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American Morning
The Safe Haven Law
Aired February 16, 2004 - 08:25 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
SOLEDAD O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: It's known as the safe haven law, a way for desperate mothers to anonymously leave their newborns at hospitals and elsewhere without fear of prosecution for abandonment. Well, the law has some critics. But for one couple in Florida, it has only brought them hope, baby Hope.
Here's John Zarrella.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JOHN ZARRELLA, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Her name is Gloria Hope Lewis (ph).
MICHAEL LEWIS: You want this? Yes.
ZARRELLA: These are her very proud, very excited parents, Michael and Laurie Lewis (ph). Last week, after eight months as her foster parents, the Lewises adopted Gloria Hope.
LAURIE LEWIS: Yes I do.
ZARRELLA: The Lewises knew baby Hope's situation was different from other foster children they had taken in. But they also knew immediately they wanted to adopt her.
L. LEWIS: Really, I think it's god's way of saying OK, you're my messengers, here's your gift, go out and spread the word, I want more babies saved.
ZARRELLA: Last June, Gloria Hope's biological mother dropped the newborn off at this fire station in Deerfield Beach.
(on camera): Under Florida's safe haven law, mothers in desperate situations can drop off their babies up to three days old at fire stations, hospitals and emergency medical facilities without fear of prosecution. Gloria Hope is one of 18 newborns dropped off since the law took effect in July of 2000.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP FROM COMMERCIAL)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: You can leave your unharmed baby.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ZARRELLA (voice-over): Some say the law, which exists in various forms in 45 states, is far from perfect. There's no family health history. The number of days old a child can be varies. Jeffrey Leving, a father's rights attorney, says safe haven laws don't give biological dads any say.
JEFFREY LEVING, ATTORNEY: I think every safe haven law must require the biological mother to identify the biological father.
ZARRELLA: Nick Silverio, who founded a non-profit organization to publicize the Florida law, knows it's not perfect, but...
NICK SILVERIO, FOUNDER, SAFE HAVENS FOR NEWBORNS: The alternative for not having this program would be that maybe Gloria Hope wouldn't be here today.
ZARRELLA: If anything, advocates like the Lewises say safe haven needs to be better publicized because too many women don't know there are laws that give hope to their babies.
John Zarrella, CNN, Fort Lauderdale, Florida.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
O'BRIEN: The Lewises say that they praise Hope's biological mother for her decision. They say they feel blessed.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
Aired February 16, 2004 - 08:25 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
SOLEDAD O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: It's known as the safe haven law, a way for desperate mothers to anonymously leave their newborns at hospitals and elsewhere without fear of prosecution for abandonment. Well, the law has some critics. But for one couple in Florida, it has only brought them hope, baby Hope.
Here's John Zarrella.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JOHN ZARRELLA, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Her name is Gloria Hope Lewis (ph).
MICHAEL LEWIS: You want this? Yes.
ZARRELLA: These are her very proud, very excited parents, Michael and Laurie Lewis (ph). Last week, after eight months as her foster parents, the Lewises adopted Gloria Hope.
LAURIE LEWIS: Yes I do.
ZARRELLA: The Lewises knew baby Hope's situation was different from other foster children they had taken in. But they also knew immediately they wanted to adopt her.
L. LEWIS: Really, I think it's god's way of saying OK, you're my messengers, here's your gift, go out and spread the word, I want more babies saved.
ZARRELLA: Last June, Gloria Hope's biological mother dropped the newborn off at this fire station in Deerfield Beach.
(on camera): Under Florida's safe haven law, mothers in desperate situations can drop off their babies up to three days old at fire stations, hospitals and emergency medical facilities without fear of prosecution. Gloria Hope is one of 18 newborns dropped off since the law took effect in July of 2000.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP FROM COMMERCIAL)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: You can leave your unharmed baby.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ZARRELLA (voice-over): Some say the law, which exists in various forms in 45 states, is far from perfect. There's no family health history. The number of days old a child can be varies. Jeffrey Leving, a father's rights attorney, says safe haven laws don't give biological dads any say.
JEFFREY LEVING, ATTORNEY: I think every safe haven law must require the biological mother to identify the biological father.
ZARRELLA: Nick Silverio, who founded a non-profit organization to publicize the Florida law, knows it's not perfect, but...
NICK SILVERIO, FOUNDER, SAFE HAVENS FOR NEWBORNS: The alternative for not having this program would be that maybe Gloria Hope wouldn't be here today.
ZARRELLA: If anything, advocates like the Lewises say safe haven needs to be better publicized because too many women don't know there are laws that give hope to their babies.
John Zarrella, CNN, Fort Lauderdale, Florida.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
O'BRIEN: The Lewises say that they praise Hope's biological mother for her decision. They say they feel blessed.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
