Firefighter Adopts Newborn Left In Safe Haven Baby Box

Goodness still thrives in the world of bad, atleast that is what a firefighter from Ocala, Florida has proved. The firefighter adopted a child, who he found in Safe Haven Baby Box at the station. 

The firefighter to protect his family's privacy chose to stay anonymous and revealed his story. The firefighter narrated his story to TODAY.com. In the report by Rachel Paula Abrahamson, he said that the baby was found in January during an overnight shift at the station. He was awoken at 2 a.m. by an alarm. He recognised that the alert was from the building’s Safe Haven Baby Box. The box allows an individual to anonymously surrender a child with no questions asked. On opening the box he found a newborn covered in a pink blanket. Today, that infant is 5 months old and became his daughter. 

Florida Fire Fighter Adopts Baby

The report quoted the firefighter saying, "To be honest, I thought it was a false alarm. She had a little bottle with her and she was just chilling. I picked her up and held her. We locked eyes, and that was it. I’ve loved her ever since that moment.”

Given the backstory, the couple was trying to conceive a baby for more than a decade. The child was found on January 2, on January 4 she was home with the firefighter and his spouse and adopted the child in April, naming her Zoey. The firefighter wrote a note and left it with Zoey and explained his situation on having a child. In the note he also mentioned that they "completed all of the necessary classes in the state of Florida and were registered to adopt too, All we needed was a child". 

The firefighter also revealed the reason to share this story. He hopes that it will give Zoey’s biological mother closure.

The initiative Safe Haven Baby Boxes founded by Monica Kelsey has worked well. The United States has 148 Safe Haven Baby Boxes and so far 31 babies have been safely surrendered, as per the website. The box is basically a device wherein the temperature is controlled and has a bassinet-style bed.

In India, every now and then there is news of a newborn being found or killed and the numbers are just increasing. As per a report, India abandoned 6,459 babies between 2016 and 2020. The activist has also raised alarm over the abandonment of kids and the need for awareness of the safe surrender. If something to 'Safe Haven Baby Boxes' is installed in India, it could make a difference in the growing numbers. 

Suggested Reading: Actors Tanvi Thakkar And Aaditya Kapadia Welcome Their First Child