Two infants surrendered ahead of Wednesday blessing for first Little Rock baby box location
LITTLE ROCK, Ark.- On Wednesday, Little Rock officials and the community gathered to bless the Central Fire Station Baby Box, which has already provided the parents of two newborn babies with a safe way to anonymously surrender their child to care.
“I know the significance of this being in this business for over 29 years and making those calls where you have a baby that has been left on the side of the dumpster,” Little Rock Fire Chief Delphone Hubbard said.
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The first Little Rock Safe Haven Baby Box at the Central Fire Station has already facilitated two successful surrenders in the past few weeks.
“Our ultimate responsibility in each of those cases was to protect the infant’s well-being,” Little Rock Mayor Frank Scott Jr. said.
At the blessing of the installation of the box, one of Safe Haven Baby Boxes surrendered newborns, who have been since placed in a loving home, attended.
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Oliver, or Olly, and his father, Dru Davis, shared how one surrender led to the happiest moment of his and his wife’s lives.
“For his birth parents, I would say thank you, thank you for giving him life because he saved my life,” Dru Davis said.
A box just like the one at the fire station allowed Oliver’s biological mom to have anonymity, just like the two newborns who had already been surrendered.
“I am very passionate about giving mothers another option to safely surrender a baby anonymously and lovingly,” Mariah Betz with Safe Haven Baby Boxes said.
Calvary Baptist Church funded the project to provide the first Safe Haven Baby Box location in Little Rock.
“If nothing else Olly being here today is the reason why we are all here today,” Scott Jr. said.
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The organization of Safe Haven Baby Boxes provides a confidential National Hotline, 1-866-99BABY1.
There are 228 Safe Haven Baby Box locations, 24 of which are in Arkansas.
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