Teen Mows Lawns And Scraps Metal For Months To Save $10k And Finance A Baby Box, Which Already Saved 15 Lives
You might be familiar with the phrase “nothing is more precious than life.” It truly is a gift to be able to grow up, learn, make something of ourselves, and eventually grow old. But we must remember that this gift is only given to us by our parents, who sometimes go through the most difficult choices whilst trying to sort out their own lives.
Parenthood or the news of pregnancy is not a joyful moment for some, especially when it is unplanned, unprepared for, or forced upon someone without consent. Further choices become critical, not to one life, but multiple. and the impact on potential futures cannot be understated. But what are the options available for those unprepared or incapable to care for their children?
This is a story of one person’s kindness that will potentially save dozens of lives in the years to come. It is an inspiration to us all, a light in this heavy topic. But what we shall look at are the broader issues: why are babies being abandoned, what can we do to help, and how can we become part of the silver lining in all of this? Let’s get into it!
More info: Safe Haven Baby Boxes
Safe Haven Baby Boxes—a nonprofit organization aimed at helping mothers in need
Image credits: Safe Haven Baby Boxes
Safe Haven Baby Boxes is a nonprofit organization founded by Monica Kelsey, is meant to prevent the abandonment of newborns by giving desperate mothers a place to safely leave their children without having to be seen. They also install safety drawers, which work similarly to the boxes, and run a 24-hour hotline for mothers in crisis. The nonprofit says there have been no dead abandoned infants in Indiana since the state’s first box was installed in 2016.
Hunter Wart worked tirelessly for a year to raise money for a baby box
Image credits: Safe Haven Baby Boxes
Hunter Wart was a 19-year-old teen at the time when he spent over a year trying to raise enough money for a baby drop-off box. As reported by CNN, Hunter was a junior at Columbus North High School, Indiana, when he decided to raise $10,000 for a Safe Haven Baby Box as a part of his senior project. His mother revealed that it was a lot of hard work. He was mowing lawns and scrapping metal for months, and his hard work finally paid off when the Safe Haven Baby Box was installed for the Seymour Fire Department.
Soon after its installation, a baby girl was left inside
Image credits: Safe Haven Baby Boxes
Not too long after its installation, a newborn was left inside. A healthy baby girl, estimated to be an hour old at time of dropoff, was safely surrendered in the box, immediately alerting firefighters to the infant’s presence. Chief Brad Lucas told CNN how ecstatic they were that the box was used, how “it worked perfectly, exactly how it was designed.” He continued to say that this was the choice they wanted to provide the mothers, and the opportunity to provide a future for the children.
Firefighters took care of the girl until an ambulance arrived to take her to the hospital
Image credits: Safe Haven Baby Boxes
The firefighters immediately provided care to the infant until an ambulance could take her to a hospital. Officials revealed that the baby girl was to be in custody of state child services workers once she was released from the hospital.
Mayor Matt Nicholson, who also got the news about the baby that Thursday afternoon in January 2020, said all he could do was smile and shed a tear thinking about the fact that somebody did exactly what they needed to do and didn’t leave their baby in a worse situation.
He said: “it’s a lifetime of difference in my mind. This child has a chance to go out and grow up and be a part of the world with a caring family.” Both the Chief and Mayor commended the unidentified mother for making the right choice and leaving the child in the Safe Haven Baby Box rather than abandoning her in unsafe conditions.
Hunter, praised for his hard work, asks for the girl to be named “Baby Mia”
Image credits: CNN
Hunter was honored for his hard work at a press conference and presented him with a lapel pin as a token of appreciation. The teenager asked for one thing in return—to name the saved infant Baby Mia. She’s been referred to as “Baby Mia” in news reports ever since. Hunter is hopeful that one day she will see the story of how she was safely surrendered in the Safe Haven Baby Box he raised money for and will find him online.
Monica Kelsey, founder of Safe Haven Baby Boxes, states that the initiative has helped prevent unnecessary deaths
Image credits: Safe Haven Baby Boxes
The founder of Safe Haven Baby Boxes, who was abandoned as an infant herself, said around two to three abandoned babies died every year in Indiana before the initiative was launched.
According to Monica, the state has had no abandoned babies die since then. She told CNN, “these babies were left in trash cans and dumpsters. One was left at the door of a hospital. That baby had frozen to death before he was found.” But she hopes that Baby Mia is going to grow up knowing how much her birth mom loved her.
At the point of writing this article, there have been 15 babies surrendered to Baby Boxes, and nationwide, over 100 surrenders have resulted from calls to the Safe Haven Baby Boxes national hotline.
Let’s look at the bigger picture: why these boxes are needed in the first place
Image credits: Safe Haven Baby Boxes
As heartwarming this story is, we must look at the bigger picture around infant abandonment, as it is as much about reproductive rights, sex education, and socio-economic concerns.
According to KFF, or Kaiser Family Foundation, The United States prohibits federal funding of abortions in most cases and “in many states hundreds of thousands of women seeking abortion services annually are left without coverage options—even when they are victims of rape or incest or if the pregnancy is determined to be a threat to their health.” Hence, abortions have long been out of reach for many low-income women, yet the costs of having the child might be even more difficult to come up with.
As men prepare spaces for new baby boxes, there are those that protest them
Image credits: Safe Haven Baby Boxes
Let alone, the stigma surrounding abortions as a whole and even the negative connotations surrounding Baby Boxes.
According to BBC, fathers’ rights groups say they allow only one parent to make the decision. And the UN has opposed their use in other parts of the world, calling for countries to offer more family planning and other support to address the root causes of abandonments, such as poverty, instead.
Those are fair points, but we can’t overlook the psychological and social aspects that drive neonaticide—the deliberate act of a parent murdering their own child during the first 24 hours of life.
Psychological and social aspects that drive neonaticide: “a sad irony”
Image credits: Safe Haven Baby Boxes
Cheryl Meyer, an associate dean of the Wright State School of Professional Psychology in Ohio, interviewed women in prison for neonaticide and asked them why they didn’t have an abortion, and many said it was because they didn’t believe in it. “There is a sad irony there,” Cheryl adds.
However, if we look at what psychiatrists say, it is a well-recognized phenomenon that people disconnect and dissociate with anything traumatic. According to Dr. Shabehram Lohrasbe, there are cases where people give birth to fully developed infants and had no idea they were pregnant. She states that when we are under enormous stress, even if we don’t have an overt mental disorder, we tend to have odd lapses in judgment.
We can support Safe Haven Baby Boxes and their mission through volunteering and donations
Image credits: Safe Haven Baby Boxes
Regardless of the negativity, the facts are plain as day: Baby Boxes help save the lives that would otherwise be abandoned in potentially unsafe conditions.
Safe Haven Baby Boxes says its team is working with schools and youth groups to spread awareness, so that young women know their options if they ever find themselves in this unyielding situation.
What can we do to support the cause? We can donate to them directly via this link or here.
We can all make a difference but compassion is key
Image credits: Safe Haven Baby Boxes
It seems obvious that more needs to be done to prevent an unwanted birth from happening in the first place, and having safe, legal abortion and contraception options available to all women has been a major step to helping the situation.
The reality of the situation is more complex than it first meets the eye, but we need to build a shared understanding and compassion for it if we ever want the situation to improve. Just like Hunter, we can all make a difference if we believe that there is nothing more.
People are commenting their feelings on the story, most feeling sadness for both the babies and the mothers
Others are angry and are questioning anti-abortion groups
Finally, we can agree that the baby boxes are here to stay as a no-shame option for all women
This is one of those "seems like a heartwarming story but is really evidence we live in a dystopian nightmare" stories?
Also evidence that in the dystopian nightmare, we can and will make things better somehow
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Lots of women unexpectedly pregnant and/or not able to care for the child afterwards (or don't want the child to grow up in an abusive situation) nevertheless don't like the idea of an abortion. This gives more options.
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Why in the world is a teenager having to do this in the first place? I thought the RED states were all about protecting the sanctity of life and providing all the care unwanted children needed from cradle to grave...
Just conception to birth. Pull yourself up by your bootlaces after that.
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it's legal to give up a child in most states no questionsasked until 6 weeks i believe. Every fire department is a viable option and has been a safe haven for years. Sadly most people don't know that. They think they will get in trouble for realizing they cannot parent a child. These are an amazing investment and invention with an amazing purpose. Just imagine how many lives could have been improved if their parents admitted they couldn't do it rather than abuse and neglect them. Myself included (I was supposed to be adopted out to a wealthy family. My teen mom changed her mind and was a horrible parent. The man who would have been my father ended up being my insurance broker later in life.)
those that oppose baby boxes prove that they aren't 'pro-life' in any sense. those that oppose also tend to be anti-abortion as well. those fathers who oppose them makes me wonder just how involved they were with the mom before & after birth as if they were involved then perhaps mom would have agreed to give custody to dad. as for safe sex/preventative measures-maybe the same people need to get over the thought that teaching such things doesn't mean that boys/girls will be having sex at every opportunity. when my sons were in school any time sex education was offered parents were sent a permission slip in order to allow them to intend. i would ask them if any kids were prevented & told there were always a few& those has told him that their parents wanted to teach them. well, did they? one of the biggest injustices we do is not teaching our children the power of sex. it's not just mental/emotional; it's a physical response/instinct that goes along w/hormones. good for this kid!
Yeah, someone how I doubt that if the father was that involved to begin with, the woman would be making the choice to put the baby in safe box. Or maybe the father might be one of the reasons the woman is surrendering the child: imagine a girl/woman trying to escape an abusive relationship. That baby could tie her to her abuser forever, and since proving and convicting an abuser is so difficult, she could be risking having to allow the abusive father custody! Even if she wanted her baby, she might have to choose to give it up to protect both of them from an abusive ex. I also agree that those who claim to be pro-life tend to also oppose all the things that would help prevent unwanted pregnancy to begin with. You can't have abstinence-only sex ed, no access to contraception, no access to abortion, no paid parental leave, no affordable childcare, AND no safe baby boxes. Like, you may pick ONE to be against, and then support the hell out of all the other things.
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in the current climate in the US, good lad for helping. However, for fecks sake, this shouldn't be needed.
What an incredible young man, to raise money for those defenseless children. He deserves a medal.
No access to free brithcontrol or abortion, no medical converage for birhts, no money for mother and baby and a teenager has to scrape the money together for a baby box. Yet another post about the wolrd's largest banana republic.
Why is a teenager funding this? That shouldn't be necessary. In other, unrelated snippets of information no one asked for, my big brother lives in Indiana - the traitor
New Mexico has a Safe Haven for Infants law. A parent can surrender an infant less than 90 days old at a police station, fire station or hospital. If the infant has not been harmed, the parent(s) will not be punished. Please check your state's laws if you need a similar service.
Hold it let me get this right, the US, a first world nation, are building little boxes for mothers to put their unwanted children in, and you all think this is good. No this is f'd up, this is a service that should not be needed. How about doing more to help preventing unwanted pregnancy; supporting mothers in needed; sex education.
I've actually seen these boxes in alberta. I'm happy lives are being saved, but this still breaks my heart for those who have to make that agonizing choice.
this is great and all, but why did it take a teen busting his a$$ to make it happen? why didn't the city just install the baby box? stuff like this, the kid or teen is always held up as a hard-working hero, but they're doing something that the adults with all the money should've done in the first place.
This is why we need an abortion option. You literally cause people pain by taking away their right to a safe abortion.
Not all people who hand in their babies believe in abortion. They make the choice to give a childless family a chance at being parents
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I understand why people would automatically think mothers are using these boxes (and don't get me wrong, I think this is an excellent service), but I'd imagine there are some couples using them too. Imagine being broke, or homeless, or unable to care for a newborn. An awful situation to be in, but at least those who need the service can take a sliver of comfort in knowing the baby is safe and cared for.
Personally, I would like to see the age that children can be turned over without a legal or financial penalty, up to adulthood. Maybe some of these people who think their child is possessed, or if the child has a condition that they discover they do not have the fortitude to provide care for, or if they just don't want to do it anymore, or they have been forced to be a guardian or single parent or whatever. There are so many cases that just break my heart where maybe if the parent could have just handed the child or baby over without the threat of consequences that the child wouldn't have ended up dead.
a south korean priest has something like this. I forgot his name but he's done for a while now.
This is similar to what I'd like to do with my life someday: take in those who would otherwise be hurt, threatened, judged, etc. I want to save lives of mothers and babies everywhere. It'll probably be a while until I can do that, but I can still dream and plan.
It is very sad that women feel less judgement from having the child and disposing of it then preventing it from happening in the first place, but many come from religious backgrounds where it is murder to prevent birth but not putting a child in the bushes (garbage, or where ever). Or they were raised believing it’s wrong to kill an baby in womb (hence the many billboards). No matter the reason we need to be addressing options, steps, precautions to sexual behavior and making sure all options are available without judgement, then maybe we would have less children put into a terrible system, as a ward of the state. Left to foster care where many children reside waiting for placement. But until that happens it is awesome that more options are becoming available to any woman caught in that awful position! Awesome to see caring people who make a difference, for with out them, this would be a harsh cold world!!
Regardless of all the reasons she's pregnant or leaving the child it's about the child being left helpless in a world he/she did not ask to be brought into but now here, thinking feeling, hoping, knowing, on all points alive and aware just as you and I are, in fact exactly like you and I are, I'll go so far as to say they are you and I with but time and space to separate us, but are unable to help themselves, in a world full of me's we should always find help when we need it especially at such a critical time in our lives.
I really like the story, the Fathers’ rights groups have a point, that fathers are treated as second class parents, but I don’t feel like their point applies to the story. In situations where a child is abandoned I doubt the father present or even known. Or worse perhaps the father is abusive.
I'll stuff 2 sisters in there, too. One is 63, one is 60.
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Pro lifers don't care about the child once it is born, more proof. Take some of that energy and put it to something that does help babies.
Fixed the title: “Public forum turns to single individual to start program to collect money for their bare minimum survival.”
Adoption always sounds great on paper but have any of you actually tried to adopt? It's not as easy as it sounds most people don't meet the criteria and have the money needed for legal fees you can become a foster parent but that's not easy either. Imagine raising a child for years only to have the biological family take them back and away from you!
It's so good he did this but I can't believe that the US actually NEEDS this in the 21st Century! This sounds like it belongs in a third world country with no access to family planning/abortions. In my country if a baby is abandoned it makes the national news. This appears to have saved 15 babies in one town/city. Is this really the state of the US now?
This dumb disgusting as f**k s**t wouldn't be necessary if abortions weren't for all intents and purposes illegal in the usa
That's so f****d up that someone needed to raise money to provide what is essentially a recycling bin for babies.
The only smile I got out of this story was at the brief thought of my mum trying to stuff a 14yr old me into one of those with a note round my neck saying 'I can't cope..he doesn't do his homework and god only knows what he's done with all the teaspoons'
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From an adopted child, I'm against abortions unless it has extenuating circumstances, I obviously am very pro adoption and my fiance and I have started thinking about doing just that. These boxes offer a safe place for baby and an out for the mother or honestly the father if left with baby after mother takes off which also does happen. I think these boxes should be at every firehouse/hospital/police station wherever is going to be the best place for the community to put them, and they should be government funded.
Have you any knowledge about the reproductive cycle? The difference between an embryo (unborn clump of cells that haven't done anything besides mitosis yet) and a baby is lots of differentiation. That word is what growing embryos do to specialize the cells. Differentiation tells cells to turn into body bits
Load More Replies... Well it’s really not your business anyway, so pipe down, Chachi.
Load More Replies... This is one of those "seems like a heartwarming story but is really evidence we live in a dystopian nightmare" stories?
Also evidence that in the dystopian nightmare, we can and will make things better somehow
Load More Replies... Lots of women unexpectedly pregnant and/or not able to care for the child afterwards (or don't want the child to grow up in an abusive situation) nevertheless don't like the idea of an abortion. This gives more options.
Load More Replies... Why in the world is a teenager having to do this in the first place? I thought the RED states were all about protecting the sanctity of life and providing all the care unwanted children needed from cradle to grave...
Just conception to birth. Pull yourself up by your bootlaces after that.
Load More Replies... it's legal to give up a child in most states no questionsasked until 6 weeks i believe. Every fire department is a viable option and has been a safe haven for years. Sadly most people don't know that. They think they will get in trouble for realizing they cannot parent a child. These are an amazing investment and invention with an amazing purpose. Just imagine how many lives could have been improved if their parents admitted they couldn't do it rather than abuse and neglect them. Myself included (I was supposed to be adopted out to a wealthy family. My teen mom changed her mind and was a horrible parent. The man who would have been my father ended up being my insurance broker later in life.)
those that oppose baby boxes prove that they aren't 'pro-life' in any sense. those that oppose also tend to be anti-abortion as well. those fathers who oppose them makes me wonder just how involved they were with the mom before & after birth as if they were involved then perhaps mom would have agreed to give custody to dad. as for safe sex/preventative measures-maybe the same people need to get over the thought that teaching such things doesn't mean that boys/girls will be having sex at every opportunity. when my sons were in school any time sex education was offered parents were sent a permission slip in order to allow them to intend. i would ask them if any kids were prevented & told there were always a few& those has told him that their parents wanted to teach them. well, did they? one of the biggest injustices we do is not teaching our children the power of sex. it's not just mental/emotional; it's a physical response/instinct that goes along w/hormones. good for this kid!
Yeah, someone how I doubt that if the father was that involved to begin with, the woman would be making the choice to put the baby in safe box. Or maybe the father might be one of the reasons the woman is surrendering the child: imagine a girl/woman trying to escape an abusive relationship. That baby could tie her to her abuser forever, and since proving and convicting an abuser is so difficult, she could be risking having to allow the abusive father custody! Even if she wanted her baby, she might have to choose to give it up to protect both of them from an abusive ex. I also agree that those who claim to be pro-life tend to also oppose all the things that would help prevent unwanted pregnancy to begin with. You can't have abstinence-only sex ed, no access to contraception, no access to abortion, no paid parental leave, no affordable childcare, AND no safe baby boxes. Like, you may pick ONE to be against, and then support the hell out of all the other things.
Load More Replies... in the current climate in the US, good lad for helping. However, for fecks sake, this shouldn't be needed.
What an incredible young man, to raise money for those defenseless children. He deserves a medal.
No access to free brithcontrol or abortion, no medical converage for birhts, no money for mother and baby and a teenager has to scrape the money together for a baby box. Yet another post about the wolrd's largest banana republic.
Why is a teenager funding this? That shouldn't be necessary. In other, unrelated snippets of information no one asked for, my big brother lives in Indiana - the traitor
New Mexico has a Safe Haven for Infants law. A parent can surrender an infant less than 90 days old at a police station, fire station or hospital. If the infant has not been harmed, the parent(s) will not be punished. Please check your state's laws if you need a similar service.
Hold it let me get this right, the US, a first world nation, are building little boxes for mothers to put their unwanted children in, and you all think this is good. No this is f'd up, this is a service that should not be needed. How about doing more to help preventing unwanted pregnancy; supporting mothers in needed; sex education.
I've actually seen these boxes in alberta. I'm happy lives are being saved, but this still breaks my heart for those who have to make that agonizing choice.
this is great and all, but why did it take a teen busting his a$$ to make it happen? why didn't the city just install the baby box? stuff like this, the kid or teen is always held up as a hard-working hero, but they're doing something that the adults with all the money should've done in the first place.
This is why we need an abortion option. You literally cause people pain by taking away their right to a safe abortion.
Not all people who hand in their babies believe in abortion. They make the choice to give a childless family a chance at being parents
Load More Replies... I understand why people would automatically think mothers are using these boxes (and don't get me wrong, I think this is an excellent service), but I'd imagine there are some couples using them too. Imagine being broke, or homeless, or unable to care for a newborn. An awful situation to be in, but at least those who need the service can take a sliver of comfort in knowing the baby is safe and cared for.
Personally, I would like to see the age that children can be turned over without a legal or financial penalty, up to adulthood. Maybe some of these people who think their child is possessed, or if the child has a condition that they discover they do not have the fortitude to provide care for, or if they just don't want to do it anymore, or they have been forced to be a guardian or single parent or whatever. There are so many cases that just break my heart where maybe if the parent could have just handed the child or baby over without the threat of consequences that the child wouldn't have ended up dead.
a south korean priest has something like this. I forgot his name but he's done for a while now.
This is similar to what I'd like to do with my life someday: take in those who would otherwise be hurt, threatened, judged, etc. I want to save lives of mothers and babies everywhere. It'll probably be a while until I can do that, but I can still dream and plan.
It is very sad that women feel less judgement from having the child and disposing of it then preventing it from happening in the first place, but many come from religious backgrounds where it is murder to prevent birth but not putting a child in the bushes (garbage, or where ever). Or they were raised believing it’s wrong to kill an baby in womb (hence the many billboards). No matter the reason we need to be addressing options, steps, precautions to sexual behavior and making sure all options are available without judgement, then maybe we would have less children put into a terrible system, as a ward of the state. Left to foster care where many children reside waiting for placement. But until that happens it is awesome that more options are becoming available to any woman caught in that awful position! Awesome to see caring people who make a difference, for with out them, this would be a harsh cold world!!
Regardless of all the reasons she's pregnant or leaving the child it's about the child being left helpless in a world he/she did not ask to be brought into but now here, thinking feeling, hoping, knowing, on all points alive and aware just as you and I are, in fact exactly like you and I are, I'll go so far as to say they are you and I with but time and space to separate us, but are unable to help themselves, in a world full of me's we should always find help when we need it especially at such a critical time in our lives.
I really like the story, the Fathers’ rights groups have a point, that fathers are treated as second class parents, but I don’t feel like their point applies to the story. In situations where a child is abandoned I doubt the father present or even known. Or worse perhaps the father is abusive.
I'll stuff 2 sisters in there, too. One is 63, one is 60.
Load More Replies... Pro lifers don't care about the child once it is born, more proof. Take some of that energy and put it to something that does help babies.
Fixed the title: “Public forum turns to single individual to start program to collect money for their bare minimum survival.”
Adoption always sounds great on paper but have any of you actually tried to adopt? It's not as easy as it sounds most people don't meet the criteria and have the money needed for legal fees you can become a foster parent but that's not easy either. Imagine raising a child for years only to have the biological family take them back and away from you!
It's so good he did this but I can't believe that the US actually NEEDS this in the 21st Century! This sounds like it belongs in a third world country with no access to family planning/abortions. In my country if a baby is abandoned it makes the national news. This appears to have saved 15 babies in one town/city. Is this really the state of the US now?
This dumb disgusting as f**k s**t wouldn't be necessary if abortions weren't for all intents and purposes illegal in the usa
That's so f****d up that someone needed to raise money to provide what is essentially a recycling bin for babies.
The only smile I got out of this story was at the brief thought of my mum trying to stuff a 14yr old me into one of those with a note round my neck saying 'I can't cope..he doesn't do his homework and god only knows what he's done with all the teaspoons'
Load More Replies... From an adopted child, I'm against abortions unless it has extenuating circumstances, I obviously am very pro adoption and my fiance and I have started thinking about doing just that. These boxes offer a safe place for baby and an out for the mother or honestly the father if left with baby after mother takes off which also does happen. I think these boxes should be at every firehouse/hospital/police station wherever is going to be the best place for the community to put them, and they should be government funded.
Have you any knowledge about the reproductive cycle? The difference between an embryo (unborn clump of cells that haven't done anything besides mitosis yet) and a baby is lots of differentiation. That word is what growing embryos do to specialize the cells. Differentiation tells cells to turn into body bits
Load More Replies... Well it’s really not your business anyway, so pipe down, Chachi.
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