Baby Girl Gets Her Happy Ending After Firefighter Finds Her In A Safe Haven Box

Aug 15, 2023

Babies are fun-sized blessings that lighten up their families, but sometimes circumstances could make their presence prove otherwise. In situations where parents cannot take proper care or take up the often daunting responsibilities, childcare could be a burden. When things like this occur, some parents are compelled to either give up their babies for adoption or, in worst-case scenarios, leave them out and open to unforeseen danger. 

For this reason, Monica Kelsey, the CEO of Safe Haven Box, created the initiative to provide a better way for under-equipped parents to give their babies a chance at a better life anonymously. This was how the headlining story of baby Zoey came to be. 

A firefighter from Florida had been about his duties during an all-nighter when he was jolted by a 2 a.m. alarm at the station in January 2023. The emergency responder immediately understood the situation, as he realized that a baby had been dropped in the safe haven box placed in the work building. He swung into action, ensuring his following steps kept the baby safe.

Since its inception in 2016, Safe Haven Baby Boxes have provided 148 boxes around the United States, and so far, over 30 babies have been beneficiaries. According to the official website, the boxes are designed with temperature-controlled devices to keep the babies cozy, while the beds are in the form of bassinets. 

The primary goal of the non-profit organization is to raise awareness of the Safe Haven Law. The information on the website read relayed that the initiative also had a hotline that has received over 8,000 calls from every state. 

Kelsey, who was abandoned as a baby, was inspired to start Safe Haven Baby Boxes by her story and a similar initiative she came across in South Africa. Kelsey had seen how a church in Cape Town provided little boxes for abandoned babies, and she decided she would try to save as many motherless babies as possible. 

Years later, baby Zoey escaped being abandoned without care when Vincent, a firefighter, found her in the box set up at his work building. According to CBS Miami, the emergency personnel revealed that he initially thought it was a false alarm. However, when he found her, she had a little bottle, and her umbilical cord was tied with a shoelace. 

The paramedic further explained that he immediately became smitten as he carried the baby in his arms. Vincent and his wife, Katie, had been trying for a baby for years. The wheels turned in his head as he took the newborn to the hospital for proper care. 

According to TODAY, Vincent left a note at the hospital that said he and his wife were well-equipped. Two days after finding the infant, the firefighter and his wife were allowed to take her home. The couple adopted Zoey six months after they found her. Katie said:

"We really felt in our hearts that we wanted to let the birth mom know in some way or shape or form that she is safe, she is happy, and she is very loved."

He stated that he decided to share the story so that Zoey's birth mom would get some closure. His wife also noted that she thought what she did was "respectable." 

The firefighter said, “We want her to know that her child is taken care of and that she’s loved beyond words."

Isn't it heartwarming that baby Zoey ended up in great care? What do you think of the Safe Haven Baby Boxes initiative? Let us know, and pass this piece on to others.