The Helderberg Baby Saver, a safe-relinquishment option for newborns, has received its 14th baby since launching in 2014.
Baby Blossom, a healthy and well cared-for newborn, was safely placed in the baby saver this month (February).
“Amanda-Lea Jones and Frances Fuchs of the first-responder team were on the scene within minutes, as were security officers from Secure Rite Security, which monitors the alarm, and GB Med Response paramedics, who examined little Blossom once she was taken out of the saver,” a media statement related. “Amanda-Lea then accompanied her in the ambulance to Helderberg Hospital, where she was attended to with much care and admitted to paediatrics.”
The saver, located at Choices Crisis Pregnancy Centre in Somerset West, allows parents to relinquish their newborns anonymously and safely, around-the-clock. Babies are then medically checked, cared for and eventually placed for adoption through a partnership with the Wandisa Child Protection and Adoption Agency.
The Helderberg Baby Saver’s founder, Sandy Immelman, emphasised the importance of safe relinquishment over abandonment and advocates for a safe-haven law in South Africa. “We are very grateful that this precious little girl was safely relinquished, and not just abandoned,” she said. “Her mother or parents made a brave decision for her future well-being.”
