Abandoned baby still listed critical
 

I found the following in the newspaper today. I just can't imagine the state of the mother, or how this child will grow up.

From this story, I don't think this kid has been very lucky: abandoned by his mom, possibly brain damaged by lack of oxygen, and half-frozen, now he'll be dependant on DSS where they'll complete the job.

I really can't imagine the cause that would make someone abandon a newborn like this.

At least, and I do mean at the very least, the mother left the baby on the steps of a church, and not in a dumpster in a back alley. Still...poor kid. :( I hope he comes out O.K. with the lack of oxygen and all. Hell of a way to start out life.

For people like this, who would abandon a child, I really hope there is a hell, because there is a special place for people who would do this.

Most every state has something in effect where if a mother really doesn't want a child, they can leave it with a police station, a hospital, where it will get immediate care.

Just abandoning a child, church or not, where you don't know how long it would take someone to realize it's there, is no different than tossing it in a dumpster.

Malificent,I feel what you are saying completely!but who says she was in a place to make ANY rational decision? I think if in fact you are going to abandon your newborn a church on Martha's vineyard is a fine place to do it,We should be happy that the child survived at all,and that it wasnt left in the obviously incapable hands of its mother.He will be included in my prayers.

What's this child going to survive to?

I hope that this mother is found and they throw the book at her... She gets no sympathy at all.

According to the laws regarding child abandonment, There will be no legal consequences for making this choice either parent can take the baby to :
Hospital, Doctor's Office , Birthing Clinic, Police Station, Sheriff Office, Fire Department, County Health Department

As long as the baby:
is 30 days old or younger,
is handed to a person at one of the above places,
shows no signs of abuse.

All of those I'm sure exist on Martha's Vineyard.

Did she at least ring the doorbell of the church? It wouldn't seem so. She abandoned this child with no regard to the safely of the child, that's no different than tossing it in a dumpster.

Here's another reference, slightly different from the first: link

There's a picture of what I assume is the church involved.

(edit) Doing the web search for the above link, I found one in Salinas California where they caught the mother: link

This happens too much.

Agreed. The question is...why? I sure as hell can't pretend to have a clue.

Another thing is the redundancy. The last story reported a woman giving birth to a baby girl. Last I heard, you can't give birth to an adult girl, so...

Once again,I do agree with you,And the baby gets a second chance at living.They will find her,and she will be punished,thats not even a question.You and I know why these policies are in place,and we understand them.Not everyone does.Not everyone is as mature,or as educated,or as knowing as you.Anyone who makes the call to the leave the baby doesnt have what it takes to care for it,and though she doesnt get my sympathy,I Do understand.

I have an Aunt who used to be a nurse. She quit her job to start taking in foster kids and eventually adopted 5 children. One little girl passed away at about 10 yr old from birth defects that caused her complications.

She now has a little baby who has heart problems from the mother taking drugs during pregnancy. The baby is stabilizing and his heart is growing stronger now.

She has brought so many children through her home and helped them heal from so many hurts physically and emotionally.

I hope someone like her will take in this baby. Hopefully he won't have to be passed around from one home to the next. At least he has a chance at life. It's amazing how quickly an infant can heal - even from the lack of oxygen that this baby suffered. I'm glad she at least left him where he could be found by someone who cared. If only she'd left him in a safer place yet.

But wait, there's MORE (not the same one): link

I'm not sure what to make of this. It sounds like these babies only lived a few minutes. What could the mother have done, really? Taken them out of the toilet, sure, but would that really have helped?

Yes, because they wouldn't have fucking DROWNED! Yeah, they were twin preemes, yeah, maybe they wouldn't have had much of a chance to begin with. But damn, she saw them MOVING. So stick your hand in there and fish out your CHILDREN.

I hate people.

Whoops, missed that bit. I was thinking of the coldness of the water, but neglected to consider the water of the water. Ow.

Yeah, the water part is the real problem :lol:

I really and truly do not understand human nature... What goes thru a person's head? She realized that they were children, and she realized that they were alive? So she puts the lid down and then goes to get someone?

Word, for mother lovin' word, my thoughts and feelings. Well except, maybe, for the last three. I naively maintain a smidgeon of hope for the human race. Why...I don't know. Yeah, I do. Because I have to. :(

Well written, Averett. Well written.

I think this came up in a previous thread as well.. pretty much its the same story over and over.. Most of the time its a teenager, always claiming they never knew they were pregnant..