Mother gives hours-old baby girl to California firefighters

[Haole Girl]

Source: cnn.com

Mother gives hours-old baby girl to California firefighters

By the CNN Wire Staff

December 26, 2010 9:33 a.m. EST

CNN) -- A 27-year-old mother surrendered her baby girl to firefighters in Los Angeles on Christmas Eve, authorities said Saturday.

She told firefighters at Fire Station 46 that the newborn was just 6 hours old. The firefighters accepted the girl, wrapping her in a blanket. She was healthy and did not appear to have been neglected or abused.

Firefighters named the newborn Noel, in honor of the Christmas holiday, said Los Angeles Fire Department spokesman Erik Scott.

"We are happy to state that our last report was that the infant was very healthy, and we are moved that this potentially tragic incident had a pleasant outcome," he said. "There was a sense of relief."

Read more: http://www.cnn.com/2010/US/12/25/california.baby.surrendered/index.html

---

How sad. I wonder how the identification bracelets work... in case either the mother or child wishes to find the other later (?).

:cry:

[Skittles]

1. I hope the mother gets the help she needs

kudos to her for caring enough to make a heartbreaking choice

[wakeoftheflood]

10. Safe Haven law

Most states have some sort of "safe haven" law. Drop off at a fire station, ER or police station with no questions asked. This is only news worthy because it happened on xmas eve.

[CaliforniaPeggy]

2. Somehow, I don't see this as sad at all.

Those babies are normally abandoned, and left to die. This is much better. I wish more new moms who don't want their babies (for whatever reason) would do this.

[Haole Girl]

3. It is sad when a mother cannot be with her child...

if she wanted to, but couldn't afford to...

if she had postpartum depression, but didn't get the help she needed...

for the baby who will someday find out she was left by her own mother on Christmas Eve.

It is sad.

Yes, it could have been worse...

but it doesn't take away how horrible this is.

[thereismore]

17. Not ideal, but the child can grow up to be a great human being. I hope. nt

[pnorman]

9. Here's how that article ended:

"In California, a parent or legal guardian can surrender a newborn at fire stations and hospital emergency rooms with no fear of arrest. The law is meant to protect infants from being hurt, neglected or killed."

This provision of California law is brand new to me. Like all others here, I too would further details, but it's nice to know that it was the best possible outcome. And Noel will have a LOT of uncle (and possibly aunts) over at that fire station!

[CaliforniaPeggy]

11. California has had this law for several years, at least...

This is the first time I've heard of a new mom turning over her child.

But I've heard many times of newborns being found dead, and the mom being arrested once she is found...

Turning over your child is greatly preferable to killing it.

[DeadEyeDyck]

12. they are alive and have a chance

[AnneD]

23. We call it the Moses Law...

here in Texas.

When you try to criminalize legal abortion, are parsimonious with aid to poor women and children or poor families, denigrate women and their rolls in society, what else can you expect.

[Rhiannon12866]

4. Very sad, but a much better outcome than most of these stories.

Kudos to this young mother for having the courage to do the right thing. ;(

[TheDebbieDee]

5. I too, am glad that this mother gave her baby a chance to be loved

and nurtured by a loving, nurturing adult......I know that sounds corny but I don't care!

[alex cross]

6. STATE APPROVED BABY DROP OFF LOCATIONS

Arizona Baby Drop Off Laws
In Arizona, parents can leave a baby, up to 3 days old, with an on-duty staff member at any hospital, emergency medical service provider, fire station or with any licensed private child welfare agency, licensed adoption agency or any church.

http://www.babydropoff.com/2010/01/arizona-baby-drop-off-laws.html

And both here in Arizona and elsewhere it was the xian taliban fundies who pushed for such laws to justify their anti-woman, anti-choice, anti-abortion stance.

If a womans right to chose was safe, accessible and affordable this type of atrocity wouldn't need to exist.

[truthisfreedom]

7. I'm not sure if it's an atrocity. I went through an abortion years ago and at the clinic, a poor

girl was desperate for an abortion but she and her boyfriend couldn't afford it. She only had a few days left before it would be too late, and she didn't know what to do. Talk about distraught. With this option, there's a baby for someone who wants to adopt. It's all good. Eliminating the right to abortion is wrong, but adding the drop-off option is right. What if a girl carries a baby full-term believing that the father will be there to support her, but he dumps her and runs off at the last minute? Think about all of the possibilities before you suggest that there's something innately wrong with having more options for improving the situation for unwanted children.

[toastbutter]

8. I totally agree

These are good laws. They give people the confidence that they can turn over a newborn "no questions asked" and not face any sort of penalty. It saves lives.

[Le Taz Hot]

15. This is California.

A woman's right to CHOOSE a safe, accessible and affordable abortion has been available since 1973. I'm sorry you see this as a cynical thing but those of us who have been around for awhile have heard too many heartbreaking stories about babies found in trashcans or otherwise abandoned. We don't know why she didn't CHOOSE abortion or traditional adoption. What she did do was CHOOSE to ensure her baby was healthy and well taken care of.

[PavePusher]

24. Your definition of "atrocity" is far to broad.

I suggest you do some remedial reading and thinking.

[tavalon]

13. Safe Haven law

It's a good thing.

[Le Taz Hot]

14. That is EXACTLY the way this is supposed to work!

Mother (physically) healthy, child healthy and, most importantly, on her way to a family who can provide for her. ALL states should have this provision.

[Dash87]

16. That's good. At least the baby can have a chance at life now.

[Daemonaquila]

18. Not news, and NOT SAD.

I sure wish news outlets would stop reporting about kids being left at safe havens, and that people would quit re-posting the stories elsewhere. It's just NOT NEWS. These laws standardize procedures and legal requirements for what is supposed to be a fairly infrequent but routine parental choice. Part of the concept "safe haven" should be that the drop-off ISN'T made into news, especially headline news, and kept going for days on end. People who drop their kids off deserve privacy. Someday, if and when the kid grows up and find out, he or she also deserves not to see his/her birth story played out in all its gossipy and judgmental "glory" in a slew of articles. As for everyone else, someone dropping off a child has neither individual nor social importance - it's none of their business. The laws should include a provision banning any government employee from holding a press conference, commenting to the media, etc. in these situations.

As for all the people who say "It's so sad," or "What a pity the mother and child can't be together," just stop it. To you, personally, it might be sad if you made the same choice. To others (whether they drop off a child or just abort) it's not sad. It's not a pity that the mother isn't bringing up the child. It's more often a relief, a blessing, and a good decision for all ACTUALLY CONCERNED not to be burdened with a(nother) child. It's time society recognized that.

[Iggo]

20. It is of social importance. And that makes it everyone's business.

It certainly IS of social importance to spread the story that everything worked how it was supposed to work. Beats finding dead babies in trash cans, don't it?

It's sad, and yes, it's a pity, that it came to the point where the mother decided she had to give up the baby. I hope she made the right decision and I hope they're both better off because of it.

But people who may be considering doing the wrong thing need to hear stories about someone doing the right thing.

[Iggo]

19. Heartbreaking.

But my hope is that Mom and Baby both have a chance at a better life now.

[Irishonly]

21. I am thankful the baby is safe

I didn't read the whole article but I am struck by the unselfish love of the birth mother. She made a choice and gave her daughter a chance. We have too many times read of a baby being put in the trash.

[robcon]

22. Happy ending... I hope the baby gets adopted soon.

n/t