Simpson County has the opportunity to save babies like never before.
This summer the Safe Haven Law already on the books in Mississippi was altered. That law allowed for babies to be brought to hospitals or fire stations to be given up within three days of birth.
According to Melissa Sullivan, executive director of the Simpson County Center for Pregnancy Choices (CPC), the efforts to change the law were spearheaded by a nurse from Long Beach, Miss., Kaitlyn Kelly.
“Before this legislation passed we could not have a baby box in the State of Mississippi. Now it’s 45 days with no questions asked at a baby box or a hospital hand over,” Sullivan said. Gov. Tate Reeves has signed a law giving every Mississippi community permission to have a baby box as of July 15, 2023.
The first baby box to be approved was in Long Beach and is active although there is no data available yet as to its usage. However, an increase in the number of 911 calls inquiring about safe haven baby boxes has been reported. Common sense dictates that too will continue as the number of baby boxes increases across the state.
Simpson General Hospital has plans to be number two in the state and number one in a rural Mississippi community. Gregg Gibbes, SGH’s CEO, signed a contract with Safe Haven Baby Boxes, Inc. and fundraising efforts have already begun on the necessary $20,000 to place the box at SGH.
According to Sullivan they are already nearing the $10,000 mark. Their goal is to raise it all by October 15. She added, “We have some work to do but I think that’s going to happen.”
Safe Haven Baby Boxes, Inc. will begin building the box once all funds have been raised and it will take about three months to complete. The boxes are self contained and climate controlled at a constant 75 degrees with both air conditioning and heating. Boxes have three alarms – two silent except to the ER staff monitoring—when the box is opened and when a baby is actually placed in the box. If the box is unplugged a loud alarm goes off site wide. In addition, once the box is opened and shut it cannot be reopened except with a key. The average time of retrieval of the baby is three minutes.
The baby box at SGH will be located behind the hospital near the ER.
Everyone in the Simpson County community and surrounding areas may choose to help toward this effort. There are several ways to donate but all donations all donations must be made directly to Safe Haven Baby Boxes, Inc. Their address is P.O. Box 185, Woodburn, IN 46797. Also on the Simpson County CPC Facebook page there is a link to allow for direct donation. For more information or questions please contact Sullivan at melissa.sullivan@simpsongeneral.com or call the CPC at 601-382-5121. Safe Haven is a 501(c)3 nonprofit and all donations are tax deductible.
There is another hospital on the coast that has completed their fundraising efforts but not yet signed a contract, creating something of a competition to see whose next. “We want it to be us!” said Sullivan. Once building begins it will take about three months to complete and then install. Their goal is to have the box in place by January/February 2024.
This article was re-published from Simpson County News, September 14, 2023
