After a newborn baby was found abandoned on top of a trash can this week, a flood of memories came back for a suburban woman who was left behind in similar circumstances almost 24 years ago.
That woman, 24-year-old Morgan Hill, was left in a dumpster by her biological mother shortly after her birth. Since then, she has used her story to help others, and hopes that this week’s incident can be used to draw more attention to Safe Haven laws.
“It absolutely broke my heart,” she said. “I was so nervous the baby was not going to make it.”
In 1995, Hill’s biological mother left her in a dumpster in Hoffman Estates. A construction worker found her, and she was later adopted.
“It may be a tragic story, but I have a powerful, positive outcome for it,” she said. “(I seek to) turn something tragic into something positive.”
That something positive for Morgan and her mother has been spreading awareness about the Safe Haven law, passed in Illinois in 2001. The law allows mothers to drop off their babies at designated locations, including police stations, firehouses, and hospitals, with no questions asked.
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“The great thing about the law is that there’s no blame,” Morgan said. “No name and no shame. They are safe as long as you put them in the hands of police or a hospital.”
Morgan and her mother keep a book with old clippings about her story, which helped to inspire the state’s Safe Haven law. It opens the door to options for mothers, and Morgan says that her mission is to make sure that babies, even the unwanted ones, have a chance.
“If my story saves one life, it’s worth telling, and I know it has saved more than just one,” she said.
According to literature available from the state, women may legally hand their unharmed baby, up to 30 days old, to a staff member at a hospital, fire or police station, or an emergency care facility, and the baby will be given medical care and will be adopted by a family.
Women who turn over their babies will not be required to give their name or information. Women seeking help under the Safe Haven law can call 1-888-510-2229, and may remain anonymous.
