Heartbreaking note left with abandoned baby: 'So sad to do this'
A note left with an abandoned baby has gone viral, as police seek information about how the child ended up in a box on the side of the road.
On New year's Eve at around 2pm, a newborn baby was found in a cardboard box in Fairbanks, Alaska, according to a statement from local police.
Fortunately, the newborn was found by a woman named Roxy Lane, who shared a video of the letter left with the infant which can be heard crying quietly in the background.
"Please help me," the note says, explaining the baby, named Teshawn, was born at 6am the very same day.
The note goes on to explain that Teshawn was born 12 weeks premature.
"My parents and grandparents don't have food or money to raise me," the note said.
"They NEVER wanted to do this to me."
The note goes on to say Teshawn's mother is "so sad to do this".
"Please, take me and find me a loving family.
"My parents are begging whoever finds me."
Ms Lane explained on Facebook she found the baby in the cardboard box near the row of mailboxes by her home.
Police said the child was taken to a local hospital, where the baby boy was found to be in good health.
The State Troopers appealed for any information about the child.
In her Facebook post, Ms Lane empathised with the mother, saying she hopes she gets the help she might need.
"I doubt they could have afforded to take her to the hospital and she may be in need of medical attention," she wrote.
"Please, someone knows this new mum, check on her! She might be in a desperate situation, feeling abandoned herself. We don't know, there could be a whole backstory here behind closed doors."
She also drew attention to Alaska's safe haven law which allows for parents to safely surrender their infant to the authorities, medical professionals or anyone the parents believe will keep their child safe.
"There is always a safer, humane choice to surrender a baby and you will not get in trouble or even have to answer any difficult questions," Ms Lane wrote.
"Take the baby to a fire station, or church, or hospital and they will take care of them."
Ms Lane also said it has been difficult for the Fairbanks community over the past year and she had been listening to sad stories all week as she worked to provide for the community.
Her work within her area has brought about praise, she said and she encouraged others to keep this sense of community going into 2022.
"Clearly, someone in our community felt so lost and hopeless that they made probably the hardest choice of their lives to leave that innocent life on the side of the road with nothing but some blankets and a name," Ms Lane said.
"But she named him! There's some love there, even if she made a terrible decision.
"I know we're all struggling, I see it. I see you. I love you all and I'm here."
Ms Lane said she will probably think about baby Teshawn for the rest of her life.
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