Young mother drops off twin boys at Phoenix fire station
PHOENIX, Ill. (WLS) -- A young mother dropped off twin boys at the fire station in south suburban Phoenix early Wednesday morning.
Phoenix Fire Dept. Chief Mickil Smith said the young woman made a good choice in taking advantage of the Illinois Safe Haven Law and bringing her boys to a safe place. He said she did everything right.
Smith said the mother, who is in her late teens or early 20s, knocked on the door of the Phoenix firehouse around 1:30 a.m. When two on-duty firefighters answered, she handed over a diaper bag and her twins, who were each strapped in a car seat.
"She stated to the firefighters that she just couldn't go on any further with them," Chief Mickil Smith said. "She gave them information about some allergies that the kids may have and she left."
The twins were taken to the hospital for observation. They are in good health.
Smith said he commends not only his firefighters for doing the right thing, but also this young mother.
"Too often we find and hear about kids being left on the side of the road, in dumpsters, a lot of other bad things that could have happened. So I'm proud of this young woman for what she did. I respect her decision and I'm glad to say the Safe Haven worked. It may not have been in the parameters of the law, but it worked," Smith said.
The Illinois Safe Haven Law allows allows anyone to bring a baby to a fire station, police station, hospital or emergency medical service provider without legal ramifications. In this case, the twins are older.
"I think her heart was in the right place," said Dawn Geras, a founding member of Save Abandoned Babies.
Geras said she understands there is the letter - and the spirit - of the law.
"When it comes to prosecuting this poor woman, they take into consideration the intent of the law. And the intent is to save the babies," Geras said.
So far, Phoenix police have not returned calls about this case.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:
Save Abandoned Babies Foundation
Toll free number: 1-888-510-2229
Illinois Adoption Registry
Toll free number: 1-877-323-5299
