A infant was submitted to the only Safe Haven Baby Box in Florida. It was the first time a baby had been placed within the device since it was installed in 2020.
In a press statement issued on January 5, Ocala Fire Rescue announced “the delivery of the department’s first surrendered newborn.”
During a press conference held the same day in Ocala, some 80 miles northwest of Orlando, Fire Chief Clint Welborn announced that the baby had been safely retrieved and transferred to the hospital. The newborn will be placed with a family for adoption.
Monica Kelsey, the founder of Safe Haven Baby Boxes, also revealed that this was the 23rd newborn lawfully surrendered in one of their boxes. She also contacted the individual who had surrendered the newborn.
“The first thing we want to do is address the parents who properly surrendered this infant. And right now, I’m going to talk to her or him directly,” she explained. “Thank you so much. Thank you for protecting your child. Thank you for bringing your child to a location you knew would look after him or her. And thanks for doing what you thought was best.”
“I’m sure this was not an easy option to choose,” she added, “but I want you to know that we’re celebrating you today because I hope you find peace in knowing that your kid is safe, your child is healthy, and your child will be placed with a pair of adoptive parents, if it hasn’t already.”
“So know that the process worked, and I want you to be at peace with your decision,” she continued. They did not reveal the newborn’s gender or when he or she was surrendered. During the press conference, Kelsey stated that once the kid is relinquished and the door is locked, it sends “an immediate signal” and firefighters are notified.
“The average time for infants in our boxes is right around a minute and a half,” she calculated.
Ocala Fire Rescue was the first in the state to introduce a Safe Haven Baby Box in December 2020. The gadget “legally allows a mother in difficulty to surrender a newborn who cannot be cared for in a safe, secure, and anonymous manner.”
According to the Safe Haven Baby Box website, there are currently 134 active baby boxes in the United States, with the first baby surrendered in 2017, the same year the organization was created. The gadgets are temperature controlled and have an easy-to-retrieve basinet-style bed inside.
“We are so proud of this wonderful mom who has lovingly sacrificed their newborn via a Baby Box during the holiday!” Kelsey added in a statement to NBC station WESH. We are extremely grateful that this community was ready for this crisis. We are confident that this baby will be adored by an adopted family, and we are honored to play a role in preventing infants from abandonment.
