The founder of an organization helping mothers surrender their babies spoke out after a baby found its forever home.
On May 27, just after midnight, a mother gave her newborn son to the first Safe Haven Baby Box, which was installed on Feb. 17 in Knoxville, Tennessee, according to WBIR Channel 10.
Monica Kelsey, the founder of the organization, spoke to WBIR Channel 10 about her mission “to prevent illegal abandonment,” according to the organization’s website. She also expressed her empathy for the mothers in need, stating, “It’s not that they don’t love their child.”
“They’re just in a crisis that you and I may never understand,” she explained. “For this parent to utilize this box, 99 days after this box went into service, I think speaks volumes about the box being in the right place at the right time and Knoxville definitely needing this last resort option.”
Furthermore, Kelsey provided an update about the baby boy whereabouts more than two weeks later.
“That baby is healthy and it’s going to live a beautiful life with an adoptive family. He has been placed with his forever family and the adoption process is underway,” she shared.
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♬ original sound – Monica Kelsey
According to the organization’s website,”Baby Boxes has referred over 500 women to crisis pregnancy centers, assisted in nine adoption referrals, and have had over 120 legal Safe Haven surrenders.”
“The child was not injured and was quickly removed from the box for further evaluation. The station crew called for an ambulance to transport the child to the hospital,” Asst. Chief Mark Wilbanks told the outlet.
The newborn was one of 10 babies surrendered in 2023 at the Safe Haven Baby Boxes in 2023, per 10 News.
“We’re only halfway through the year,” Kelsey shared. “But, we also have you more baby boxes out there and multiple states so they’re more available in different places in the country.”
