MOORESVILLE — A healthy baby girl was safely surrendered in a Safe Haven Baby Box in Mooresville this week.
The box, located at the Mooresville Fire Department on East State Road 144 was the 39th box installed by the organization in the United States.
Safe Haven Baby Boxes was founded by Monica Kelsey said the infant was picked up from the box by medical professionals within one minute of being placed inside the box.
Kelsey and the Mooresville Fire Department held a media conference Friday afternoon to share the news and give an update on the infant. She said she holds these press conferences as an avenue to let the mother's know they made the right choice and their baby is safe.
"We want you to know, your baby is healthy, your baby is safe and we've got it from here," Kelsey said.
READ | Indiana's Safe Haven Baby Boxes are saving - and changing - lives
The infant surrendered in Mooresville is the sixth baby surrendered inside a baby box this year and the fifth in Indiana.
"The Mooresville Fire Department is here to protect property and save lives. With this box, this gives our department another tool just to do that," Mooresville Fire Chief Matt Dalton said during Friday's press conference.
LIST | Find a Safe Haven Baby Box Near You
Kelsey, who was abandoned as an infant, has dedicated her life to helping mothers in crisis and giving them a safe, anonymous way to surrender their babies without fear of persecution or judgment.
READ | Behind the Box: A mother's story of surrendering her infant out of love
Since the first Safe Haven Baby box was installed in Indiana, 20 infants have been placed safely in the boxes. Nationwide, the organization has assisted with 117 safe surrenders after calls to the Safe Haven Baby Box Hotline.
There are currently 111 Safe Haven Baby Boxes available in Indiana, Ohio, Arkansas, Florida, Kentucky, and New Mexico. Click HERE for a list of all available baby box locations across the country.
What is a Safe Haven Baby Box?
Baby boxes are safe incubators that have alarm systems, so 911 is notified as soon as a baby is placed inside. The baby boxes also have heating and cooling features.
READ | Meet Grace: One of Indiana's Safe Haven babies
Once the infant is collected by first responders, they're taken to the nearest medical facility to be evaluated.
Infants surrendered under Indiana's Safe Haven Law are placed in the custody of the state's Department of Child Services after they are released from the hospital. The process then begins to find an adoptive family within 30-45 days.
@safehavenbabyboxes How does a baby box work? #Saving #AbandonedBabies #SafeHaven #NoMoreBabiesInDumpsters #SafeHavenBabyBoxes #SavingLives ♬ original sound - Monica Kelsey
Safe Haven Hotline
The boxes make the news, but the Safe Haven Hotline is where most of these journeys begin.
SHBB staffs a 24-hour Safe Haven hotline (1-866-99BABY1), so parents can talk to trained professionals and get more information about their options for surrendering or how to get assistance to help them be able to care for their child.
The SHBB hotline is staffed by licensed counselors.
The Safe Haven Law allows mothers to safely surrender their infants, anonymously, up to 30 days old
Under the Safe Haven Law, parents have up to 30 days to change their mind once they surrender an infant.
See the map below for locations of all available Safe Haven Baby Boxes in Indiana and across the country.
