Oh my – I am still shaking – we have had our first baby! Fortunately for everyone he is a healthy, well-cared for little boy of just over a month old…
This was my post in October two years ago, when “Baby Ayabonga” was placed in the Helderberg Baby Saver.
Then on Friday November 3, I received a call from Secure Rite Security, who monitor the Helderberg Baby Saver at no cost, to say that there was an alarm activation at the Baby Saver. Immediately my adrenaline started racing… two years ago, when there had been an article about the Baby Saver in the papers, it prompted a mommy to use this safe alternative to dumping her baby, and Bolander has been wonderful in raising awareness recently, after the dumping of “Baby Suzi”, so I knew this might not be a false alarm (which we get now and then).
I rushed down to the Baby Saver to find an awe-struck group standing next to it… Amanda-Lea Jones, one of our team of responders, had arrived before me and was holding a precious bundle with a look of loving amazement on her face. Surrounding her were the EMO crew and Secure Rite officers, who had also been dispatched on the alarm activation.
Our second baby through the door (there have been other interventions, but this tiny baby is only the second one to have been placed in the Baby Saver since it was launched in August 2014) and fortunately, he was healthy, neatly dressed, clean and fairly content, considering the circumstances.
EMO checked him – let’s call him “Baby Two” for ease of reference – and took him up to Helderberg Hospital, where the social worker was contacted and Wandisa arrived to assist, and everyone was happy to find him in good health.
Wandisa serves vulnerable children through adoption into families in SA and abroad, including special needs children and they will handle all the legal processes, including placing “Baby Two” into temporary safe care during this time. If you would like to donate baby items for him, contact them on 021 852 8025.
For more information about the Helderberg Baby Saver, visit www.babysaver.co.za, and I’d like to share some comments from our Facebook about this:
“So glad baby is doing well! My thoughts go out to the mom that had to make a very difficult decision. Thank you for making use of the services available to ensure that your little one is safe and well cared for!”
“My heart goes out to this brave mommy, it surely must have not been easy for you, but you made the best possible choice ever; well done everyone. We need more baby savers like this.”
“Great respect to mommy. May you be at peace. Good choice to go to baby saver.”
“Thank you the mommy or whoever placed the baby safely and with love in the baby saver.”
