Wednesday, February 18, 2015

An Unwed Mother's Letter


Just three days ago, a baby was abandoned at the Baby Box with a letter left by a 28 years-old unwed mother.  I have translated her letter to my readers as this is most typical of so many unwed mothers that have abandoned their babies after the special adoption law was enacted in August 5, 2012. 
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The Baby the 28 years-old unwed mother abandoned at the Baby Box 



I am a 28 years-old unwed mother.

Everything is at my fault.

Ten months ago I was a working woman, and I didn’t find out about my pregnancy until after six months have passed. 

I drank and smoked a lot, and I sought ways to abort the child by looking for information through internet. 

I had no money to afford an abortion, and I did not have a chance even to buy the baby items. And I knew I could not work as my tummy continued to expand.

I thought about killing both of us together to escape the problem, but that went on for a few months and the baby was born early on February 15th.

I cannot be discovered.  I must resolve this somehow…

I tried this and that, including the option adoption, but was told that the baby’s record will be on my record.

I suppose something could be done if I knew who the father was, but I was involved with many men, and I do not know who it is.

I feel so sad that the baby had to be born from me.  It is because this 28 years-old unwed mother did not deliver a baby with blessings.

I know there are those that eventually speak with their parents to help in their situation to raise the children, but I do not have that kind of courage.

I hope the baby will grow with blessings.

I have lived a failed life for the past 28 years.

I hope the baby will live with a name ‘Hope’ and be healthy…

The baby’s only fault is that she met the wrong mother.

The baby was born on February 15, 2015, around 12:30 AM.
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Here's a note from Mrs. Young Ran Jeong, who works at the Baby Box.


This baby came into our care on Monday.
According to the letter left by the 28 years-old unwed mother with a career, experienced an unwanted pregnancy and gave a birth in chaos, and the baby was not even a day old when she came.
What pained me was that the baby had no proper baby clothing, no diaper, but wrapped in an adult neat shirt that had holes. The baby had feces that stuck dry on her buttock and it took some time to wash it off.
The baby was shivering from cold as we washed her in warm water, by then the baby seemed to calm down. It was obvious that the baby was not born in a hospital, and the umbilical cord seemed to have been cut too close, but upon discussion with a children’s hospital I was told that it was OK.
I cannot understand how such a baby could be abandoned like this on a cold winter. As I washed away the dry feces off her body, I comforted myself by saying “Thank you for coming here instead of unknown places.”
The baby is now healthy and takes milk well. She will be in our care for a week before being sent to an institution coming Monday. I ask for your blessings upon this child who had such a traumatic beginning in life.

6 comments:

  1. God blessed this little baby, and thanks a lot to Baby box to take care about her.

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  2. My heart goes out to this precious child and mother who felt she had no other option. Thankful for God's grace so clearly demonstrated by Pastor Lee, his wife and volunteers. They are Christ's hands and His angels here on earth.

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  3. Steve, I truly appreciate the time and dedication you put forth in writing such powerful stories. You share God's love in this broken world.

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  4. Steve, this was a very very sad real life of a real mother and real child. I read the translation and wonder if you have to change the term "working woman." There is a connotation that can be a euphemism for prostitute. The Korean means in her letter that she worked for a living working for a living, not that she was a prostitute. For the sake of the future of the child ever reading your blog or the woman whose story you wish to represent correctly, is there a way you can change that term "working woman" so there is no assumption of her profession. Thank you Steve. It was a very difficult letter to read anyway and this change however doesn't change what your true intentions were- to portray how these new laws are hurting and even killing children.

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    1. Mark, thanks for the feedback. The Korean words translated literally means 'working woman' or a 'career woman', which I presumed a woman being employed in a business. But upon further checking I saw other postings on facebook that describe her as a prostitute. So I'll leave it as it is and let readers come to their own conclusion.

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