Newborn safely surrendered to very first Safe Haven Baby Box installed

WOODBURN, Ind. (WPTA/Gray News) – A mother in crisis recently found help in a safe surrender for her healthy baby with the Safe Haven Baby Box in Woodburn, Indiana – home to the very first box installed.

The first box was built at the Woodburn Fire Department in 2016. Since then, more than 260 Safe Haven Baby Boxes have been installed across the country.

“This surrender is extra special. This is where our vision became reality,” Safe Haven Baby Box founder Monica Kelsey said. “We are proud of our community being a leader in change, so that this mother in crisis would have an option of anonymity. It is an honor to have this mother trust us, and we know she loves her baby immensely.”

This is the first baby to be safely surrendered at the location – eight years after the original box was installed.

The Woodburn Fire Department is thankful they were able to help save a life.

“It’s a feeling of excitement, it’s a feeling of pride, and it’s honoring the mission that Safe Haven Baby Boxes have put in place,” Fire Chief Joshua Hale said.

Each baby box has a heating and cooling element to provide comfort to the infant when it’s placed inside. There are also silent alarms to notify first responders immediately to care for the newborn.

“This box worked exactly as it was designed to. The box worked flawlessly. The fire department did exactly what they were trained to do. They had this baby in their arms in a matter of minutes,” Kelsey said.

The babies are then checked by medics and taken to the hospital for further evaluation.

Officials with the Department of Child Services conduct interviews to find a forever home for the newborn.

Kelsey said a full-circle moment like this reminds her why she started in the first place.

“Here we are now eight years later, and I couldn’t be more thankful and more blessed to be the front runner in this movement and for Woodburn, Indiana, to be the community that started it all,” Kelsey said.

Since the program started eight years ago, 19 states have adopted Safe Haven Baby Boxes.

“I had no idea it was going to be this big,” Kelsey said. “To be completely honest, I just wanted to save a few babies in Indiana.”

Safe Haven Baby Boxes offer free medical and counseling resources for the mother should she need them.

If you need help finding a Safe Haven location or would like to speak to a licensed counselor, call the National Safe Haven crisis hotline at 1-866-99BABY1.

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