OAKVILLE, Mo. — An infant girl was safely surrendered anonymously last week at Mehlville Fire Protection District Station 2 thanks to Missouri’s first Safe Haven Baby Box that was unveiled to the community last August.
This was the district's first baby surrender since the installation of the baby box last year.
The Safe Haven Baby Box is a secured incubator equipped with a nursery bed, heating and air conditioning that is accessible to parents who are unable to take care of their babies. They can surrender their child anonymously.
Brian Hendricks, fire chief of the Mehlville Fire Protection District, said the hard work and dedication of getting the baby box was worth it when a mother successfully surrendered her hours-old infant after giving birth last week.
“A beautiful, healthy baby girl was safely and anonymously surrendered to us here at House 2,” Hendricks said during a press conference Monday.
Six months ago, Hendricks said he made a pledge to not let mothers down.
“We loved that baby and cared for that baby the minute that we laid eyes on her and the minute that we opened up that door,” he said. “The baby was transported safely and is healthy and is doing very well.”
Baby boxes are installed on an exterior wall of fire stations and hospitals with an exterior door that automatically locks upon placement of a newborn. An interior door on the other side allows medical staff to retrieve the baby.
Two alarms trigger once a baby has been placed inside, which then a 60-second countdown begins, allowing the mother to leave before dispatch notifies fire personnel, who then retrieves the infant within five minutes.
The infant is immediately transported to the hospital for medical evaluation and placed for adoption.
With testing of the baby box performed weekly, “everything worked just like it was supposed to,” when the infant girl was recently placed in it, Hendricks said.
Mehlville critical care paramedics, firefighters and fire medics have been trained on protocols and procedures in the event a baby arrives in the box, such as the transportation to the hospital, working with social workers, and notifying Health and Senior Services.
Hendricks was joined by Monica Kelsey, founder and CEO of Safe Haven Baby Box, State Rep. Jim Murphy and Mehlville Fire Protection District Director Bonnie Stegman.
With the success of House 2’s baby box, Stegman announced a second Safe Haven Baby Box will be installed at House 5, along with other renovations to the station, late next year.
Hendricks said other area fire chiefs want the boxes installed.
Kelsey founded Safe Haven Baby Box in 2016 after learning she was abandoned as an infant. Her organization works to protect women and their infants in crisis with a mission to end infant abandonment with Safe Haven Baby Boxes.
Kelsey attended Mehlville’s baby box unveiling last August.
“To the parent that came to this location and surrendered your infant to the Mehlville Fire Department, I want to say thank you,” she said. “Thank you for keeping your child safe. Thank you for entrusting the Mehlville Fire Department and safety of the baby boxes to take it from here.”
Kelsey added that there is free counseling and medical care available for the mother and she can reach out for additional help and resources.
“I know that this does not come without pain. We may never know your story, but let me just tell you how many people love you, how many people have praying for you,” she said.
Kelsey noted that Mehlville’s baby box worked flawlessly.
“The fire department had eyes on this infant in under a minute. Your baby was in the arms of a loving firefighter,” she said. “The box worked exactly as designed and the fire department followed protocol to a T.”
The baby box at Mehlville Fire Station 2 was the 157th nationwide and was paid for by Bob Gau, who brought the idea to Rep. Murphy. Murphy sponsored the bill to authorize use of the boxes in Missouri, which passed in 2021.
“This mother was so courageous to put herself aside and do what was best for her child’ future is a blessing to all,” Murphy said.
He mentioned that every hospital and fire house in Missouri should have a baby box “because they save lives.”
There are more than 200 Safe Haven Baby Box locations in 15 states, according to Kelsey.
“What we’re doing (with) the boxes is keeping babies out of dumpsters and trash cans, which is what was happening prior to baby boxes,” she said.
The organization also has a national hotline that provides free, confidential counseling for women in crisis, 1-866-99BABY1.
Families seeking to adopt a Safe Haven baby can contact their local department of family services to register for foster care with intention to adopt.
For more information, contact Kelsey at monicakelsey@safehavenbabyboxes.com or Hendricks at bhendricks@mehlvillefire.com.