Infant Surrendered to Tennessee Safe Haven Baby Box

A baby was surrendered to a Safe Haven Baby Box in Hendersonville, Tennessee, last week, WKRN reported. 

The infant is the first to be surrendered to the baby box location at Hendersonville Fire Station #5 on Forest Retreat Road. The baby box was installed in April 2024.

Firefighters immediately responded and retrieved the infant safely once the device was activated, according to the report. 

“Very unfortunately, Hendersonville was the home of a mother who suffocated her newborn twins more than 10 years ago,” Hendersonville Mayor Jamie Clary said in a press release. “As an adoptee and Mayor, I wanted to help struggling parents like her and enable new lives for babies through adoption.”

He continued:

When Safe Haven approached me, I envisioned the baby box as a life-saving gift. Our city board approved the request, and we installed the box at a fire hall adjacent to our hospital less than two years ago. I cannot praise our firefighters and ambulance staff enough for their care of the baby who recently began a new life in their hands. 

Baby boxes are temperature-controlled incubators often built into exterior walls of fire stations, police stations, and hospitals that can be accessed from inside. At-risk mothers can safely and legally place their newborns inside. Once the baby is inside the baby box the outside door locks and the mother has time to leave before an alarm goes off alerting first responders or hospital staff to the child’s presence.

The baby is then quickly removed and sent to a hospital for a wellness check. From there, the infant is usually placed into state custody and is often adopted quickly.

Fifteen babies were surrendered anonymously through the baby box program in 2024. There are more than 300 baby box locations across the United States.

“This is our third baby box baby in Tennessee. We are proud of the many communities that have prioritized being prepared for safe surrender across the state,” Safe Haven Baby Boxes founder Monica Kelsey said.

“Local leaders are protecting these women in crisis by placing baby boxes, and now we have another safe infant,” she continued. “Surrender is an act of sacrificial love, and we know this mother had great intent for her child that she couldn’t currently provide. We also are here to offer support post-surrender with counseling for the mother should she choose to reach out.”

Tennessee law allows the surrender of infants up to to 45 days old to baby boxes, hospitals, fire stations, police stations, and EMS providers, according to the organization’s website. 

Katherine Hamilton is a political reporter for Breitbart News. You can follow her on X @thekat_hamilton.