Abandoning Babies at Saint Paul's Hospital

Oldtown News
Vancouver, BC

ABANDONING BABIES at SAINT PAUL'S HOSPITAL

This new idea in Canada of women being able to anonymously abandon their babies at St Paul's Hospital is so sad. We hear that the baby or child will be put into the care of social services and this is supposed to alleviate our concerns I guess.

Mothers and Fathers have a responsibility if giving up the baby to forward important information/history about the baby or child and especially that a child should have in their later years.

Every individual should have and deserve to know their heritage, when they were born, where they were born and important family medical history. Why would we deny children a right to know when their own birthday is? Denying a child this historical marker seems really cruel if you ask me.

Thankfully, Mary Ellen Turpel-Lafond, the province' Child and Youth Representative the other morning on CBC, outlined a number of concerns regarding this planned action.

Seems to me that there is potential human rights abuses if this policy is allowed to be put into action and I'm not sure if BC or Canada when a child is born has a Chidren's Bill or Rights and if there isn't, perhaps there needs to be.

There are many options if you can't care for a baby or child and if we need improved supports than we need to ensure all babies have a fair start in life but to throw up our hands and say it is OK to toss out your baby like you would the trash is totally unacceptable.

What has happened to society?

Jamie Lee Hamilton
tricia_foxx@yahoo.com