More than 1,000 want to adopt a baby after it was found abandoned in a plastic bag in a wooded area in Georgia, thrown away on top of a pile of leaves and sticks.
She was nicknamed “Baby India,” and the Today Show reported that a lot of people have contacted Forsyth County authorities to say they would be very willing to adopt the baby who was found covered in blood and crying with her umbilical cord still attached to her belly on June 6, reported People.
“Baby India” is presently being taken care of by the county’s Division of Family and Children Services.
“It’s amazing the number of people who are looking to take on a new life into their families,” Forsyth County Sheriff Ron Freeman told the Today Show, “and we got somebody who tried to throw one away.”
“Once I got there and was able to see she had no obvious injuries, I was able to pick her up and take care of her. Your fatherly instinct kicks in,” Forsyth County Sherrif’s Deputy Terry Roper told CNN, “You just want to show love to a child that had never known it before—the only thing she knew was being in a bag.”
The identity of her mother is unknown.
“A father and his three daughters who had just returned home from vacation and went inside their home and then inexplicably decided to go out, because we were supposed to have thunderstorms at night, and empty out their car from their trip,” Freeman told CNN. But upon hearing some strange noises, the daughters and their father started to search the area.
Roper said he didn’t want to leave little India behind, even after she was placed in the safety of the hospital. “I came back later that night and saw her when she was still in the NICU and the next night she was transferred to a regular nursery area and the staff at the hospital was kind enough to let me in and hold her again,” he told CNN.
Freeman said that the baby is doing very well and that now they are “focused on the criminal investigation.”
“Out there, somebody knows a woman who was pregnant, near full-term or full-term, and now she’s not, but there’s not a baby in the picture—that’s a little suspicious,” Freeman said. “We need the public’s help.
“We’ve got a lot of forensic evidence that we’ve recovered. We need somebody to call us with that tip that will lead us down the right path.”
Despite the despairing find, Roper said the surprising event had left an impression on him. “I was the first person to be able to show her that compassion, and it’s quite an honor to be that person, to show her the first bit of love. It’s something I’ll never forget.”
The Forsyth County Sheriff’s office posted on their Facebook page on Tuesday an update on “Baby India.”
Warning: this video may be disturbing to some people
“The Forsyth County Sheriff’s Office is continuing to aggressively investigate and to follow leads regarding Baby India. As of today, we are still receiving tips from across the country on the possible identity of Baby India,” the update said. “If you have any information regarding Baby India please call our TIP LINE at 770-888-7308. Your call can remain totally anonymous.”
On Thursday, the Sheriff’s office reminded everyone that Georgia has a Safe Haven law under which a new mother of less than 30 days can leave her newborn child with staff at police stations, fire departments, or hospitals with no criminal charges or questioning as a consequence.
