A decade after a baby abandoned on a riverbank sparked an idea for a lifesaving initiative, the Helderberg Baby Saver (HBS) celebrates this milestone this month.
The establishment, brainchild of founder Sandy Immelman, was launched in August 2014 in response to the abandoned newborn, dubbed Baby Amber, earlier that year.
Through such an initiative Immelman hoped to prevent other such abandonments. This month the HBS celebrates the saving of 13 little lives over the past 10 years.
“We celebrate the lives of the 13 children who have been safely relinquished through our saver and wish to thank the brave mothers who chose life and a future for these babies,” Immelman said.
The baby saver can be found in a wall at the Choices Crisis Pregnancy Centre in Schapenberg Road, Somerset West. It is available around the clock, year-round and is safe to use.
It offers desperate parents a safe alternative to dumping their newborns. Once a baby is placed in the saver the door automatically locks and an alert is sent to Secure Rite Security, which dispatches officers to the facility along with an ambulance and one or more of the HBS responder team.
On arrival paramedics check the baby before the little one is transported to Helderberg Hospital for observation, after which a child protection organisation gets legal permission to place the baby in temporary safe care.
The HBS responder team comprises Amanda-Lea Jones, Grant Immelman, Karen Bufé, Léanne Keet, Monique Tarling, Sophia Warner and Immelman.
“I am eternally grateful for this amazing team, ready to respond immediately at any time of the day or night for the last 10 years,” Immelman related. “Also for the voluntary services provided all these years by Secure Rite Security and GBMed teams, and to Choices for housing the saver.”
She also thanked Wandisa Child Protection and Adoption Agency for their support and guidance, as well as the facilitation of the safe placement of babies.
The first baby safely relinquished was Baby Ayabonga in October 2015 and the most recent Baby Bella in December last year. Seven of the babies are girls and six boys, all under the age of three months, and three were newborns.
HBS is a member of Baby Savers South Africa (BSSA), with Immelman a board member. It also partners with Khethani Women’s Wellness, a local NPO providing support for women and girls through workshops, information sharing and a 24-hour helpline.
“It’s clear from the number of babies being abandoned in SA that the need for savers is escalating and we encourage everyone to join BSSA in the fight to have a safe haven law established to save these little lives.”
- For more information, visit babysaver.co.za, babysaverssa.co.za or khethani.org
