Ramona van den Heever, founder of the Door of Care and Safety, was excited when a second baby was dropped off at her institution.
“The baby was just a few hours old and was dropped off at about 8pm on Friday, 2 November. The mother left a bag containing a washcloth, a baby-gro, a vest and socks. It’s obvious that she cared about her baby but was unable to raise her so we are excited to give this little one a second chance in life.
I hope she knows that her baby is in good hands,” Ramona said.
“A second dropbox baby means that people are starting to trust this institution and that fewer babies will end up in a gutter or a dumping site. It’s not for us to judge the mother, because we don’t know her circumstances. A lot of people will say that only a bad mother can leave her child with a stranger but I believe only a good mother will see that this is a safe place where her baby will be loved and cared for.”
This baby will stay in Ramona’s care for three months and in this period the mother of the child can still claim her back. After that, she will be put up for adoption or foster care and there is a chance that she will go to an orphanage.
On Thursday, 7 June, another baby was abandoned at this institution. She has since been adopted by a R’fonteiner and Ramona is still in contact with the adoptive mother.
“A lot of people misunderstood why a criminal case was opened when the previous baby was abandoned, but it’s important to report these incidents as it’s the starting point for creating the paperwork of a child. Without documentation a child has no future,” she said. Ramona also reported the latest abandoned baby to the police.
Ramona wants all mothers and expecting mothers to know that there are lots of safe places to leave a child if the mother can’t care for it.
“Abortion or leaving a baby to die should never be an option, because the baby is innocent and deserves a chance at life. Babies can be left at the hospital, the police station, the court or child welfare organisations which are all safe places. Abandoning a child in a safe place is a sign of strength and love,” she added.
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