore, all my heart and energy is in Australia," Dan told the Australian outlet A Current Affair. "I was like 'Great, that’s awesome. Let’s make this work.'"
Image credits: A Current Affair
The couple became inseparable in Australia, with Liv even being present to help Dan on his professional duties.
"She was helping on the job sites, it was lovely... It just felt so right, and I was just so happy,” he described.
However, cracks started to appear in the relationship shortly after Liv's pregnancy announcement. A homesick Liv then flew back to Austin, explaining she needed to surround herself with her "community" and "support network".
Little did Dan know that Liv wouldn’t return, as his ex-partner revealed in an upsetting call.
“I was actually leaving the job site as she's telling me the news that she got back with her ex-partner," Dan said.
"I couldn’t believe it, what is happening? Like, you’re pregnant with my daughter?"
Dan met Liv during a trip to San Francisco, and the two were so in love that Liv followed him home to Australia
Image credits: Chuffed
Image credits: A Current Affair
But what most surprised Dan was the announcement that Liv had started looking for adoption options in Texas. "I said 'no, stop, don’t promise her to anyone, this is against all my morals,'" he told ACA.
The unsettling news prompted Dan to set up a crowd-funding page to travel to Austin and organize an Australian passport and apply to bring his little girl home.
After receiving the support from numerous strangers, Dan took a 15-hour flight to the United States to be present for the baby’s birth.
Liv gave birth while Dan was on the flight, but he was able to meet his daughter, named Ana, after setting foot in America.
Ana was born on Monday (February 26) at 8 pm Sydney time.
After Liv became pregnant, she moved back to her home in Austin, Texas, announcing to Dan that she had returned to her ex and wanted to give their baby up for adoption
Image credits: Daniel Gaut
Image credits: Daniel Gaut
“She's just the cutest little thing, she's so good, she's just adorable and just picture perfect,” the first-time dad told ACA as he showed off his two-day-old bundle of joy.
“It was like whatever apprehension or possibly awkwardness I might've been thinking about at that moment just dissolved.
“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.”
Dan plans to raise Ana on his own in his homeland. The carpenter disclosed that his ex-girlfriend has expressed interest to be in Ana's life but he doesn't know "how exactly it's going to go," once he moves back.
First, Dan needs to organize the legal paperwork. For Ana to meet her Aussie family, the carpenter will need migration papers, a US passport, and 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, as per VT.
Dan raised funds and took a 15-hour flight to meet his daughter, Ana, and raise her as a single father
Image credits: Daniel Gaut
Until then, Dan, who says he’s “in training mode” and taking fatherhood “one day at a time,” is still relying on his crowdfunding campaign, which currently raised over $32,000.
“I don’t know how I will do this, but I do know that I will do everything I can to bring my daughter home and shower her with love and acceptance,” he wrote on the Chuffed.org site.
“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.”
"What a lucky little girl to be so wanted and loved," someone wrote
