Baby Left in Taxi
A man gets into a cab in Queens, then tells the driver to stop so he can use a payphone. He jogs across the street and gets into another cab. Ditching the fare? Nope, his kid.
45 year-old driver Klever Sailema looked in the backseat after the mystery man disappeared and saw the cute little bundle of joy in the back. He drove to a nearby firehouse, where the firefighters fed the 6 (or 7) month-old girl, changed her diaper, and then brought her to St. John’s hospital. The baby appears to be in good health, is described as being in “excellent condition” and “well-cared for.” The disappearing dad left a bag of clothing and baby food, so he was thinking of the child’s welfare (admittedly in a tremendously bizarre and screwed up way.)
If there’s anything good about this story, it’s that the baby is healthy and very cute, which means that if adoption ends up as the only option, there should be some takers. But like, wow. What makes a person do something like that? Part of me hopes the Father of the Year surfaces just to explain himself in some capacity. Then again, do we really think he should be raising this girl? And where’s mom?
Two side issues I’m curious about: if you can’t raise your child, can you give him or her up for adoption at any age? Also, if the parents never surface, will the child ever know her actual birthday?
Enormous props to the driver, who not only did the right thing, but was humble about it, saying that he wasn’t a “hero…What I did was nothing,” and not even mentioning it to his fellow drivers at the Tell-A-Car garage where he works. Man, this is one I’d have a hard time keeping to myself.
Source/photo: New York Daily News
If this child is left with the only option of adoption….How can we get adoption information in regards to this child?
The driver had good reason not to mention it to his fellow cabbies. He was in on it and and is now in jail.
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/03/02/nyregion/02baby.html?ref=nyregion