Dead baby one in a long, tragic line

By Bill Scanlon, Rocky Mountain News (Contact)

Originally published 08:34 a.m., February 27, 2008
Updated 01:53 p.m., February 27, 2008

The infant girl found dead outside Presbyterian St. Luke's Hospital in Denver on Tuesday night adds another notch to a disturbing count compiled since Colorado passed a baby safe haven law in 2000.

"We've had 15 babies saved under the Safe Haven law" since it went into effect in 2000, said Linda Prudhomme, executive director of Colorado Safe Haven for Newborns, a non-profit group that tries to spread the word about the law.

"Unfortunately, we've had an approximately equal number found dead."

The baby left in a basket Tuesday night outside Presbyterian was pronounced dead at the hospital.

"All of us at Presbyterian/St. Luke's Medical Center are shaken and saddened by this tragic event," said BJ Gilmore, associate chief nursing officer at the hosptial. "We want to encourage anyone in this type of situation to bring the baby to a Safe Haven location so we can care for it."

Denver police, with the help of the hospital and the Denver Coroner's office, are investigating, hoping to find out the age of the baby and whether she died before or after she was dropped off.

Police say they received a call about 7:40 p.m., saying an infant had been left outside the hospital at 20th Avenue and Franklin Street. An unknown person had pressed the call button on a help box outside the hospital.

A security guard went out and found the baby.

Under Colorado's safe haven law, a parent can take an infant, within 72 hours of birth, to any fire house or hospital, and hand off the baby to emergency personnel or a paramedic, with no questions asked.

Prudhomme estimates that for every abandoned baby found dead, two others have died but the authorities never find out.

The law is a good one, and very clear, but not enough people know about it, Prudhomme said.

It's crucial that people spread the word about the law and its specifics so the word eventually can spread to the teen mom or the teen mom's best friend who might need to know about it at the most crucial time.

"No one plans to have this problem," so people have been lax at spreading the word, she said.

"The baby needs to be released within 72 hours to ensure that a safe place is found right away," she said.

It's not enough to leave the baby outside a hospital or a fire station, she emphasized. "There needs to be face-to-face to make sure the baby is taken care of."

Nonetheless, the baby's parent doesn't have to identify himself, or herself, she said. It's important that parents know they won't be prosecuted and won't be named if they do things right, she said.

All 50 states have some form of a Safe Haven law, Prudhomme said. Many of them approved funding to publicize the law at the time of passage, but Colorado did not.

A Colorado mother who gives up her baby in the right way still has a chance to change her mind and regain custody of the baby, Prudhomme noted.

If anyone has information about the baby's parents or guardian, call CrimeStoppers at 303-913-7867.

Among the babies left at hospitals or abandoned elsewhere that the Rocky Mountain News has written about over the years are:

— July 2006, Grand Junction police found a a dead newborn baby wrapped in a towel in an entertainment center in the mother's bedroom.

— December 2002: A mother gave birth at University Hospital on a Saturday and slipped out on Sunday, leaving her baby behind.

— September 2002: An hours-old baby was found wrapped in a blanket and tucked under a bush in Weld County. The dead infant was found by employees of a business near U.S. 85.

— August 2002: A baby was abandoned in a store parking lot in Pueblo. Baby Rachel was found in a brown wicker basket dressed in a diaper and wrapped in blankets.

— April 2002: An Arapahoe County woman dropped off her 3-month-old son at a Denver child-care center and never returned for him.

— January 2002: A woman left her day-old daughter with Aurora firefighters. The woman had given birth in her Denver home. The baby, listed on the report as Jane Doe, was in good health and showed no signs of abuse.

— November 2001: Two Denver teens, both college students, left their 3-day-old baby, Jasmine, at Aurora Regional Medical Center South. The 18-year-old mother later changed her mind and asked for the baby back.

— October 2001: Louisville supermarket employees found the body of a 4-pound baby girl. The infant had been born alive and was a few weeks premature.

— April 2001: A 6-pound baby girl was found by a volunteer as she arrived for work at the St. Anthony Central Hospital emergency room. The baby was in an Easter basket covered with a blanket. A note attached to the basket said the baby's name was Karry.

— March 2001: Lisa Levatino, 23, left her baby, clothed in a clean diaper and blanket, next to a dumpster behind an East Colfax Avenue restaurant. She pleaded guilty to misdemeanor child abuse.

— October 2000: A woman who reported finding an abandoned baby in a vacant lot in Pueblo was arrested after admitting she was the girl's mother. Jill Willis, 25, was sentenced to three months in custody and four years probation for abandoning her newborn daughter.

— August 2000: An infant was left at a church in Rio Grande County. The parents were never found.

• February 27, 2008

  9:14 a.m.

  Suggest removal

  blondiearvada writes:

  With this Safe Haven Law a parent is allowed to leave a baby at a fire station, hospital, etc. with no questions asked. But when a baby is left, it is all over the television news reports, and the newspapaers, and they hunt the parent/parents down. This needs to be changed. If one unfortunately feels the need to leave a child behind for what seems like hopeless, and deperate personal reasons, then they should be allowed to do so without being hunted down, which is why I think many are afraid to use the "Safe Havens" that are available. The outcome for these babies being placed in homes with parents who are deperate to adopt a child is a much better way to go, then these babies ending up dead because the parents don't want to face the media scutinization. Many of these mothers, and possibly fathers too, feel trapped no matter what their decision is.

• February 27, 2008

  9:51 a.m.

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  gs writes:

  Good point blondie. Maybe our legislators will see this.

• February 27, 2008

  9:54 a.m.

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  colo_blonde writes:

  Blondiearvada is correct - however your statement is also part of the problem. You say "fire station, hospital, etc." - part of the problem they track down the mothers is that the law is very specific about where you can drop a child - no "etc" about it. Fire stations and hospitals were defined probably because they can render medical assistance should it be needed. I don't know if police stations are included in the law. There needs to be a real publicity program at all kinds of places that let these mothers know what is OK an dwhat isn't.

• February 27, 2008

  9:57 a.m.

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  LOUIE writes:

  It's right on point, amnesty means just that. I don't mind the media, but they shouldn't hunt the mother or father down unless the baby suffered abuse. Hope they can save more of the little guys!

• February 27, 2008

  10:17 a.m.

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  rgb424 writes:

  You have got to be kidding, right? Leaving a baby beside a dumpster, in a parking lot, even beside a hospital emergency door is not safe for these little guys. If these ignorant mothers could understand the written word perhaps they would hand the baby to the hospital or fire staff and walk away. Then there would be no reason to have the media track down the identity of the mother because there would have been no damage done, as the law intended.

  IGNORANT!
  Ignorance kills in this case.

• February 27, 2008

  10:49 a.m.

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  bone writes:

  word

• February 27, 2008

  11:03 a.m.

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  FallyBerry writes:

  That is the whole point, they are looking for the parents in this case because they ABANDONED the baby OUTSIDE the hospital. When given to the staff the parents are not at fault and they DO NOT hunt them down. That is the point, DO IT RIGHT and the baby is safe and you are free to go. Chances are the baby was already dead which is why they left her outside the hospital, but if she was left alive then YES THE PERSON WHO LEFT THAT BABY TO DIE SHOULD BE PROSECUTED.

  The law is a good one, it needs to be publicized CORRECTLY so that it can be used CORRECTLY and save some babies.

• February 27, 2008

  11:11 a.m.

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  blondiearvada writes:

  I agree, the babies should NOT be left outside, they should be able to hand them over to a hospital staff person, and walk away for their own personal reasons. But in reality ast this point they can not with out the embarrassment of being hunted down by the media. The staff person that takes the child should ask questions regarding the parents' personal medical backgrounds so that the staff can use that information for the child, but then at that point, they should be able to walk away if they feel they need to for the child's sake.

• February 27, 2008

  11:16 a.m.

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  Theoldguy writes:

  Let us assume that the unwanted kids are from non-English speaking parents. Use signs that have a baby pictured with a red line through it posted at dumpsters and other locations. Hospitals can have the sign that allows the dumping of babies.

  I can't believe that society has come to this. Dummies that can't read or don't know English. English the International language of trade. The International language of pilots. America has to earn Spanish to communicate with others that are too stupid to learn English?

  Push no.1 to hear the rest of this message in English!

  My Great Aunt came over to this country from Poland and learned English. She eventually became an English professor, as in PhD. I won't go along with the learning of another language to cater to another's inability to understand. English has the most words along with some of the most beautiful subtleties. We have the world's most beautiful and rich language. I have no need to learn another, I only need to prefect my own use. Call me arrogant and call me an American with an attitude.

• February 27, 2008

  11:33 a.m.

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  RUkiddingme writes:

  If these people were capable of knowing about the safe haven law, maybe they'd be capable of knowing about birth control.

• February 27, 2008

  11:53 a.m.

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  rmnreader writes:

  I think it is in Japan - not 100% sure on that - that has a type of drop box outside hospitals that is safe for a baby so the dropper can remain anonymous & they have apparently had a lot of success with it. From what I read the box is accessed from outside & inside the hospital & there is a type of alarm that sounds when a baby has been placed in the box. I think that's a great idea - they can remain anonymous without the worry of confrontation - seems like that would solve a lot of these problems we are having with our safe haven law. The reality is that you do not have to take a test to have a child therefore a lot of stupid and/or heartless people are having babies so we need to adjust our laws to accomodate stupidity to save these babies.

• February 27, 2008

  12:13 p.m.

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  LOUIE writes:

  Either way, the fear has to be removed so to save these little guys. Right now, the fear of being known has a real impact on the safety of the child. I can harp endlessly on the parents irresponsibilty, but that's not going to save the child. The parents don't want a face to face, it's too threatening to them. So you do everything possible to accomendate them for the sake of the child. Harping to the choir is a great sound bite, but will it save the little guys? The crux is the child, how can we improve and still allow the parents to remain unknown? Search out an answer that will have results, God knows we need one. The parents must feel safe, we have to achieve that before anything can work.

• February 27, 2008

  12:21 p.m.

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  Lonestar writes:

  Do you think the parents are likely to face more scrutiny or less, or are more or less likely to be hunted down if the baby is found dead than if they drop the baby off at a Haven Law location? I'm sure the scrutiny concerns enter these people’s minds, but that does not make it logical or right. It also bugs me when babies, even dead ones, are referred to as "it". Human beings are not "its". This baby was a precious little life, and SHE was never given a chance.

• February 27, 2008

  12:30 p.m.

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  me2 writes:

  Some very good comments here. Thoughtful responses. I like the Japanese system, that is remarkable.

  Do what works and save as many little ones as possible.

• February 27, 2008

  1:57 p.m.

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  TheDenverB writes:

  where do you all get the idea that the media hunts down parents who LEGALLY drop their baby off at a safe location?

  can any one of you PLEASE link up just ONE article where the media reports ona safe-haven baby where they try and track down the mother?? i bet you can't.

  in fact, i would say it is a safe bet that you are all confusing that with stories like THIS ONE, where the mother DOES need to be tracked down and prosecuted.

  it's sad to see people so critical of the news, when it is apparent they have no idea what they are talking about and are simply being reactionary.

  of course, that seems to be all you get on these comment forums. that and a whole lot of bigotry and racism.

• February 27, 2008

  2:43 p.m.

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  sartoksus writes:

  theoldguy's comments anger me! i admit, i am darned proud to be an american, even moreso because i am an american indian!! this country was founded by people who themselves didn't speak english! the implication that whomever felt compelled to leave their child OUTSIDE in this weather doesn't speak english angers me! i am proud to say that i can speak not only my tribal language but i've learned to communicate in french, some rudimentary russian and am quite fluent in english.

  however, i was also raised in the belief that one does have to deal with the consequences of their actions. the only thing i can do for this person or these people is to pray for them.

• February 27, 2008

  2:53 p.m.

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  rmnreader writes:

  Hey TheDenverB if you don't like the comments it's simple - don't read them!? These discussion boards are for just that - discussions. If you read all the comments you would see that there are topics other than the media being discussed here.

  Additionally I think the general point here is that the media has to jump right on it when a baby is dropped off dead or alive reporting the area & date of the drop as well as the sex & age of the baby thus potentially exposing the mother. I can name plenty of those stories if you'd like me to.

  Who else here thinks TheDenverB gets his paycheck from some form of media outlet?

• February 27, 2008

  2:59 p.m.

  Suggest removal

  TheDenverB writes:

  "Additionally I think the general point here is that the media has to jump right on it when a baby is dropped off dead or alive reporting the area & date of the drop as well as the sex & age of the baby thus potentially exposing the mother. I can name plenty of those stories if you'd like me to."

  well, then please do. please find me stories about parents being tracked down after they LEGALLY dropped of their baby. i already asked you prove it to me.

  and you are jumping to conclusions there about how if when they do report on a baby going to a safe haven and reporting it's sex (but the age? please man, the law says the baby has to be 72 hours old, how identifying is that?)potentially exposing the mother. what? should hte media simply not report on this at all? not get the information out to the public about these safe havens?

  and i know what message boards are for... its to bad this one rarely ever is for discussion, though.

• February 27, 2008

  3:05 p.m.

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  DahmersCookbook writes:

  Theoldguy, your comments speak volumes, TRUTH. You must have been recently effected by the "Inevitable Demise of America Invaders". The poison plagues Colorado like cancer, it spots the U.S.A. and is growing. Our forefathers would shed tears knowing that while our troops are dying for American freedom, the illegals are putting stickers of Calvin pissing on the American flag on their junkers and are refusing to assimilate in any fashion, they hate us, laugh at us, mock us and will kill us if we look at them (TEST IT!). Third world America oldguy, welcome to it!

• February 27, 2008

  3:20 p.m.

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  jbones writes:

  Horrible story. Doesn't anyone else think it is interesting that the lead story all day on the RMN website has been about a dog getting sentenced to death, and now about Peter Forsberg returning to the Avs? Seems to me that lowlifes abandoning their babies is a little more of a concern than either unimportant story. Guess that's where our society is at these days...

• February 27, 2008

  3:32 p.m.

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  rmnreader writes:

  First of all I'm a woman not man - second I can see by your response that you are one of those that has no real useful point you just want to fight. Now slow down this time & actually read what I am saying.....

  Did I say anything about agreeing with the statements about the media hunting these parents down? No I did not I said the reporters give information that may potentially expose the parent - big difference. I agree that "hunting" is a bit dramtic but also agree that the media may expose the parent with the information they give out.

  Age is just as relevant as the location - is the baby 2 hours or 3 days old? Big difference It potentially exposes the parent to hospital records of a baby being born in that particular time span or just association of an acquaintance knowing when a particular woman had a baby.

  Here is an article exposing age, sex, location & other details.
  http://www.9news.com/news/article.asp...

  No the media should not report on particular babies that are dropped off safely AT ALL. They should simply do a report on the law & statistics on it to raise awareness, maybe a fundraiser or something.

  I see discussion's on here all the time - obviously you glaze right over those looking for someone to fight with.

• February 27, 2008

  3:32 p.m.

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  vudumom writes:

  Though not done the proper way.The call button was pushed and the gaurds came out to find the baby and unfortunately it was dead.It is possible that the mother gave birth and the baby was not breathing and she didn't know what to do and left the baby because then she would be investigated.If you remember they just had a story in the news about a baby being born on the way to the hospital and the baby was not breathing and the dad was instructed by the 911 operator how to do infant CPR,which saved this baby's life.
  I'm not making excuses for the mother,but we don't know all the facts and really what is another dead child to Colorado anyway?They don't seem to care about the one's living,but freak out when a baby is left and dies under terrible circumstances.Isn't all child abuse and child death horrible or is this just another news media sensation story that will be forgotton next week.Remember Neveah?Still no charges in her death.So really what did the mother do in this case that was more horrible than what Neveah's mother and sex offender boyfriend did?

• February 27, 2008

  3:47 p.m.

  Suggest removal

  wow writes:

  Since 2000, 15 saved by the Safe Haven law, and an equal number lost...that they are aware of.
  I keep coming back to the little baby found in the trash of a LODO bar ladie's room.
  Pregnant woman, out drinking with friends...(What the he**?)As if that weren't bad enough, she goes into labor, spends the next 90 minutes delivering, disposes of her child, and bebops on out to resume her social life.
  The Safe Haven law, if she knew about it or not, would have meant nothing to that sociopath. And what of the many women who walked in and out who could have stopped and said, "Hey, you ok in there, because it sounds like you're giving birth?" ? This is an asumption, based on my experience that bar bathrooms are never empty for that long.
  This of course has nothing to do with it, I just needed to express it. The 15 that have been saved are a start.

• February 27, 2008

  4:08 p.m.

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  rmnreader writes:

  I don't think this baby is more or less horrible than cases like Neveah - it's all heartbreaking. I think Colorado does freak out at cases like poor little Neveah - however the only thing that can be done to protect these children is to improve the system that is supposed to protect them. That does not appear to be a priority for the local or federal government.

  Also if this mother had gone to the hospital like you're supposed to or called an ambulance when she went into labor then she would not have to worry about trying to prove that the baby was stillborn if that was the case. Common sense would probably have saved this babies life - how sad is that?

• February 27, 2008

  4:29 p.m.

  Suggest removal

  redog writes:

  The article ends with asking people to call call CrimeStoppers if they have any information about the parents.- Why would anyone drop their baby off at a so-called "safe" location after reading that?

• February 27, 2008

  4:57 p.m.

  Suggest removal

  Theoldguy writes:

  sartoksus
  Let me apologize. My ignorance sometimes dazzles me. I will defer to an Original American. I already know that white Europeans are foreign to this soil, but that was then and this is now. My grandparents showed up at the end of the 1800's. Swedes that typify peace,love and let's make nice. The Indians had already been sent or ceeded their lands and moved to the reservations in Oklahoma. (I live in Nebraska and the Pawnee moved from here to Oklahoma after they had the last Indian War with the Sioux) My railing was toward those that refuse to follow rules that my parents and their parents followed.

  My thinking about the English language is that it is the language that bonds us together in this country. Language spoken in the home by a particular family is not my business. I grew up around Italians, Poles, Swedes, Germans and failed High School classes of French, Russian and Latin. As I said earlier, I'll concentrate on English. It's hard enough for me.

  I find it extremely hard to pray for others. As you said, there are those that have to deal with the outcome of their actions. Selfishness, stupidity and carelessness will weed out the ones that need to be culled. The casual dumping of ones child brings to mind the callousness of many years ago. There have been plagues in Europe and elsewhere where the only thought of survival was to travel fast and lightly. Anyone with common sense can see that there is help nearby. It has been mentioned that the Japanese have a "drop off door" in hospitals. That brings to mind an image of dropping off a video at Blockbuster.

  sartoksus
  I'm aware that American Indians are going through a tough time with their children. These problems are similiar to and different from white civilization. How do you see this coarsening and callousness of American society?

  to be continued

• February 27, 2008

  4:58 p.m.

  Suggest removal

  Theoldguy writes:

  continued from previous posting

  DahmersCookbook

  I've forestalled being sucked into a Third World minset. I have a place in the sticks far away from a large city...gee, we're far from a small city. I moved from Denver about 4 years ago and have never looked back. It gives me time to think and ponder about my life and those around me. I seriously wonder about the future of this country. My generation has proved itself to be as useless as the proverbial tits on a boar. We got suckered into Viet Nam. We instilled on our kids a certain "hurray for me. Screw you" attitude. If you doubt this quickly review the present CEO's and figure out when they were born. Now the next generation is growing and with them will be a return to civility, common sense and a return to family values. My children WILL succeed in raising children that they are in control of and proud of. My role is to be sure that some sense comes out of the next election and beyond.

  So to both of you gentlemen, this country will not move forward until the legal residents are taken care of. Not by socialism, since that is a magnet for many. But by fair treatment of all Americans. Favoritism has gone beyond any set limits.

• February 27, 2008

  5:55 p.m.

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  BTP writes:

  What a tragic event. Anytime a child is killed or injured at the hands of their parent(s) or guardian(s) is a very sad day for us all.

• February 27, 2008

  6:50 p.m.

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  jbowen43 writes:

  Leave it to the republicans to pass a law and not fund it. Typical.

• February 27, 2008

  8:24 p.m.

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  rickg19611 writes:

  Leave it the democrats to pass and a law that encourages the death of children. Typical.

• February 28, 2008

  9:15 a.m.

  Suggest removal

  Theoldguy writes:

  RememberThis

  Freezing to death really isn't a bad way to go............Tragic from societies point of view. But if that baby could think on an adult level what would it have to say?

• February 28, 2008

  12:46 p.m.

  Suggest removal

  TheDenverB writes:

  "the article ends with asking people to call call CrimeStoppers if they have any information about the parents.- Why would anyone drop their baby off at a so-called "safe" location after reading that?"

  ::slaps forehead::

  seriously clark? you completely missed the point of this article.

  the baby WAS NOT DROPPED OFF AT A SAFE LOCATION. not to mention it was found DEAD.

  hence, they NEED to track down this woman to pursue the CRIMINAL charges that she deserves.