Though we see it far too often on TV, it’s difficult to believe that moms would really abandon their newborn babies in real life.
But oftentimes, especially with young, single, and overwhelmed moms, abandoning a baby can seem like the only option.
In the US, abandoning a baby is illegal – but there is the Safe Haven law.
The law dictates that a baby can be delivered to a “safe haven”.
This can be done without the parents being prosecuted for child abandonment, endangerment, or neglect.
Safe havens vary from state to state, but all states allow babies to be relinquished at hospitals, emergency medical services providers, or healthcare facilities.
Unfortunately, the baby in this story wasn’t taken to a safe haven – in fact, the location was quite the opposite.
This security footage was recorded in Kaithal, India, which currently has no policy to protect abandoned children.
In the footage, a woman can be seen approaching a drain with what looks like a small, plastic-wrapped package in her arms. The woman tossed the package into the drain, then walked off.
This “package”, as authorities later discovered, contained a newborn baby girl.
Many of us are unable to picture what could ever incite somebody to abandon their baby in such a way.
Female infanticide, or the deliberate killing of newborn female babies, is still a big problem in India. There are many circumstances that lead to this, including poverty and a lack of support. Sadly, many parents feel that they have no choice other than to abandon their child.
But we don’t know this mother’s story – all we can be sure of is what happened next.
The baby was crying loudly, and the sound attracted a couple of local stray dogs. The pair became the unlikely heroes of this story, pulling the baby out of the drain and barking to attract the attention of passers-by.
Thankfully, the dogs were able to alert members of the public, who immediately called the police.
The baby was taken to the District Civil Hospital in Kaithal for urgent care.
Principal medical officer Dineh Kansal told The Times of India that the baby was most likely premature, born after a 7-month pregnancy.
She added:
“We decided to keep her under observation as transit could be life-threatening for her.”
It’s miraculous that the tiny newborn survived this episode, but thanks to the stray dogs that saved her, she will hopefully have a full, happy life ahead of her.
No life should be cut short for any reason, but it can be hard when you feel you have no one to turn to.
The majority of us reading this will be lucky to have never faced such a desperate situation. But many people would argue that to abandon a baby in a drain is particularly heartless, as it gives the poor baby the least chance of survival.
Watch the video below and tell us what you think of this tragic story with a happy ending.
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