A newborn baby girl was found dead in a “safe haven” box at Grove Creek Medical Center in Blackfoot, Idaho, on October 13, sparking an investigation.
Local officials reported that hospital staff discovered the baby after she was placed in the facility’s Safe Haven Baby Box, designed for parents to anonymously surrender unharmed infants. However, the infant had already passed away before being placed in the box.
Hospital representatives praised the medical staff for their swift response, noting they acted immediately upon hearing the Safe Haven alarm. Despite their efforts, the baby had died long before being placed in the box. “Our staff showed deep compassion in a heartbreaking situation,” the hospital said in a statement.
Monica Kelsey, founder of Safe Haven Baby Boxes, expressed her distress over the incident. Kelsey, who was herself abandoned as an infant, said in a social media post that the baby may have been dead for several days. “This baby was in this box for literally one minute,” she wrote. “I’m just sick to my stomach.”
Kelsey stressed that the situation involved an illegal abandonment, as the baby was found with the placenta still attached, wrapped in a blanket. Safe Haven Baby Boxes, which aims to prevent infant abandonment, has placed over 50 baby boxes since 2017, offering a safe, anonymous option for women in crisis. The organization vowed to cooperate fully with law enforcement and to continue educating the public on the difference between legal, safe surrenders and illegal abandonments.
Authorities have yet to comment on the cause of the infant’s death.
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