Seeking help in crisis pregnancies
Authorities in Palm Springs continue to investigate the death of a fetus found abandoned at Desert Regional Medical Center. They aren’t sure at this point if the child was born alive.
It is illegal to abandon a baby. Some local organizations are hoping to prevent that, allowing a mother to safely surrender an unwanted infant.
Mama’s House in Palm Desert helps women in crisis pregnancies. Whether you choose parenting or adoption, the organization with six bedrooms, parenting resources and a 24-hour hotline will help.
“You don’t need this until you’re in that crisis. That is the constant battle, keeping the word out that we are here,” said founder Jan Lupia.
“It’s such a blessing. I’ve had my ups and downs, but it’s great to have a place where I can go and feel I can actually have my baby,” said Amanda Kasl, a new mother at Mama’s House.
More than 660 newborns have been saved in California since the conception of the Safely Surrendered Baby Law in 2001.
Safe Haven sites include fire stations and emergency rooms where under law a person can give up their baby within three days of birth, no questions asked.
For help from Mama’s House, call or text at 760-848-8185 or visit TheMamasHouse.org
If you are looking for a safe surrender site in the following counties, Dial 211:
Alameda
Contra Costa
Fresno
Kern
Marin
Monterey
Napa Orange
Riverside
Sacramento
San Bernardino
San Diego
San Francisco
San Luis Obispo Santa Barbara
Santa Clara
Solano
Sonoma
Stanislaus
Ventura
Yolo
