She was abandoned, left to the elements on a stranger's doorstep but a newborn baby girl is doing fine at the Western Regional Hospital tonight. The story of her abandonment by a mystery mother is one thing, but the real story is how this child even survived through a stormy night in Roaring Creek after she had been left outdoors. Today we went to Belmopan for the first pictures of this miracle child and we got the strange story of her discovery.
Jules Vasquez Reporting,
She's estimated to be about 72 hours old and she's reported to be in stable condition at the maternity ward of the Western Regional Hospital in Belmopan. That she is even alive is a virtual miracle because this child was found abandoned here on this very wet verandah of a roaring creek home yesterday morning. It was just as wet as this yesterday when 25-year-old Sherilee Williams found her.
Sherilee Williams, Found Baby
"I was scared. I was scared and frightened."
At 7:30 am Sherileee was sleeping when her aunt called from down the road to tell her that her grandson had seen a baby on her verandah.
Sherilee Williams,
"I didn't believe. I told her that let me go and check and I stood from my verandah upstairs and I bent over and when I looked I saw a newborn wrapped up in a towel just like the little boy had said. I was still on the phone with her and I told her I was going to call the police from the way it looked, it looked as if though the baby was dead. It was blue and you know--it looked dead."
But she wasn't dead, but by all indication, the newborn, with her umbilical chord still attached was near to it.
Sherilee Williams,
"I was about to call the police and she called for the neighbor. My neighbor came across and she said, 'but the baby is alive,' because apparently they heard the baby, like a soft cry noh, and she picked up the baby and she said, 'its
alive, it's alive.' And we got a fresh towel and we put the baby in there so I didn't eve call the police again. We put the baby in the towel and we took her to the hospital, to the maternity ward."
The four pound two ounce baby is recovering here, in an incubator at the hospital. But while the baby is fine, police are concerned for her mother.
Cpl. Kimboloean Burgess, Domestic Violence Unit
"The concern for the mother is her health because obviously the child was not born in a hospital or at least not as far as we know. We have been trying to contact the hospitals to sea if anyone had given birth recently, if anyone had gone in there who has just given birth, but we have gotten nothing yet. It is a health issue because we don't know what circumstances she had the child under; was it a sterile environment. It poses a lot of health issue for that mother.
If the mother is out there listening, come forward. If they decide that they cannot afford the child, there are families out there that need children that are willing to adopt a child. Come let us help if you need help."
But who would do such a thing and why? Sherilee Williams is a TV personality in Belmopan, she anchors the local news in the capital city and that may be one lead.
Jules Vasquez,
Who would do such a thing and why at your house.
Sherilee Williams,
"Beats me. I am still questioning that. I have no idea who would do such a thing."
Jules Vasquez,
You think it is random?
Sherilee Williams,
"I don't know. I don't know. Honestly I don't know who could do it or why."
Police have been asking those same questions.
Cpl. Kimboloean Burgess,
"We have had several leads and we are following up on it and we are
looking at the possibility that the person is from within the area who knows the person or might have had some type of connection to the person, whether it be physical contact or just by maybe just seeing the person or knowing that this person is able to take care of the child. We're looking at that as a possibility."
But Corporal Burgess says that police and the community have to take into consideration the condition, circumstance and mindset of what may have been a very confused mother.
Cpl. Kimboloean Burgess,
"It is very hard to say we understand or we could empathize with the person. It is very hard but when you look at it, you have to look at whose the mother. Is the mother a young person? What influence is around that person? What is their economic situation? Does the person believe that they are not able to maintain that child, that there is somebody out there to do it better than them? But why would they do it in that manner. Its very hard to understand but its something that until we find out who the person is and really get to know that person and find out their story, then we can say this person thought they were doing right or this person knew what they were doing and its harsh and cold. We cannot be judgmental at this point."
And while the mystery of the mother and the circumstances persist, right now the child is thriving against all odds.
Cpl. Kimboloean Burgess,
"The prognosis is very good. The doctors say the child will live. It is almost a full term child, 36 weeks. So the child is presently in the incubator and looking very good and healthy."
And no one is happier to hear that than Sherilee Williams. She's not sure why she was picked, but she's happy to know that she managed to do the right thing at the right time.
Sherilee Williams,
"She's going to be okay. She's going to be okay."
She will be fine indeed, the Human Services Department has already placed her with a family who will hold her if and until her mother is found, and if and until she is deemed fit. If not she may remain with that family or be fully adopted by a foster family. And while her condition is stable, doctors are still not sure how long she was outdoors in the wind and rain. An uncle of Sherilee Williams reports that when he got home at 1:00 am, he thought he heard a baby cry but since there is a child in the house, he didn't follow up on it. With that, it is believed that the child may have been outside all night.
