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Newborn baby legally surrendered to state at local fire station

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BATON ROUGE - A mother gave up her newborn to St. George fire officials over the weekend just hours after she was born.

The woman called the St. George Fire Department around 2 a.m. Sunday morning and requested that a woman meet her outside in the parking lot to take her baby.

Officials say a female communication officer with the department arranged to meet with the mother in a well-lit area of the lot. The baby was handed to her  through the window of a car.

The newborn was not surrendered with any paperwork or details of any family health history, but officials say that is important information that they wish the mother would have left behind.

The statewide Safe Baby Sites program allows for mothers who believe they are unfit to parent to surrender their baby no more than 60 days old to any location that allows for it with no questions asked.

Officials with St. George Fire tell WBRZ the program is designed for babies to be in better hands and are grateful the mother made this difficult decision.

Shortly after the 2 a.m. drop off, emergency crews responded to the department's headquarters where they determined the baby was about 3 hours old.

Despite the newborn crying throughout examination, officials say she seemed to be in good health before being transported to Woman's Hospital nearby.

Public information officer, Eldon Ledoux, says in his nearly 20 years with the department, this is the third or fourth time someone has surrendered their baby to the station.

"I think it took a remarkable lot of courage from that mother. And a lot of love and caring and kindness to give that little gift a life that perhaps she felt she could not. In a time where we too often read of tragedies where newborns are discarded, we're incredibly pleased and proud to have been able to play a part in this little girl's second birth," Ledoux said.

More information on the Louisiana Safe Haven Law can be found here

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