Baby Box Credited With Saving Abandoned Newborn

A controversial device in Indiana is credited with saving a newborn baby.

The Safe Haven Baby Box is a temperature controlled container that sends an alert to first responders when something heavy is placed inside. It’s meant to be a safe place for parents to surrender an unwanted child.

The box was installed in 2016 and was utilized for the first time last week.

"When this box was installed, we hoped that it would never be used, yet we're thankful that it exists for cases just like the one Tuesday night," said Coolspring Fire Chief Mick Pawlik.

Pawlik found the baby after receiving the alert from the Safe Haven Baby Box. 

“We are grateful that the mother had this option and made this choice, and we remain concerned for her health,” he continued.

According to the La Porte Country Sherriff the baby is in good condition.

Under Indiana’s Safe Haven Infant Protection Act, parents are allowed to surrender their children to hospitals, police and fire stations without criminal prosecution within 30 days of the baby’s birth.

Safe Haven Baby Box  advocates say the box goes the extra step by removing any potential embarrassment from face-to-face interaction.

According to the Safe Haven Baby Box website, the program first helps moms find pregnancy crisis centers, counselors and recommends Safe Haven Baby Boxes as a “last resort.”

Pro-life advocate Monica Kelsey, the box’s founder, was abandoned by her mother just two hours after she was born. 

"Even though abortion was illegal, my birth mother had still succumbed to the pressure of being pregnant, unwed, and carrying a child conceived through rape," she explained to CBN News.

"And at the advice of her mother, which would be my biological grandmother, she found herself in a back alley abortion clinic," Kelsey added.

But Kelsey's mother refused to go through with the abortion. 

Kelsey said she has always had the desire to help mothers in similar situations.

Critics say the boxes lessen the chances of the mother seeking medical attention.