Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in this guest post are solely those of the guest author.
In January of 2022, a teenage mother in Hobbs, New Mexico, abandoned her baby by placing the newborn in a dumpster. The infant was discovered and airlifted to Lubbock, Texas, to be treated with life-saving care. This incident gained the attention of the City of Hobbs, motivating the implementation of a Safe Haven Baby Box in May of 2023. The device resulted in the saving of a baby four months later in September of 2023, supplied by Safe Haven Baby Boxes, Inc. The device allows mothers to relinquish their newborns anonymously in a safe environment without legal consequence.
According to their website, “Safe Haven Baby Boxes mission is to prevent illegal abandonment of newborns by raising awareness, offering a 24-hour hotline for mothers in crisis and offering the Safe Haven Baby Boxes as a last resort option for women who want to maintain complete anonymity. The Safe Haven Baby Box takes the face-to-face interaction out of the surrender and protects the mother from being seen.” Safe Haven Baby Boxes, Inc. is the only organization offering complete anonymity for the women who choose to take advantage of this resource.
The success of the program in New Mexico is something that Lubbock officials hope to see replicated in their city. Over the past several months, Lubbock Fire Rescue, the Lubbock Professional Fire Fighters Association, local partners, and Safe Haven Baby Boxes, Inc. have petitioned the Lubbock City Council to bring the first ever baby box to the City of Lubbock.
READ: Fire station installs first Safe Haven Baby Box in Alabama
This proposal was unanimously accepted Tuesday, February 13, and the baby box will be installed at Lubbock Fire Station 9 located on 50th St. in central Lubbock. This device, which allows women to safely entrust their newborn to fire departments or hospitals, is the third to be installed in Texas, in addition to San Antonio and Coryell County.
Mark McBrayer, a Lubbock City councilman, believes this decision is another step solidifying Lubbock’s reputation as a city that values the sanctity of life. McBrayer shared, “It’s really exciting, and I think this is just another step that shows that Lubbock is a city that values the sanctity of life. And it’s an opportunity to give women who are distressed about their situation but don’t want to take the life of their baby and because they love what they brought into this world.” McBrayer continued, “I just think it’s absolutely wonderful that our city has shown that it continues its commitment to protecting the sanctity of life.”
Mark Lee Dickson, who assisted the city in passing an ordinance outlawing abortion in 2021 through his Sanctuary Cities for the Unborn Initiative, was encouraged to hear the news. “It makes perfect sense for Lubbock — being the city that took care of that precious baby in Hobbs — to take measures that reduce the likelihood of babies ever ending up in dumpsters in the City of Lubbock.”
Sheryl Gonzales, a leader of Project Destiny Texas, helped lead the charge to see Lubbock become a sanctuary city for the unborn. She expressed excitement and appreciation toward the Lubbock Fire Department for their willingness to pursue the baby box project. “Project Destiny Texas is thrilled that our fire department values the lives of babies and providing a way to save a baby’s life,” said Gonzales. She also expressed gratitude toward the City Council, stating, “It helps us realize that we have a city council that values life.”
As Lubbock’s area expands, McBrayer said there are hopes that more baby boxes can be added to fire stations throughout the city. Dickson and the pro-life community in Lubbock share McBrayer’s desire. Dickson stated, “Actions like these further the pro-life conviction of Lubbock being a sanctuary for both the born and the unborn as it reinforces the idea that children are a blessing, not a burden, and worthy of our protection in this city.”
