Simpson General Hospital (SGH) had cause to celebrate on Wednesday, January 24, despite the rain, thunder and lightning, when a large crowd gathered for the Blessing of the Safe Haven Baby Box located behind the hospital near the entrance to the Emergency Room.
SGH is the first hospital in the state of Mississippi to install the box where anyone from any community, city, town, or state may safely surrender their infant.
Administrator Greg Gibbes welcomed community residents and employees referencing all the positive things happening in the small rural hospital. He thanked everyone in attendance along with those who made the Save Haven Baby Box (SHBB) possible.
Melissa Sullivan, RRT BS, Education Coordinator with SGH as well as Executive Director of the Simpson County Center for Pregnancy Choices, also extended sincere thanks to the entire community for their support of this endeavor and the mission of Safe Haven.
Sullivan stated that the project started in August 2023 with fundraising efforts beginning in October. Within two weeks the necessary $20,000 was raised for the building of the box.
Sullivan offered special thanks to corporate sponsors Peoples Bank and PriorityOne Bank for their financial support, along with contractor Daniel Ferguson and Reggie Chisolm with Guardian Electrical for the donation of their time to install and equip the box.
Third speaker was Caitlin Kelly, RN BA who shared that she and her husband Steve were able to “spearhead the change in legislation so that any city in the state of Mississippi that would like a Safe Haven Baby Box can now have one,” adding, “It has been a joy to work with Melissa and watch this beautiful community bring Save Haven Baby Box to Mendenhall.”
Kelly recounted their initial steps to bring SHBB to Mississippi and said they heard words like “desperation, sadness, addiction, and helplessness.” She admitted that all those may be true, but God showed her words like “courage, selflessness, strength and love.” With the box in place at SGH mothers in difficulty may surrender babies safely without fear of judgment.
Brother Andy Gibson, Mississippi Commissioner of Agriculture and Commerce, shared personal comments before he offered prayers for the blessing of the box, the babies, the mothers or family members who would utilize it, and the families who adopt these infants.
The SHBB was founded in 2016 by Monica Kelsey when she discovered that as an infant she had been abandoned. Since the first surrender in 2017, 40 babies have been safely surrendered throughout the United States.
For more information contact Monica at www.monicakelsey@safehavenbabyboxes.com.
