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Newborns are left to die by mothers who believe, for whatever reason, that
they have no other alternative. Infants are being abandoned across the United States in
canals, toilets, dumpsters, rivers, bags and other hazardous places. Many
do not survive. The Florida
Legislation passed a state law in July 2000 which provides a mother, who
might otherwise abandon her baby, with an alternative—she may leave her
unharmed newborn, up to 3 days old, at a hospital emergency room, fire or
EMS station, anonymously, and free from the fear of prosecution.
Yes, the law is passed but almost no one knew the law existed. So, The Gloria M. Silverio Foundation, a 501(c) 3 Florida
charitable organization has been created and our first project is to draw
attention to “A Safe Haven for Newborns.”
Everyone associated with the organization is a volunteer.
While no one fully understands why a
person would endanger a vulnerable infant, two common denominators present
themselves—isolation and denial. Mothers
(and fathers) who abandon a newborn infant often believe that they are
utterly and completely alone. Living
in this isolation they are left to wrestle with problems that they are not
psychologically or emotionally equipped to handle.
No one knows for sure how many babies are dying hidden, far from
people who would provide love and care.
The accepted stereotype of a person
who abandons a newborn infant is that of a teenage, underprivileged
mother. However, research
indicates that this is a tragedy that crosses all categories of age,
ethnicity, and socioeconomic status.
This tragedy affects all of us.
In Orange County, a young teenage girl gave birth secretly on New
Year’s Eve and then abandoned her baby in a neighbor’s boat.
Sadly, the baby did not survive.
Recently, in Brevard County police dug up the body of a newborn
after a 15-year-old girl told them she gave birth to a stillborn daughter
and buried her in the backyard. In
Monroe County, a newborn girl was found dead, with the umbilical cord
still attached, in a Key West hotel by a security guard doing his rounds. Now these girls’ lives have been changed forever.
I would like to believe that if they knew about “Safe Haven”
law, they would have exercised that option.
Obviously the bills are not the final
answer to the social problems contributing to the cause of infant
abandonment, but they provide a compassionate approach to saving the lives
of innocent and helpless babies. This law is a positive situation for all involved; a
child’s life is saved; a mother or father is saved from a lifetime of
guilt and anguish’ the hopes of a family waiting for adoption can be
fulfilled.
The Safe Haven for Newborns is
committed to saving and preserving lives.
Some of our statewide efforts to date include:
·
A
24-hour toll-free multi-lingual help line is available with a statewide
database which includes: All Fire Rescue, Hospitals, EMS, Licensed Social
Services Agencies, etc in the State.
·
A
30-second Public Service
Announcement video available in English, Spanish and Creole
·
Ten
billboards are posted throughout the state
·
An
active media awareness campaign
·
Establishment
of an Advisory Board
·
Numerous
presentations have been conducted in public and private sectors
·
Production
and distribution of posters, flyers in English, Spanish and Creole
·
Production
of an educational video targeting teenagers and young adults, to be
distributed to all middle schools, high schools, colleges, hospitals, fire
rescue, EMS, health organizations, law enforcement, religious and civic
organizations
·
Established
Safe Haven for Newborns Chapters in 35 counties with all 67 counties
targeted by 2003
·
Informational
Website: www.asafehavenfornewborns.com
Since the law was enacted and we began
our public awareness campaign, more than a dozen babies have been saved
either by the spirit of the law or the letter of the law.
The public awareness campaign is working by more needs to be done.
Working together in your community we will continue to saves lives
by:
·
Distributing
“Safe Haven” materials
·
Contacting
the media
·
Training/Education
Programs Division Chief Lars
White, City of Oviedo, has developed a “Safe Haven” Power Point
presentation, which is available to you.
Contact him at (407)977-6101 or by email at lwhite@ci.oviedo.fl.us
. The presentation can be
used for training and to earn required C.E. U.s, subject to your medical
director’s approval.
·
Presentations—as
you conduct various presentations in your community include information
and literature regarding the “Save Haven for Newborns” mission
·
Partnering
with local Safe Haven Chapter in your area.
Many Healthy Start Coalitions are coordinating the Safe Haven
mission. All materials,
videos, and the Power Point presentation are available to your
organization at no cost.
Firefighter Ken Vandermeir received a
newborn baby on October 15, 2002 at 3:00 AM.
It was the last thing he was expecting when he saw a young man
carrying a newborn baby boy. The
young man asked if the station was a “Safe Haven” and handed the baby
over to Vandermeir. Vandermeir
checked the baby’s airway and his vital signs.
Based on this experience, Firefighter Vandermeir has developed a
Newborn Comfort Pac, to be used by all Emergency Medical Service
providers. Ken can be
contacted at sales@firstcarekits.com or on the web at www.firstcarekits.com
.
For
more information about
“A Safe Haven For Newborns”
contact
:
Nick
E. Silverio, Founder
(305)882-1304,
Ext 103
Fax:
(05)889-0017
Email: safehaven@asafehavenfornewborns.com
Website:
www.asafehavenfornewborns.com
24/7
multi-lingual help line: 1-877-767-2229
Mailing
Address:
The
Gloria M. Silverio Foundation, “A Safe Haven for Newborns”
6801
N. W. 77th Avenue, suite 404
Miami,
Florida 33166
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