Newborn baby girl surrendered in Indiana fire station's baby box
SEYMOUR, Ind. - Firefighters retrieved a newborn baby girl after a mother surrendered the infant at an Indiana fire station's baby box.
FOX 59 reports the infant was left in a Safe Haven Baby Box at a fire station in Seymour, Indiana on Thursday.
Firefighters were notified by an alarm as soon as the baby's mother opened the outside door to place the child in the box.
Within 60 seconds, they were able to retrieve the newborn and take her to a local hospital.
Baby boxes are a way for parents to anonymously surrender their baby with no questions asked.
“This mother loved this child and it takes a very special person to want what’s best for a child and know that it's not her. That’s the ultimate act of selflessness," said Monica Kelsey, the founder of Safe Haven, in a news release. "I’m so thankful she chose a safe place to surrender her child and not a dumpster or trash can like we see too many times."
They cost about $10,000 to install, are temperature-controlled and automatically lock from the outside once a baby is placed in the box, WLKY reports.
“We are proud to have this resource available for the residents of Seymour, Indiana,” Fire Chief Brad Lucas told FOX 59. “We strive every day to ensure the safety of our residents and this is just a way to ensure the safety of newborns.”
The box at the Seymour fire station was installed seven months ago after 19-year-old Hunter Wart raised the $10,000 needed by mowing lawns and scrapping metal for over a year, according to The Seymour Tribune.