teen mother of avandoned baby found
By itsjustmeb
@itsjustmeb (1212)
Canada
February 6, 2007 11:22am CST
Teen mother of abandoned Saskatoon baby found
Updated Tue. Feb. 6 2007 12:16 PM ET
CTV.ca News Staff
The mother of a newborn baby girl found abandoned in sub-zero temperatures in Saskatoon is a confused, isolated teenager with no family support, police say.
The 18-year-old abandoned her newborn in sub-zero temperatures on the back step of a house Saturday morning.
Saskatoon police described the mother as a student living on her own, who comes from "a very difficult background" and has no family support in the city.
Police say it appears the woman gave birth by herself in her home Friday night and abandoned the baby on a neighbour's doorstep at sunrise, about six hours later.
She apparently chose a house that had its lights on and where she heard a dog barking, hoping the residents would find the baby quickly.
Ed Anderson found the baby wrapped in a towel and sleeping bag on his doorstep as he headed out to start his vehicle in temperatures that dipped to around -29 C.
He rushed the baby inside and handed her to his wife, a registered nurse, and called 911. Anderson's wife warmed the infant up before emergency workers arrived to take her to hospital.
The baby, a healthy seven-pound girl temporarily named Baby Jane Doe, was treated in hospital and is now in the care of social workers.
The mother, who appears to have hidden her pregnancy, came forward Monday evening, police told reporters at a Tuesday news conference. She was taken to hospital and given care and is in good condition.
There is no decision on whether charges will be laid.
9 people like this
22 responses
@thunderofsins (738)
• United States
6 Feb 07
This is horrible!
People need to be made aware of the laws which will protect them if they feel that they cannot take care of their child. Police stations, fire departments, hospitals, etc. are places that women can take their child and surrender them to a responsible adult without charges of abandonment.
Girls/women also need to be made aware of all the resources (both cheap and free) that are available to them during their pregnancy and to the child once it is born.
There is no excuse for abandoning your child anywhere, especially in this horrible weather. Society needs to do more to prevent these things from happening, it happens WAY too often!
2 people like this
@annepretty (584)
• Philippines
7 Feb 07
Okay i know you wouldnt believe me but i have read on news that sometimes when women are distressed and alone when giving birth they make hasty decisions and could sometimes abandon babies.i have read about it and i believe in it..so i thik when the teen surrenderred is a good thing..it means she was under so much stress and confused when she gave birtha nd when she realized about it,came back and told the truth.
@mom2chriskel (1060)
• United States
7 Feb 07
Oh, I am so glad that the baby is alright. She is 18, she could have found somewhere else to take that baby instead of leaving it in -29 degree weather! The little baby is so lucky to be alive.
@karsted (240)
• Canada
6 Feb 07
I live in Prince Albert,about an hour and a halfs drive from Saskatoon. Was I ever shocked when I opened my morning newspaper, and saw that story. You hear about things happening like this, but usually not in this area. But I guess Saskatoon is turning big city now.
I am not suprised that the situation turned out the way it did , with an 18 year old girl turning herself into the police, and all that. She must have been scared out of her mind. And sometimes when you are that scared, the choices that you make aren't the best. I am glad that she reconized that she needed some sort of help, and I am saddened that that poor young girl felt she had no one to help her along with her problems. It is sad that she had no family support for this, and that she was afraid to go to the authorities. Maybe she knew that the lady living in the home where she dropped off her child was a nurse. It was a nieghbour after all. I think she tried to make the right choices.
I have a 17 yr old son, and as I said before, we live quite close to Saskatoon. I think I would like to meet that girl. I would give her a big hug.
@dreamsncharms (1340)
• United States
7 Feb 07
I just don't understand why these stupid young girls do things like this? even as a teenager I had some form of brains and knew it would be wrong to abaondon a baby. All she had to do was call 911 and if she did not want the baby, she could have adopted it out. What a complete moron this 18 year old woman was to do that.
@Shujakhan (192)
• Pakistan
7 Feb 07
i donot know what to say on this occasion.so i only say that that was a wrong way that lady choosed.and GOD know better that what was thought behind that.may be someting or may be it can be without reason
@krislouiebaby (2347)
• Philippines
7 Feb 07
i feel for the woman and for the baby too,
i think the woman is confused during that time that is why the best thing she did is to leave the baby to have a warm home.
i read that the young woman had a difficult background,and live on her own, thats a pity.
@p3halliwel2005 (3156)
• Philippines
7 Feb 07
Oh my...I got pregnant at the age of 18 but never did I think of abandoning my baby...Teens now are very confused and parents sometimes just leave of where their children are concerned..There should be an awareness in every schoolto tell teens that being a young mom is really difficult but if you have $ex and dont play it safe then expect a baby to come of it.
@brihanna (381)
• United States
7 Feb 07
This girl, I feel did what she thought was the best thing for her baby. How alone and frightened she must have felt, and how guilty.
It is a sad fact,that many girls do this to thier babies, and I am sure many more abandon them, or kill them and no one finds out-ever.
My heart aches when I drive by the police dept. and fire dept. in our town, where there is a big orange sign that says "Baby-Safe Haven" it is an attempt to ensure that these babies are left in a secure place. That the mother will be supported to the best ability of the law.
If I could, I would reach out to both that mother, and her child, and bring her into my own home. It is a sad story, that will change many lives forever.
@Rittings (673)
•
7 Feb 07
That's pretty shocking, but I believe that society is to blame for putting so much pressure on young parents, and let's face it even the parents of the teen would have outside pressure from their "friends".
It's all about what the Jones' and Smiths' think about you because you had a baby so young and out of wedlock.
Ridiculous.
Thanks for the discussion.
Love and Light.
@mssnow (9484)
• United States
7 Feb 07
We all do stupid things in our life that we regret. The mother will remember this for the rest of her life. She should have some consequences as well as some major counseling. Everything happens for a reason and that child will now go to a home where loving people will take care of her.
@keepermykitty (2573)
• Canada
6 Feb 07
Yes I had heard about this this morning. I was so sad for the baby and wondered why the mom would do this. I haven`t seen the update on it yet but will watch it later. I am so glad the baby is alright. Thanx for letting people know the baby is OK.
@vhansen (2029)
• United States
6 Feb 07
It's sad that such things happen but at least this baby was found alive.Clearly the young woman the young woman needs help.I totally understand why she did what she did,it wasn't right,but I understand.My cousin did much the same thing only when she had the baby she backed out of abandening it.Her parents who had a bad marriage and 9 other kids never even noticed,till she walked in with her baby.Luckly that gave them a wake up and they straigtened out,taking her in and adopting the baby.I hope the young woman doesn't get charged and gets help instead.If she doesn't want her baby it should be placed for adoption where it will have a chance at a better life.
@kathy77 (7486)
• Australia
7 Feb 07
Oh it is so sad when new born babies get abondoned by their mothers, but in this case the poor girl had no support from her family. Yes I bet she hoped that they would find the baby in time and luckily the neighbours and the poor girl I do hope that she is not charged as she has been through a lot by herself with her pregnancy.
@czarina0527 (307)
• Philippines
6 Feb 07
my heart is full of depressed when im reading this letter.i got pity on baby jane doe first and got pity too to her mother.
because of hidden pregnancy and has no support from her family she decided that to do that her baby but because of mother's instinct feelings she surrender herself and commit her wrongdoings.
since i am also a parent i know how hard she struggles her life when she's pregnant.i am proud to the mother of baby jane doe because she still think of her baby's condition.she put her baby to her neighborhood who is responsible enough and has the ability to take good care of her daughter.
hope this news would be considered as a lesson to the teenagers nowadays.that it should be aware of unwanted pregnancies and should aware of responsibilities in entering to this kind of situation.
@toots1115 (138)
• United States
7 Feb 07
I don't know how a mother can do that to her baby. I myself am a mother and I could never imagine doing that to my baby. Some women just don't have no heart and don't care about their children. Women that know what they are doing should go somewhere where they can get help. No matter how bad her life was, she could have always found some help.
@flagbabygirl (891)
• United States
6 Feb 07
We have a program here in Arizona, It allows you to drop your baby off at a local Fire department or Hospital, There are no questions asked, and you have no responsibility from that moment on, I live in Flagstaff Arizona, and there is a large College here it is nice to know babies are safe from this here. Many woman have used this site to drop off their babies, free of harm, and free of concequenses, If there were more places like this around the country that baby maybe would not of had to been outside as long as it was...... she could have dropped it off. Instead of making these young woman afraid we should give them options..... All the babies left at these drop off places are adopted out.
