Abandoned Alaska Baby Found in Cardboard Box With Heartbreaking Note From His Mom

The abandoned Alaska baby, who was found inside a cardboard box, is now in stable condition after authorities checked out reports of a child left out in the frigid cold in a rural section of Fairbanks.

In a statement, Alaska State Troopers said that they received a report of an abandoned newborn at a time when the temperature was 12 below zero degrees. However, resident Roxy Lane, who discovered the baby alongside a row of mailboxes at the front of her house, said he was wrapped in blankets and was cooing ever so softly.

The paramedics took the baby to the local hospital, where he was declared in good health. However, Lane appealed to the mother, who left a note inside the box with the baby, to come back and get help as she might be feeling abandoned herself.

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The Mother's Note

The mom of the Alaska baby wrote in her note that her son was born on Friday, December 31, at 12 weeks premature. While she didn't want to abandon the child, the mom indicated in the letter that her family does not have enough money to take care of another mouth to feed.

"My mom is so sad to do this," the letter stated. "Please take me and find me a LOVING FAMILY." The mom signed the letter with the baby's name -- Teshawn.

But Lane said that the mother might not be aware that Alaska has a Safe Haven law, where parents may give up babies younger than 21 days at a hospital, church, or a police and fire station without any questions or arrests. Alaska State Troopers spokesperson Austin McDaniel confirmed with Today that the law does apply. It's unclear what the repercussions are for the mom since she left her baby at an intersection. The authorities have asked the public to provide additional information if they are aware of this case.

However, Lane said that it was clear that the mother loves Teshawn, but she has to make the hardest choice of her life. The woman who discovered the abandoned Alaska baby said that she would likely never stop thinking about the baby for as long as she lives.

What is the Safe Haven Law?

The Safe Haven Law is also known as the Baby Moses Law, which decriminalizes the abandonment of a newborn. Texas was the first state to enforce the law in 1999, but a decade later, all 50 states have adopted variations of the statute.

In some states, the law is treated as an adoption surrender and a waiver of parental rights. However, the discovery of the parents' identities will keep them nameless in any court or legal records.

According to the proponents of the law, encouraging struggling parents to surrender their newborns at safe havens can save lives. However, critics of the law said that some statutes are one-sided and only favor the mother and shut out the father's rights. 

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