Young Illinois Mother Commended For Taking Advantage of ‘Safe Haven’ Laws After Dropping Twin Boys Off At Fire Station

A young mother is being commended for taking advantage of “Safe Haven” laws after she made the decision to drop her twin boys off at a Phoenix, Illinois, fire station when she “couldn’t take it anymore.”

According to WLS-TV, Phoenix Fire Chief Mickil Smith commended the young mother, whom he described as in her late teens or early 20s, for doing the right thing.

Smith said the mother knocked on the fire station door around 1:30 a.m. on Wednesday. When firefighters opened the door, she reportedly handed over a diaper bag and the twin boys. The age of the children was not disclosed.

A sad situation but glad for safe haven laws. Mother Uses ‘Safe Haven’ Law To Give Twin Boys to Fire Dept. https://t.co/x45VSnTw3V @DanaCBS2

— Wendy Widom (@wendywidom) September 1, 2016

The children were strapped in car seats, and the conscientious mom even went on to describe allergies and other medical conditions that future caregivers should be made aware of.

“She stated to the firefighters that she just couldn’t go on any further with them. She gave them information about some allergies that the kids may have and she left.”

Smith told the TV station that the young mother made a “good choice in taking advantage of the Illinois Safe Haven Law and bringing her boys to a safe place,” adding that “she did everything right.”

As in many states throughout the country, the Illinois Safe Haven Law allows for the safe surrender of newborn infants while preserving the anonymity of the parents. It also protects the parents from facing any civil or criminal liability for the act of relinquishing their children.

Smith also commended his firefighters for their part in what must have been a difficult exchange and noted that, while sad, it is a far better outcome that the young mother dropped her twin boys off rather than go the route that so many desperate parents take, often with tragic outcomes.

“Too often we find and hear about kids being left on the side of the road, in dumpsters, a lot of other bad things that could have happened. So I’m proud of this young woman for what she did. I respect her decision and I’m glad to say the Safe Haven worked. It may not have been in the parameters of the law, but it worked.”

In 2011, another set of newborn twins did not fare as well. Lindsey Lowe, 25, of Henderson, Tennessee, confessed to and was convicted in March 2013 of killing her newborn twin boys and is serving a 50-year prison sentence, according to the Tennessean.

JUST IN: Lawyer wants Supreme Court to review decision not to give Lindsey Lowe new trial https://t.co/UhiCeYoQ2G

— WKRN (@WKRN) August 26, 2016

Found by the boys’ grandfather, the babies were reportedly smothered by the desperate mother immediately after she gave birth to the twins in the bathroom of her home. According to court documents, Lowe put her hand over one baby’s mouth until the infant stopped crying, and then followed suit with the second child.

Lowe, who was engaged at the time, reportedly conceived the babies from a different man.

The case, which made national headlines, is currently under review by the Tennessee Supreme Court. Lowe’s lawyer filed a motion requesting a new trial, claiming Lowe was not in custody when she confessed to killing her babies.

At least three lives were destroyed because a woman became desperate when faced with the fear of raising children when she was not prepared to do so.

Safe Haven laws will hopefully change the outcome for so many unwanted children, as well as their parents.

[Image via Phoenix Fire Department/IL/Facebook]