A 14-year-old girl gave up her newborn child to unknowing diners at an El Patron restaurant in Jersey City, New Jersey, in May. Security cameras caught the terrible incident, which saw a young girl holding a bundle in desperation while blood trickled down her leg. The middle school student begged a couple she observed having lunch for assistance, obviously in distress.
The little girl appeared to be in discomfort, as noticed by Alease Scott and her boyfriend Walter Cocca. They were also worried about the baby’s health. Scott described the conversation as follows: “I said, ‘Do you mind if I check the baby’s vitals?'” Her attention immediately turned to the infant as she gave it to her.
The infant had color, but Scott said that she just saw that the respiration seemed a little difficult. Fortunately, Scott has CPR training. She concentrated so much on making sure the baby was breathing OK when the authorities and their medical equipment arrived. As soon as she put the baby’s oxygen mask on, all of a sudden, Scott recounted, they heard the most beautiful cry, and the baby began moving. She mildly opened up her eyes before closing them, however the cutest thing was when she got hungry and was trying to suckle on the oxygen mask so they knew she was OK after that.
The girl was just so afraid, she continued. All Scott saw was a baby who just didn’t know what to do and made a really horrible decision that worked out for the good of that baby, the woman remarked.
Scott just commented regarding her role in the baby’s survival, she is just so pleased she was there to assist as the girl was frightened and didn’t know what to do, she was so young. Frankie Aguilar, an employee at El Patron, agreed. He saw that because of the little girl’s actions, the police were contacted. When reflecting on the incident, he recalled that “she just departed” after giving the infant to another person, one of our clients. Thank goodness, the young person was subsequently located and brought to the Jersey Medical Center.
According to the safeguards promised to them by her state government, the kid looked to have been grandfathered in and provided safe passage to the hospital rather than to jail. States have different requirements and processes for giving up a child, with North Dakota having one of the longest windows. Legally, the middle schooler was not in a designated safe area because she was in New Jersey and gave the infant to someone at a company.
The Safe Haven Infant Protection Act of New Jersey “allows for the anonymous handover of a newborn child by parents or their representatives at any hospital emergency department, police station, fire station, ambulance, first aid station, and rescue squads that are staffed 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
The infant should be received without hesitation if it looks to be less than 30 days old and isn’t the victim of abuse or neglect.” Authorities or stations are required to get in touch with their local hotline after receiving a surrendered newborn. The Safe Haven phone number for the Department of Children and Families in New Jersey is 1-877-839-2339.
Organizations like Safe Haven Baby Box have been informing the public about the laws in other states through their TikTok videos, which have gone viral. In a blog post, the founder, Monica Kelsey, described how her bio mother “deserted” her because she lacked the means to give her up securely.
The mom from El Patron and the child will be better protected as a result of Scott’s actions and the authorities’ comprehension. It was subsequently revealed that the young adolescent mother’s parents had chosen to take the baby after discovering of their daughter’s pregnancy and the child’s presence, despite the minor’s initial denials that she was the mom.
Scott, meanwhile, saw the teen’s possible predicament. She didn’t realize she was 14 when she handed the kid off to her, she said. They are unaware of her experiences. They’re not sure how she got to be in that condition. The viewers who left comments on Scott’s initial video were sympathetic as well.
Someone wrote: “I’m very happy that she decided to give the kid out rather than discard it. She is really cute. I think she made the proper decision since she felt trapped. But it was obvious that she cared for the infant. So sad.”
One more said: “That wasn’t callous or uncaring. We don’t know what caused her to feel the need to give her child away, or why. Most likely, there wasn’t anything close that might be regarded as a refuge.”
Fortunately, things turned out well for everyone concerned in the end.
