Baby boy born, then abandoned as mother walks away

[celeb_2006]

Baby boy born, then abandoned as mother walks away

San Francisco police arrested a woman after she gave birth to a baby boy on a street corner Sunday night and then walked away, abandoning the baby.

A security guard who saw the woman delivering the baby on Fifth and Stevenson Streets at 9:30 p.m. was calling 911 when he saw the mother get up and walk away, according to police Capt. Al Casciato.
"The kid was lying on the street and she was walking away,'' Casciato said.
Casciato said police found the mother in blood soaked clothing within minutes just two blocks away. The woman, who police have tentatively identified as Nadine Matthews, denied giving birth, he said.
"She denied having a baby, but her clothing was soaked in blood,'' Casciato said.
Paramedics arrived within moments of the birth and the baby boy -- who weighed 5 pounds 12 ounces -- was taken to San Francisco General Hospital and is in the custody of Child Protective Services.
Matthews, who is believed to be in her mid-30s, appeared to be suffering from psychosis and had to be restrained, Casciato said. She has been charged with child endangerment and was also taken to San Francisco General for observation. The incident came a month after a woman gave birth to a baby on an Oakland street and walked away leaving it in a puddle of blood. No charges were filed after an autopsy revealed that the baby was stillborn.

[MissKat]

How could she do such a thing? Although she does seem to have some sort of major mental problems. Hopefully baby boy will go to a loving home and the mother will be locked up for a long time

I just can't understand why this happens when people can supposedly leave babies at designated places, no questions asked. Is that not the case anymore? Is it not widely known?

[shedevilang]

ita they have drop off centers so this won't happen it makes no sense to me

[McJag]

This one sounds too far out to understand. The rest-I can't figure that out. There are signs posted, they won't be asked any questions,etc. This year we have had 2 turned over at fire stations-babies doing well. Those babies are already in happy homes. So many parents to be are just waiting.

[western]

Originally Posted by GuvmentCheese

I just can't understand why this happens when people can supposedly leave babies at designated places, no questions asked. Is that not the case anymore? Is it not widely known?

I'm not advocating what this woman did by any means but perhaps when you're suffering from psychosis it might be a little difficult to recall what to do when you give birth on a street corner. That alone should be a clue - why would any woman in her right mind give birth on a street corner?

Originally Posted by western

I'm not advocating what this woman did by any means but perhaps when you're suffering from psychosis it might be a little difficult to recall what to do when you give birth on a street corner. That alone should be a clue - why would any woman in her right mind give birth on a street corner?

I understand there are cases that involve legit psychosis but I wasn't referring to this one alone. It happens pretty frequently even though they have what amount to drop off centers.

[Pocahontas13]

There's been alot of these cases lately and its just depressing knowing that there's people who can't even have children and mothers who just dump their babies on the street. Isn't there a law that they can drop off the baby at any hospital within 48hrs no questions asked?

[KrisNine]

In a lot of states the law is 72 hours and you can take the baby to a hospital, fire station or police station, no questions asked. That's the law in California.

[sluce]

It is something that no one can understand unless they are dealing it with it themselves. Working in adoption has shown me a little insight. The drop off centers sound great but in reality it then requires the mother, often a young teen, to get to the drop off point with a child that no one knows they have had in most cases. I would love for them all to go to a hospital and not have to give a name. Then they can get checked out to make sure they are ok after the delivery. They can be offered counselling. They can be asked for non identifying information so the child can have some information as they grow up. They can be told how to contact social services if in the years that follow they need help or want to make themselves available to the child once they are an adult. There are so many better ways to handle it in a perfect world.

[Novice]

Originally Posted by sluce

It is something that no one can understand unless they are dealing it with it themselves. Working in adoption has shown me a little insight. The drop off centers sound great but in reality it then requires the mother, often a young teen, to get to the drop off point with a child that no one knows they have had in most cases. I would love for them all to go to a hospital and not have to give a name. Then they can get checked out to make sure they are ok after the delivery. They can be offered counselling. They can be asked for non identifying information so the child can have some information as they grow up. They can be told how to contact social services if in the years that follow they need help or want to make themselves available to the child once they are an adult. There are so many better ways to handle it in a perfect world.

You know Sluce, you're the first person on here to move me to tears, but tonight you've managed it. You show so much compassion to these young mothers that may go on to regret what they are doing and have no way of tracing their child in the future.

[sluce]

Originally Posted by Novice

You know Sluce, you're the first person on here to move me to tears, but tonight you've managed it. You show so much compassion to these young mothers that may go on to regret what they are doing and have no way of tracing their child in the future.

Unfortunately many years ago when I was new in the field I was chosen to represent a young women who had abandoned her child. The baby was unharmed and she had left him in an area where he could easily be found.

The Mom was 15, from a very strict religious family. She felt telling her parents would result in her being thrown out of the house. The story of her abandoning the baby hit the area news. People were interviewed calling her a horrible person and so on. Then she turned herself in and I was brought in.

She had delivered the baby herself 2 days before. She was still bleeding heavily and in medical danger. Some of the nurses at the hospital refused to work with her because they hated her for what she had done. She could hear them talking about her in the hallway. Her name was not released to the public because she was a minor but her parents were informed. As she had predicted, they disowned her. The father came to the hospital to give insurance info and told the social worker they should arrange for her to have foster care because they would not take her home.

The only words she would say to me for 2 weeks was she wanted the baby to be given to a nice family. They should have a safe yard for him to play in, like the one at the house she had left him in front of. They had to be people who would love him no matter what. We found an amazing family for her son. They were older and had suffered the loss of a biological child. They recognized that she too would be experiencing a huge loss. They wanted to meet her but she refused. They wrote her a letter telling her that they would love her son no matter what and that they loved her too. They told her that once a year they would write her a letter and send picture of "their" son to be held at the agency in case she ever wanted them.

It took her 10 years but she finally called the agency and got the letters and pictures. I had left the agency years before but a former co-worker told her how to reach me. She called to thank me for not making her feel like a horrible person and for sitting with her in the hospital for hours when she wouldn't even answer my questions. She was shifted through several foster homes over the years. She manged to get a GED and then started college at night. When she called me she was about 30 credit short of her degree in social work. She was engaged and was hoping to become a Mom some day and couldn't wait to know what it would feel like to get to be pregnant and proud, to hold her baby and know she could be a good Mom.

Now whenever I hear about a baby being abandoned I can't help but think that the baby isn't the only one suffering.

I also helped a women find the birthmom who had abandoned her in an office buidling in Philly 43 years before. It was hard since we had nothing to go on but the local paper ran some articles and the birthmom came forward. They had a DNA test that proved she was the Mom. I thought the adoptee would be angry at the Mom for abandoning her but she wasn't. Her adoptive parents had kept all the newspaper clippings about her abanadonment and raised her to pray for her birthmom and hope she was at peace with the terrible decision she had made. I was so impressed by her compassion.

These experiences taught me a lot. Mostly, there but for the grace of God go I.

[pacific breeze]

^^And all of us. Great posts, Sluce.

[Novice]

Originally Posted by sluce

Unfortunately many years ago when I was new in the field I was chosen to represent a young women who had abandoned her child. The baby was unharmed and she had left him in an area where he could easily be found.

The Mom was 15, from a very strict religious family. She felt telling her parents would result in her being thrown out of the house. The story of her abandoning the baby hit the area news. People were interviewed calling her a horrible person and so on. Then she turned herself in and I was brought in.

She had delivered the baby herself 2 days before. She was still bleeding heavily and in medical danger. Some of the nurses at the hospital refused to work with her because they hated her for what she had done. She could hear them talking about her in the hallway. Her name was not released to the public because she was a minor but her parents were informed. As she had predicted, they disowned her. The father came to the hospital to give insurance info and told the social worker they should arrange for her to have foster care because they would not take her home.

The only words she would say to me for 2 weeks was she wanted the baby to be given to a nice family. They should have a safe yard for him to play in, like the one at the house she had left him in front of. They had to be people who would love him no matter what. We found an amazing family for her son. They were older and had suffered the loss of a biological child. They recognized that she too would be experiencing a huge loss. They wanted to meet her but she refused. They wrote her a letter telling her that they would love her son no matter what and that they loved her too. They told her that once a year they would write her a letter and send picture of "their" son to be held at the agency in case she ever wanted them.

It took her 10 years but she finally called the agency and got the letters and pictures. I had left the agency years before but a former co-worker told her how to reach me. She called to thank me for not making her feel like a horrible person and for sitting with her in the hospital for hours when she wouldn't even answer my questions. She was shifted through several foster homes over the years. She manged to get a GED and then started college at night. When she called me she was about 30 credit short of her degree in social work. She was engaged and was hoping to become a Mom some day and couldn't wait to know what it would feel like to get to be pregnant and proud, to hold her baby and know she could be a good Mom.

Now whenever I hear about a baby being abandoned I can't help but think that the baby isn't the only one suffering.

I also helped a women find the birthmom who had abandoned her in an office buidling in Philly 43 years before. It was hard since we had nothing to go on but the local paper ran some articles and the birthmom came forward. They had a DNA test that proved she was the Mom. I thought the adoptee would be angry at the Mom for abandoning her but she wasn't. Her adoptive parents had kept all the newspaper clippings about her abanadonment and raised her to pray for her birthmom and hope she was at peace with the terrible decision she had made. I was so impressed by her compassion.

These experiences taught me a lot. Mostly, there but for the grace of God go I.

& more kudos to these adoptive parents for helping their children come to such compassion for their mothers.

[buttmunch]

As far as this woman goes, it seems fairly apparent that she is disturbed, so I can't really hold her accountable for her actions. If she's another poor psychotic case thrown out onto the streets to fend for herself, no one should be surprised that this happened.