The Beautiful Adoption Story Behind the Father-Son Duo Taking Over the Internet 1 Outfit Check at a Time
When influencer and editor Darren Graham decided to start the adoption process in 2018, he did so without telling anyone. Now in 2026, he’s best known for making TikTok videos with his son, “Ducky.” On the outside, their story is one of triumph and love. But in a recent interview, Graham detailed the barriers he had to face as a single Black queer man ready to start a family.
On TikTok, he revealed to kept the adoption process a secret. “I did not tell [my] mom. I did not tell sisters. I did not tell best friends. I did not tell colleagues. I did this all by myself.” He added, “I made this huge decision to become a dad all by myself.”
Graham first inquired with a foster agency in New York City, where he lives. The process– which he describes as a relatively quick one– was filled with medical tests, background checks and parenting classes, but it would take years for Graham to meet the baby boy he’d actually adopt.
“I always knew I wanted to be a father, but I also knew I wasn’t going to wait for life to look ‘perfect’ before stepping into it because love doesn’t wait for perfect timing,” he told PEOPLE . “Choosing single fatherhood wasn’t scary, it felt aligned.”
Many could judge his decision to become a single father, but as the product of a loving single mother, Graham said becoming a parent was his purpose.
Still, the process wasn’t as easy as one might expect. As a single Black queer man, Graham told PEOPLE he experienced his own set of barriers. “There were systems to navigate, emotions to process and moments where patience was tested. But every challenge reminded me why I started. It built me into the father I needed to be for him,” Graham said, referring to his son.
He first met Ducky when he was only 2 days old. As a newborn, Ducky weighed 2 pounds, and nurses warned Graham the baby might not make it past 2 weeks. Still, that didn’t stop him from praying and watching over Ducky while he was in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU).
“I turned to the nurse and said ‘I serve a God that created miracles out of thin air and MY SON will receive just that,’” the father shared on TikTok. He continued to visit Ducky every single day until the moment came when he could finally take him home.
“Those first few days were tender, a little overwhelming, but filled with this unspoken understanding,” he continued to PEOPLE. “I was learning him, he was learning me, and somehow, it just felt right.” Graham officially adopted Ducky in 2024.
Now, Ducky and Graham have found their groove, and they share their story through fun lifestyle content online. Graham is a full-time content creator and an editor for WhoWhatWear, whose amassed over 136,000 followers on TikTok and 158,000 on Instagram.
Graham explained to PEOPLE that his job as an influencer doesn’t hinder his relationship with Ducky. That’s why he includes his son in their “Ducky + Dada” series online. “Including Ducky felt natural because he is a part of my journey and me his,” he said. “I also realized there weren’t many VISIBLE stories like ours. Representation matters, especially for Black fathers, for queer families, for adoption. So I leaned into it because I felt like we needed to be a part of this conversation.”
The father-son duo is best known for their outfit checks and vlogs. “And I never force it,” Graham said of including Ducky in videos. “I just let him explore it. Being able to bring him into these spaces and show him he belongs there; that’s everything to me.”
