Newborn Safely Surrendered in Florida at Fire Station
MIAMI, April 20, 2023 /PRNewswire/ — Earlier this week A Safe Haven for Newborns announced the 371st surrendered infant was safely and directly transferred to a fire station in the Florida Panhandle.
A young mother made the difficult choice to directly hand over her baby over to a trained professional. The firefighters were able to make a rapid assessment of both the newborn’s and mother’s needs. They determined both were safe and healthy, then transported the baby to a local hospital for further assessment and to begin the adoption process. “Two lives were saved that day. The mother gave her baby the gift of life and both the chance to have a future,” said Deputy Fire Chief Joel Gordon, City of Plantation.
Under Florida’s Safe Haven law, an unharmed infant, seven days or younger, may be left with a trained professional at a hospital or fire station in total anonymity without fear of prosecution. A Safe Haven for Newborns does not announce the location or date of the transfer as it respects the mother’s anonymity as provided for in the law.
To date, A Safe Haven for Newborns has helped secure 371 babies in 40 Florida counties, other states, and countries around the world. Babies have been safely and directly placed in the hands of trained professionals at 79 fire stations and 284 hospitals across the state of Florida. “The direct surrender method has proven to provide the best-case outcomes for both the mother and infant,” said Nick Silverio, Founder of A Safe Haven for Newborns.
Through the Foundation’s 24/7, multilingual Florida hotline, 1-877-767-2229, and national hotline 1-844-767-2229, its website, www.asafehavenfornewborns.com, and community outreach, education and training efforts, the non-profit organization provides a wide array of free services and options for a mother facing this difficult decision, up to and including keeping her baby, if she chooses to do so. Online training is also available for those who may encounter a surrendered infant. A Safe Haven for Newborns provides all hospital ERs, Fire and EMS stations with the A Save Haven for Newborns signage at no cost to the facilities.
“The Safe Haven for Newborns program have assisted thousands of mothers and celebrated zero abandonments in Florida between 2020 and 2022,” said Deputy Fire Chief Joel Gordon, City of Plantation.
ABOUT THE GLORIA M. SILVERIO FOUNDATION
The Gloria M. Silverio Foundation 501(c)3, A Safe Haven for Newborns, is a nonprofit organization founded in 2001 by Nick Silverio. A Safe Haven for Newborns assists girls/women facing an unexpected pregnancy — saving two lives — in complete anonymity, protecting her right to privacy. Visit us at: www.asafehavenfornewborns.com.
Media Contact:
Joel Gordon, Deputy Fire Chief, City of Plantation
[email protected]
1-954-553-6550
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SOURCE A Safe Haven for Newborns
Originally published at https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/a-safe-haven-for-newborns-announces-the-birth-of-the-371st-baby-301801811.html
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