When babies are born, they are usually welcomed into the world with open arms by their families. Loving mothers or fathers or other members are around to give them a hug and of course, take care of them.
While that’s the case for most, it is not the case for all. Unfortunately for this newborn baby, he did not get to spend his first moments on Earth in the arms of loved ones.
Instead, he wound up on a doorstep of a stranger’s apartment complex in Florida. At just one day old, he was found wrapped up in a t-shirt at an apartment in Orlando. He also came with a note that is sure to break every single person’s heart.
According to KCCI, the note read: “I had him in the bathroom. His dad tried to kill us. Please keep him secret and take him to hospital. Dad a very dangerous man. I’m so sorry, I tried to clean him and feed him as much as I [could.]”
Shortly after the newborn was discovered, authorities from the Orlando Police Department took him to a local hospital, where he thankfully appeared to be in good health.
According to the Orlando Sentinel, a man named Clive Petgrave, who lives at the Willow Key Apartments on Arnold Palmer Drive, said that he was in shock someone would ever leave a baby on his doorstep.
“I was surprised, because, you know, something happened right at my door,” he said.
He was sleeping when it happened and woke up to the police knocking on his door. He did not get a chance to see the baby before the authorities took him away. Neighbors called 911 when they heard the baby crying outside.
“[Police] asked me if … I had seen anyone that was pregnant. I said no,” Petgrave explained.
Florida’s Safe Haven Law states that a baby up to one week old can be brought to a hospital or fire station without the parent risking criminal charges.
Still, while this law exists, Sgt. Eduardo Bernal of the Orlando Police Department said that by not handing the child to a hospital worker or firefighter, he obviously risked his safety and health, via WKMG.
“It’s very serious. You’re talking about a 1-day-old infant that can’t take care of themselves, there’s a lot of medical needs that start when the baby’s born, and with the heat wave it’s very dangerous,” Bernal said. “That’s why this law was created, to give parents an out, to transfer custody and make sure the baby’s taken care of.”
Not too long ago — about two years earlier — a very similar incident happened at the same apartment complex. It was a baby girl who was also left with a note, urging whoever found her to take her to the fire station. It is currently unknown if her parents were ever found.
It’s both sad and unbelievable that these things happen, and we hope that we can all work towards creating a safe environment for these newborns.
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