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Safehaven for Newborns
March 28, 2008 |
Newborn abandonment…it’s a thought that can easily cross the mind of a young
mother in crisis. In recent years several Florida mothers have even turned that
thought into action. “Babies were being abandoned throughout the United States
in dumpsters and canals and other hazardous places by girls and mothers who
thought they had no other alternative,” says South Florida resident Nick
Silverio. He has made it his life’s mission to provide an alternative for those
mothers. He founded the Safehaven for Newborns Program in Florida. “This is the
path for me this is what I’m supposed to do.” Safehaven is a non-profit
organization that partners with EMS, Fire Stations and Hospitals to provide safe
drop-off points for mothers to leave their baby when they feel they have no
other choice. “If we work in a partnership we can save more lives and we can
make sure that these mothers that their anonymity is protected as the law
allows,” says Nick. Every hospital in the Lee Memorial Health System
participates in the Safehaven program. “We’ve worked with the hospitals in Lee
County. Babies have been saved in Lee County.” Once the babies are deemed
healthy by physicians and nurses they are placed with a private adoption agency.
The babies then get a chance to begin a new life with a new family. “We’re
overjoyed and overwhelmed really that we’re able to do that. These children now
have a life and a future they can grow up to become the next president the next
attorney general or just a great mom and dad,” says Nick. Safehaven is
responsible for saving 97 babies in the state of Florida. They also provide a
24-hour help line for mothers who may need help. That number is 1-877-767-2229.
There is a version of the Safehaven program in all 50 states. |
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