The crew at Garland Fire Station #7 is typically rushing to a call.
Last Thursday the call came to their doorstep – a young mother with a baby in her arms.
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WATCH HERE“This was a newborn born probably within the last few hours,” said James Dugger with Garland Fire.
The mother and her boyfriend told firefighters they were unable to care for the child.
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SIGN UP Paramedics checked out mom and baby before taking both to the hospital.
“They got word from the hospital that the baby was in perfect health and that the mom was stable and everybody is doing fine,” said Dugger.
Commonly referred to as the ‘Baby Moses' law, parents have the option to safely surrender newborns in Texas.
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No questions are asked and there are no consequences as long as the baby is 60 days old or younger and has not been harmed. The law was signed by Gov. George W. Bush in 1999.
“I’d like to commend the parents for the choice they made. This is a tough decision for any parent and to stop and think about what they could do in this situation, rather than abandoning or harming the baby, they made the right decision,” said Dugger.
Numbers provided by the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services show since September 2024, two newborns have been abandoned with five surrendered.
In the prior fiscal year, 18 newborns were abandoned, more than the 14 surrendered under the Baby Moses Law.
“If there’s a young couple or young mother on her own that thinks there’s no option of what to do with their baby there is an option. This is a great safe option to give that baby a chance at a normal healthy life,” Dugger said.
According to the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services, newborns will be placed in the state’s temporary care while they work on finding a permanent family.
To read more about the Baby Moses law visit here or call the Texas Baby Moses Hotline at 1-877-904-SAVE (1-877-904-7283).
