Canadian dad views dumpster where he rescued a newborn that is his own child! (photo, D.Makowichuk, QMI Agency)
Two newborns were cruelly put into plastic bags and then thrown into dumpsters this week by their own mothers. Both were miraculously discovered and are being treated in hospital.
Lesson: if you’re walking near a dumpster and think you hear an infant crying–don’t hesitate to investigate.
On Tuesday, in Calgary, Ontario, a 30-year-old man returning to his condo to check on his ailing 29-year-old girlfriend heard a passersby said, ‘I think I hear a baby in the dumpster.” He jumped into action, pulled out a bag of trash and uncovered a hypothermic newborn inside with an umbilical cord still attached.
Later on that evening he was told the child he had saved was HIS OWN, trashed approximately 2 hours after birth! The man, still unnamed, wants to raise the child.
His girlfriend (also unnamed) claims she was unaware of her pregnancy, and is scheduled for psychiatric assessment– facing charges of attempted murder, failing to provide the necessities of life and child abandonment.
Three days later, another newborn –weighing 7 lbs. 10 oz.– was rescued from the trash by a janitorial team working at an apartment complex in Emporia, Kansas. The child had been born merely 30 minutes prior to being thrown in a dumpster, and was rescued LUCKILY before the trash was collected that day.
Police have questioned the mother, 24-year-old Christine Devine and have taken her for medical attention. UPDATE, Oct.25: She was charged today with attempted intentional first-degree murder. According to court documents, she told police she had been raped and couldn’t identify the baby’s father. UPDATE, Nov. 5: more details UPDATE, Nov.17,2010: the trial is set for Jan, 2012.
Reports of this tragedy mention the existence of our Kansas 2007 safe haven law that was intended to prevent such tragedies.
Kansas enacted such a “newborn infant protection act” that allows infants up to 45 days old to be anonymously deposited at any fire department, medical facility or health department. Those who abandon the child are not charged with neglect and the SRS department takes custody of the child.
Ironically, Attorney General Six’s website announced a stepped up effort to publicize this safe haven option just six weeks ago. No details were given on how greater awareness was to be achieved.
AND THE LESSON IS: If you are passing near a dumpster these days and think you hear an infant crying – you probably do!
So don’t hesitate, check it out, you could save a little one’s life.
But what SAD times!
This is very bad act of humanity. I strongly agree with Paul. Saving infants is really a good act.