CHRISTUS Mother Frances Hospital in Tyler, Texas, has added a Safe Haven Baby Box that allows parents in distress to safely and privately surrender an infant.
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott was among those in attendance for the dedication and blessing of the device on April 25. "That is Texas, where you build an infrastructure of hope before you even know who will need it, and then you pray. You pray that somebody will find it," Abbott said at the event.
Safe Haven Baby Boxes are monitored by first responders or emergency medical providers 24 hours a day. The climate-controlled spaces are equipped with alarms that alert responders when a baby is placed inside so they can swiftly take the infant into their care.
Texas has a "Baby Moses Law," which allows parents to anonymously surrender unharmed babies under 60 days old at designated safe sites, such as hospitals and fire stations. The state's first Safe Haven Baby Box was installed in Abilene in April 2024, and now there are several. The governor's office said the first use of a box in the state happened this year in Lubbock.
In addition to attending the baby box dedication, Abbott toured Mother Frances' pediatric intensive care unit. The eight-bed unit opened Dec. 8 and has seen more than 250 patients since then. The unit is the first of its kind in East Texas.
CHRISTUS Mother Frances is part of CHRISTUS Health.
During his remarks at CHRISTUS, Abbott highlighted the work Texas is doing to protect mothers in crisis and save lives. He recognized the medical staff of the PICU for their dedication and joined attendees in prayer.