RIPLEY, W.Va. — The Jackson County Commission and WVU Hospitals Jackson General have reached an agreement to install a device at the hospital aimed at saving infants in dire situations.
It’s called the Safe Haven Baby Box, which was created by a company in Indiana. The box, which will be mounted on the side of the hospital building will be heated and air conditioned and will be a safe spot for a baby if a new mother decides she cannot handle the responsibility and wants to give up the child anonymously. It’s a desirable alternative to leaving the baby in some haphazard way which could jeopardize safety. In some tragic cases a baby has been abandoned in a trash can or on a porch.
“If she cannot take care of the child, instead of putting it in a fire station or some place worse, the Safe Haven baby box is a safe place for the child to be put,” said Jackson County Commission President Steve Westfall.
The idea is to avert a tragedy and give a baby a chance during its most vulnerable time.
“You see stories of children being dropped off at different places. I hope it’s never used, but if a mother can’t take care of the child that’s a safe place to put it and it will be loved,” he added.
The cost of the box was $15,000 which the county commission paid for. The annual maintenance of the box will be covered by the hospital.
If a mother chooses to give up the child it will be without penalty and non questions asked so long as the baby is placed into the hospital box.
“Once it’s in there it is in the custody of the state. There will be no penalty to the mother and the hospital will be notified by an alarm,” said Westfall.
Numerous boxes such as these have bene installed at hospitals, fire stations, EMS stations, and other safe havens across the country. This will be the 5th box installed in West Virginia. They are currently located at fire stations in St. Albans, Wheeling, and Morgantown as well as one at the Moundsville EMS station.