A Safe Haven for Newborns Protects Infants from Abandonment

MIAMI, FL, UNITED STATES , June 20, 2023/EINPresswire.com/ -- The primary mission of A Safe Haven for Newborns is to protect newborns from being abandoned. Next is to let the mother know she is not alone. To date, there has been 376 direct surrenders; 366 in Florida, nine in other states, and one in Honduras.

Hospitals and 24/7 manned fire/EMS stations displaying the Safe Haven for Newborns sign are designated as safe places to leave a newborn. The girls/women who give birth and cannot keep their newborn can surrender the infant, seven days or younger, to a trained health professional without fear of persecution and no questions asked. When presented with a newborn surrender, the medical personnel and firefighters accept the newborn with compassion, all the while respecting the mother’s privacy and anonymity.

This is a hard, emotional moment for both the mother and the person accepting the infant. Retired firefighter Janice Matos, from the Miami-Dade Fire Rescue, reflects on the day that a young mother came to the station and in a low voice said “I want to leave you my baby.” They sat together in silence for a while until the mother was ready and, with tears in her eyes, the mother got up and handed Matos her child and ran out the door to the awaiting car. “She did not give her name, nor did we ask, and left giving no information on the newborn, said Matos.” They examined the infant and transported her to the hospital. They believed the infant to be just a few hours old as she still had a makeshift clamp on her umbilical cord but otherwise healthy.

“Placing the baby in the right arms will give the mother, in crisis, the personal comfort that she needs. A mother wants to know that she will be safe and her baby will be too,” said Dr. Andrea Corn, Clinical Psychologist. A person-to-person surrender allows the mother to feel she is leaving her child in safe hands. It also allows the nurses or firefighters to gather critical medical information about the newborn such as medical issues and health history, if the mother so chooses to share those details and to give the mother information about where to get additional help.

The Safe Haven for Newborns program is designed to saves two lives, the mother and newborn. It provides the mother with the resources she needs prior to giving birth allowing her to make an informed decision that is in the best interest of her unborn child and hers. It also affords her the opportunity to surrender her newborn in a safe environment by leaving the infant in the arms of a trained professional.

A Safe Haven for Newborns offers referral services across all 67 Florida counties, for such services as maternity homes, shelters, counseling, health-related issues, help for abuse, suicide prevention, connecting them to Medicaid, and information for adoption; open or closed. It offers a 24/7 multi-lingual confidential helpline and information through its website, www.asafehavenfornewborns.com. The Foundation does not charge for any of the services offered.

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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. For information, visit www.safehaven@asafehavenfornewborns.com.


Media Contact
Nick Silverio, Founder
safehaven@asafehavenfornewborns.com
786-246-1304

Nick Silverio
A Safe Haven for Newborns
safehaven@asafehavenfornewborns.com
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Partnership: A Safe Haven for Newborns, Hospitals, Fire & EMS

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