Those who heard the news about the abandoned baby in Bedok might have been disheartened by humanity.
Lest you didn’t know what happened: a newborn baby was found alive and abandoned, wrapped in a plastic bag, in a bin at the bottom of a rubbish chute at Block 534 Bedok North Street 3 on 7 Jan 2020.
The baby was taken in stable condition to KK Women’s and Children’s Hospital.
But don’t let your faith in humanity die yet…
Six Women Offered To Care Or Adopt The Baby
The New Paper received two emails on 8 January, and another four more on 9 January from individuals offering to take care of the baby.
Needless to say, they were shocked that babies are still abandoned in Singapore.
The Women
Ms Susan Tan, 40, works in human resources and lives in a four-room flat with her husband and two daughters aged 11 and nine. They also have a maid.
“I’m willing to take care of him for as long as it takes. But if his parents are found and want him back, I’m also willing to give him back,” she said in a phone interview.
The curious thing here is that Ms Tan hasn’t talked to her husband, who is also in his 40s and works in maintenance, about this yet.
“I think my husband would be happy because he would love to have a boy.”
Ms Wong said in her e-mail that she sympathises with the plight of the baby and would be glad to adopt the baby if no one is found to care for him. She did not respond to TNP’s request for a phone interview.
Nurul, 27, who has a seven-month-old son, said she would like to donate her excess breast milk to the infant.
Ms Shahirah Slamat, 34, told TNP in a phone interview that she was heartbroken from reading the case.
This is a bit personal too; she and her husband had been trying for a baby for four years. Visits to the doctor have not worked, and they are not sure about in-vitro fertilisation. She had once tried to adopt her friend’s baby, but the friend backed out later.
“I feel so jealous when I see people pregnant. My sister has five children… I don’t mind adopting this little baby. If no one wants him, I will take him. We want a child so much.”
“I know the adoption process is long and hard, and I don’t have my hopes up. But I am not intimidated. I am willing to do anything for the baby.”
Sze Wan, 43, is single and lives with her parents, but is sure of her ability to raise the baby.
“His story is sad. But I will give him a good education and raise him as my own, my parents will love him too.”
In TNP’s article where they talked to voluntary welfare organisations (VWOs), it is revealed that the process will be long, with the home study report taking two to three months and the legal process another six to nine months to complete.
On Giving Up Babies For Adoption
While I don’t doubt that abandoning babies is an act of cruelty, I believe people who do so are pushed by ugly and unfavourable circumstances.
For those wondering what might have happened to result in this, circumstances like rape, uncontactable biological fathers, teen pregnancy, or foreign domestic workers who cannot work if pregnant come to mind.
A comment on Reddit by u/DuePomegranate also pointed out that despite giving up babies for adoption being legal and free, the small details on the adoption process itself is difficult to find and not well publicised.
TNP also spoke to certain help centres, and they reveal that distressed mothers who call them do not consider abandoning their baby as an option.
Ms Jennifer Heng, director of Safe Place, also said that 60 to 70% of pregnant women who ask about abortion eventually choose to have the child and self-parent.
“I would think that someone would be in extreme fear if she were to abandon her baby.”
“Those who do so are in a position where they don’t know what to do. It’s not something that is premeditated.”
I mean, think about it. I have a hard time releasing the duplicate Pokemon I captured in my Pokemon games. And now you’re talking about someone who held a baby for around 9 months in her body.
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That’s more commitment than putting the Pokemon in your main team of six, and I sure as hell ain’t releasing any of them to the wild.
