Baby Saver saves little boy
When we heard the Baby Saver alarm, Mapule and I looked at one another and we froze.
It is inevitable that a percentage of children will be dealt a bad hand in life. Even though they are later expected to play that hand according to the rules of life, Georgina Caetano believes they deserve to start off with the ace of hearts.
On Thursday, May 19 around 10:45 the sound of a much-anticipated alarm sent chills through Georgina’s body as it echoed through the corridors of Just in Time Baby Sanctuary. That was the sound that alerted them to an infant being relinquished in the Baby Saver.
The baby saver is a unit with an alarm system where one can safely and anonymously relinquish a baby rather than dumping it. This metal container is secured with an infrared beam and has an alarm which telephonically notifies Georgina, a caregiver and the relevant security control room.
The security control room then dispatches the necessary medical services to make sure the baby is healthy. In the meantime Georgina and her team keep the baby safe and warm, while reporting the delivery to both the police and Roodepoort Child Welfare.
“When Mapule, who is one of our caregivers and I heard the alarm we looked at one another and we froze. It was the very first baby that had been relinquished through our Baby Saver and it was such a bittersweet moment,” sanctuary founder Georgina said.
“When we opened the box, we expected a new-born baby, but it was a baby boy who actually turned one on May 30. There was a letter as well. When I read it, it was heart-breaking to discover what this mother had been through prior to handing over her baby.”
According to the letter – written by the person the baby was ultimately surrendered to – the mother was left with no other alternative. After receiving no assistance from the hospital, it’s social workers or local police, the Baby Saver was considered a measure of last resort.
For Georgina it provided an insight into how many mothers are abandoned by their partners, families and the system. With nine little ones (three of them under the age of one) currently in her care, Georgina hopes not only to get the word out around Baby Savers and relinquishing babies safely, but also to educate the relevant departments about what to do when a baby is abandoned on their watch.
“I’ve come to discover that there is a lack of information and awareness around relinquished babies in our system. All of us should be able to work together as a whole to fight this together. We should be able to assist these mothers, assure them of their anonymity and help them safely relinquish their babies. The mothers are desperate, and they have nowhere else to turn to – we should be there for them,” she said.
While the sanctuary’s newest addition is healthy, safe, warm and snug, Georgina can’t help but think about all the babies often abandoned in places such as fields and dustbins by mothers thinking they had no other option.
“In support of these mothers, Baby Savers SA NPO has drafted a proposal that had been submitted to members of parliament to legalise safe relinquishment through Baby Savers. A Baby Saver does not encourage abandonment, but rather offers a safe alternative to abandonment and should only be used as a last resort,” Georgina concluded.
With Child Protection Week running from May 29 until June 5, Georgina hopes to create awareness around the rights of children, especially babies who cannot fend for themselves.
If you would like to find out more about the NPO and what they do, visit www.babysaverssa.co.za. Always remember that unsafe abandonment should never be an option. Just in Time Baby Sanctuary is located at 70 Kliprand Street, Discovery.
