Morgan Hill has spent the past two years searching for her "guardian angel" and on April 20, they finally reunited.
A construction worker named Gerald Rocky Hyatt found Hill, now 20, as a newborn after she was left at a dumpster in Hoffman Estates, Illinois, by her birth mother.
RELATED: Pastor and wife plan to adopt 2 homeless toddlers found outside their church
“He was dropping off the last load of trash from the construction area he was working on,” Hill told NBC affiliate WMAQ. “Before he dropped it in, he heard a whimper. He found a white kitchen bag that was double knotted.”
While she has always known she was adopted, she was surprised to learn the full story of the October 1995 incident a couple years ago. With NBC affiliate KSHB's help, she tracked down the man who rescued her.
"I broke into tears and the first thing I said was, 'Thank you,'" Hill said. "He said to me, 'Baby girl, you are so loved.'"
After Hyatt found her, Hill was taken to a nearby hospital, where she was named Mary Grace. She was then adopted by Sandi Hill, and given her current name.
RELATED: Woman left in dumpster as a newborn: I forgive my birth mom
Hyatt came to the reunion with two special items in hand — a pin he received for his heroic actions and a photo of him holding baby Mary Grace with her adoptive parents and the nurse who first named her.
The photo is going in a binder filled with clippings that her adoptive parents have held onto all these years and Hyatt also gave Hill the pin, which she hasn't taken off since.
"I could not thank him enough," Hill said. "He gave me a chance to live a second life. Because if he didn't find me, I would not be here to help others and show soon-to-be mothers that there are so many options out there and you don't have to throw your baby away."