Saving babies just became easier in East Texas, and a special guest at the opening ceremony was living proof of this initiative’s incredible impact!
A Safe Haven Baby Box is now fully installed in Palestine, Texas, giving parents a secure, anonymous option to surrender their newborns and reduce infant abandonments. On Tuesday, December 3, they had their blessing ceremony, where the community came together to celebrate this monumental moment.
The box, attached to a fire station, is thoughtfully designed—temperature-controlled, padded, and constantly monitored. When the box is opened, a silent alarm notifies firefighters, who quickly respond to take the baby to a hospital for medical evaluation and care.
This innovative solution is coming at a critical time, due to Texas being a leader in infant abandonments, as reported by KLTV. Now, East Texas parents in crisis have another safe and compassionate option to protect their child’s future.
“It’s a blessing to be standing at a firehouse, blessing a box in a wall, so that I don’t have to stand in a cemetery and bless a box going into the ground,” Monica Kelsey told KETK.
So who was the special guest at the ceremony? A sweet little girl named Myah, who was saved through a baby box in Indiana a couple of years ago.
“One mom’s choice to selflessly surrender her child forever blessed our family,” Myah’s mother, Shelby Faltynski, told KLTV.
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At the ceremony, Myah lit up the room with her singing, dancing, and laughter, spreading joy to her family and everyone in attendance. Her vibrant and lovable personality was a beautiful reminder of the life-saving impact of the baby box.
For Myah’s grandmother, Sue Tingle, this day was especially meaningful. After dedicating a year to raising the $15,000 needed for the installation, Tingle’s dream of bringing this resource to Palestine became a reality.
“Don’t just look at the box itself. Look at what that box could do for an entire family,” Tingle said.
A baby box provides a crucial avenue for parents who may find themselves in difficult situations and in need of a safe and anonymous option to ensure their child’s well-being. It also blesses a loving family who has been waiting to adopt a precious baby.
Texas’ “Baby Moses” law allows parents who may not be able to care for their child to safely place him or her in the care of those at a fire station, hospital, or police station with 24-7 employees within 60 days after birth. All 50 states have safe haven laws; the timing and manner allowed to surrender a child can vary by state.
Texas was the first state to enact a “Baby Moses” law in 1999 after 13 babies were found abandoned within just a 10-month period. However, the policy did not allow the option to anonymously surrender a child in a safety device until 2023.
With over 52,000 fire stations in the United States, only a few currently have baby boxes. This marks Texas’ fifth baby box, with hopes for many more to be added in the future.
Can you chip in to Texas Right to Life today to help a precious baby, like Myah, experience the gift of Life?
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