Here's an article from the Calgary Sun newspaper (not affiliated with England's The Sun):
One of the men who rescued a baby left to die in the dumpster was the boy’s father and he’s determined to raise the infant.
The 29-year-old woman, who allegedly stuffed her newborn in a garbage bag, didn’t know she was pregnant until giving birth, and neither did the baby’s father, who leapt into the dumpster to save him.
“My first thought seeing the baby there was disgust,” said the 28-year-old man, who can’t be named to protect the infant’s identity.
“I just thought ‘we’ve got to get that baby out of here’ and I didn’t know CPR.”
The man said there was no way to tell his girlfriend of four years was pregnant because she’s heavy set and always had “a bit of a belly.”
Hours before he found his son in a dumpster in a condo complex at 501 40 Ave. N.W., his girlfriend complained of having cramps and diarrhea.
He went to work, he said “but I had a bad feeling, that I had to go home” and came back to the condo for lunch.
After they were alerted by a woman passerby, another neighbour said he helped the unsuspecting dad tear open the garbage bag to free the infant, who was suffering from hypothermia but is now in stable condition in hospital.
The woman is facing charges of attempted murder, child abandonment and failing to provide the necessities of life.
The man only found out the baby he’d helped rescue was his son when told by police on Tuesday night.
“It was the most shocking thing I’ve ever encountered in my life — to find that out from police is not something I’d ever expected to happen,” he said.
“I’m not happy with her but I’m not angry, either — I want to make sure she gets the help she needs.”
As he met with provincial Children and Youth Services officials about the case, the man also said he’ll “do everything I can to get the baby back, she wants it as well.”
The father said he has been in contact with social services officials and told he will be able to see his son in much different conditions than their first traumatic meeting.
The accused mom’s difficult childhood and a resulting reluctance to have her own children “might have had something to do with what she did.” said the new dad’s brother, who lives with the couple.
“But this is an accepting household — if the right thing had been done from the beginning there’d be no problem,” added the infant’s surprised uncle.
Staff Sgt. Leah Barber of the police child abuse unit said there’s good reason to charge the woman with attempted murder.
“The baby was put in there with no expectation to survive...where it couldn’t be found,” said Barber.
“There’s always other options — obviously if something like this were to happen, 911 would be the first call I’d make.”
The police officer said it’s the first time she’s investigated such a surprise pregnancy since she joined the unit 2-1/2 years ago.
“I know it does happen — there are TV shows about it,” said Barber, adding the mother is undergoing a pyschiatric examination and should be released from hospital sometime Wednesday.
“It’s hard to fathom...it’s a sad case,”
Barber said if passersby hadn’t noticed the crying baby in the dumpster as soon as they did, the baby wouldn’t have survived.
“It’s incredibly lucky,” she said.
It’s believed the baby was born within two hours of its discovery.
The force has received numerous calls from people wanting to adopt the baby.
But for now, police are discussing the infant’s custody with Alberta Children and Youth Services.
Bringing in safe houses for young, expectant moms could prevent babies from being abandoned in the future, said Health Minister Gene Zwozdesky adding he would be open to creating some safe houses for new moms to turn to.
“It’s very unfortunate anytime a situation like that happens,” he told reporters at the legislature Wednesday.
“I think young women who feel it necessary to abandon their newly born child frequently don’t know where to go.”
I just think it's great that it's an option for the sane mothers-to-be.
