State Representative Geanie Morrison with the San
Antonio Fire Department. |
In 1999, a national spotlight was focused on a problem
that deserves the attention of all those who are concerned
for the well being of the most vulnerable in our society.
Everyday countless women around the world face the reality
of an unplanned pregnancy. A small number of these women
hide or deny the fact that they are pregnant. They have
not confided in family or friends, and have not reached
out to any number of the crisis pregnancy or adoption
services that are available to them. These women carry
their babies to term, give birth in secret and then,
out of fear, shame, confusion, desperation, or sometimes
selfishness, they abandon their newborn baby in some
out of the way place - leaving their child to die -
hoping that the pregnancy will never be discovered.
Unfortunately, very few people across the Lone Star
State are aware that this heart-wrenching scenario is
occurring more and more. The reason, Texas like most
states does not keep statistics specific to this problem.
Until recently, the issue of newborn abandonment has
gone virtually unnoticed. However, since state Representative
Geanie W. Morrison, R-Victoria, passed the country's
first Baby Moses legislation, all 50 states have taken
notice, enacting similar laws to address this tragic
problem.
It is unfortunate, but it may never be known exactly
how many newborns are abandoned every year. A statistic
that is often quoted is a 1998 study in which 108 newborns
were reported abandoned, and of those, 33 died. This
study was conducted by surveying a relatively small
number of newspapers, and it is important to recognize
that to be counted, the newspaper had to be large enough
to be included in the study, and the newborn had to
be found. In other words, this number significantly
under represents the severity and scope of the problem.
State Representative Geanie Morrison with the San
Antonio Fire Department. |
To combat the senseless loss of life, Rep. Morrison
filed HB 3423 during the 76th Legislative Session. Rep.
Morrison argued that by providing a responsible alternative
to newborn abandonment, two lives could be saved. Not
only would the legislation prevent a newborn from being
abandoned in a perilous place, it would also protect
a mother who was in a desperate situation. Working with
the Senate sponsor Jane Nelson, HB 3423 was unanimously
passed by both the House and Senate, and on June 6,
1999, then Governor George W. Bush signed the country's
first newborn abandonment bill into law.
Due to Texas being the first state to file safe haven
legislation, no funds were attached to publicize the
change in the statute (allocating funds significantly
reduces the chance a bill will get passed in the Texas
Legislature). Therefore, Rep. Morrison and Dr. Richardson
co-founded the Baby Moses Foundation to privately fund
a public awareness/education campaign.
Again, with no previous attention having been focused
on this issue, Rep. Morrison and Dr. Richardson had
to start from the beginning. The Project began by forming
focus groups comprised of a broad cross-section of the
community affected by the Baby Moses Project. Members
and supporters of the effort did not want to hastily
throw together an ineffective campaign. Instead, members
focused on the most effective way to disseminate information
to a targeted audience. Since the Project's first public
service announcement began airing, nearly 100 Texas
newborns have been saved.
Project members recognize that it will be impossible
to reach every desperate mother, but each desperate
mother that they do reach makes the effort worth the
work. In the beginning, members said that if they could
save one newborn, the effort would be a success. Fortunately,
it has been a success and they continue to see the benefits
from around the country.
As with any effort there are critics of the safe haven
laws. Bastard Nation, an organization established to
oppose confidential adoption, has argued that the newborn
will be forced to grow up without any knowledge of their
medical history or biological parents. In response,
project members and supporters of the Baby Moses law
argue that it is better to have a baby safely delivered
to an EMT with no medical history, than a baby found
in a trash can with no medical history.
The second most prevalent argument is that these types
of laws promote irresponsibility. However, supporters
of the Baby Moses laws argue that, rape and incest aside,
the irresponsible act has already taken place when a
mother becomes pregnant and cannot care for her child.
Foundation members hope that by providing a viable option
to newborn abandonment, the second decision that a mother
makes will be a responsible one that in effect saves
two lives.
The Baby Moses project supports all efforts to prevent
unwanted pregnancies and newborn abandonment. However,
abstinence and education programs have been in place
for years, and still there are stories about newborns
being found in trash cans. Until a program is put into
place that is 100% effective, project members believe
that there is a responsibility to provide a safety net
for the newborns that will unfortunately fall through
the cracks of the "Just Say No to Sex" programs.
|
