A Safe Haven law, or a safe surrender law, allows a parent to surrender their baby at a designated location without fear of being charged with abandonment. No question asked, the person surrenders their baby to someone who will know just what to do and how to act.
The law aims to prevent newborns from being dumped and placed in life-threatening situations.
Some five years ago, one desperate mother rang the doorbell of Station 75 fire department in Santa Ana, California. When Capt. Daryll Milliot who was on duty that day went out, he saw the woman holding a 15-hour-old baby. It was the first time for an infant to be surrendered at this safe heaven, that’s why this experience was unique for everyone involved, including firefighters Michael de Leon, Tyler Green, and Shawn Stacy.
These men did their best to comfort the baby girl named Naomi while they were waiting for the social workers to arrive. Although they spent a very short time with the sweet baby, they still consider themselves “unofficial uncles.”
Shortly after Naomi was taken under the wing of the social services, she was adopted. Krysten and Kurt Snyder, who were in the process of adopting a 1-year-old boy at the time, were told about Naomi, and they didn’t hesitate before they said yes to adopting her as well.
“It’s so crazy — one moment we say, ‘Yes, we are taking a baby,’ and the next moment you are packing the car up, making the list for Target of all the things you need to get,” Krysten said.
On the day of the adoption ceremony, the Snyders invited their daughter’s “uncles” to share the joy with them.
“It’s one of the highlights of my career by far, going to that ceremony and seeing her again because when it happens you don’t know what’s going to happen to the baby,” Michael de Leon told CBS LA.
We are sad Naomi was surrendered just hours after she had been welcomed into this world, but we are at the same time happy she found a loving family to call her own.
For the whole story, check out the video below.