Hunt on for family for abandoned baby

Baby “John Doe” spent his first Christmas at the Wendy Fitzwilliam Paediatric Hospital, Eric Williams Medical Sciences Complex. An anonymous call to the E999 on November 14 was relayed to the Barataria Police Station notifying that there was a baby in an abandoned house on Tenth Avenue Barataria. Officers went to the house and found a baby in a yard with overgrown bush. The baby was wearing diapers, a vest and wrapped in a blanket. He had mosquito bites about the exposed parts of his body. Baby John had a clip on his navel string, which indicated to the officers that he was between one and four days old. His background is a mystery since he was found and taken to EWMSC by police. Attempts by the police to track down his mother have so far been futile.

“He was estimated to be about six weeks old. He is healthy and developing in an institution,” said head of the EWMSC Social Services Department, trained clinical social worker, Helena Joseph. She said his basic needs are met, and staff at Mt Hope have loved him like family. Some members of the public have expressed an interest in adopting him, but Joseph said a “process,” which includes trying to find John’s birth mother, must be followed. While the initial reaction to abandonment of a baby can prompt hasty condemnation of the mother, Joseph said her situation cannot be assessed in isolation. “Maybe the mother is out there feeling pain and guilt. Maybe she is trapped in silence depending on her circumstances. The mom continues to be invisible, what must she be feeling? The father is obviously invisible.”

Joseph said it may be difficult for her to come forward. She posed several questions which need to be answered — whether the family structure is intact, what triggered the mother’s action, what was the quality of support she got? “We come from a family that is influenced by society, so we have to look at all the circumstances.” Joseph said the mother must be congratulated for going to full term with the baby. It is not the first time that Joseph has seen babies whose mothers are unable to cope and leave them to the State. She referred to babies with cerebral palsy to illustrate how complex the issue of abandonment is. While mothers of these children receive a disability grant, it is often not sufficient. She said the needs of the family — housing, food, clothing must be met. “What if the mom is the main care giver and she does not have support. It is not that the mom is deliberately depending on the State, but children with cerebral palsy grow and their developmental process is different and their needs change.”