A photo showing the tearful joy of two Toronto dads embracing their newborn boy has become a social media sensation.

The photo by Gananoque, Ont., photographer Lindsay Foster shows BJ Barone and Frank Nelson holding son Milo, born to a surrogate, for the first time. The two dads are shirtless, making skin-to-skin contact with the baby shortly after he was born — something said to be beneficial to newborns.

The photo has earned at least 41,000 likes on Facebook.

Nelson told CBC News that the response to the photo has been overwhelming.

"Anyone who has any doubt in their mind that two fathers could love a kid as much as a man and a woman or whoever else … maybe that photo says something to them and they saw the love, and that love transcends everything."

The baby was born last Friday, during Toronto's World Pride celebration, to a surrogate mother not related to the couple.

Barone and Nelson are considering starting a blog to share Milo's milestones with his many fans.