Newborn Baby Abandoned Outside Toronto Church

Mary Koostachin—A newborn baby girl was found abandoned outside a church in Toronto on May 22, 2005. The baby was taken to the hospital and found to be in good health, but authorities are concerned about the well being of the missing mother. They are trying to locate the baby's mother for the benefit of the baby, but when found, she will likely be charged with neglect.

There is a high incidence of newborns being abandoned right after they are born in Canada. Sometimes the children are fortunate to still be alive when they are found, but some are not so lucky. Those who do survive are placed in the hands of Family Services, and the people who found them may eventually adopt them if the family of the baby is not located.

Little is known about women who discard their newborns, as most of the women are never found. This makes it harder to keep the baby healthy, as there may be medical information about the baby that only the mother can provide.

This is something that needs to be stressed to young girls before they become pregnant, so that they don't put their child in jeopardy. Most of the time, these women are badly addicted to something, they don't know that they are pregnant, or they don't want to seek help once they give birth. Instead, they leave their newborn at the nearest public place, with the hope that somebody will find the baby.

No one can really push someone to make the right choice. This society needs to have some more early education with regard to pregnancy and having children so that the instances of baby abandonment may decrease to nil.

One Little Girl with One Big Vision

Tatiana Warkentin—By all accounts Hannah Taylor is a regular little girl who loves school, highland dances, sings, rides horses, and loves all the outdoors has to offer, especially bugs. At the age of five, her life took a dramatic turn as on one cold winter day Hannah saw a man eating from a garbage can and her gift of mercy and compassion took hold of her heart.

Hannah appealed to her teachers, classmates, friends and family members and began collecting spare coins in "ladybug" jars for Siloam Mission in Winnipeg.

Over the past three years she has spoken to anyone who would listen. That list includes politicians from every level of government, including Prime Minister Paul Martin, 16 thousand people at the opening of the MTS Centre in Winnipeg, and numerous schools and organizations. Hannah has helped raise approximately $400,000 directly and indirectly through a variety of creative campaigns, all of which have been initiated by herself. Through all the events, her favourite time is still spent at homeless shelters and missions where her passion to help others is fuelled.

Hannah founded the Winnipeg based charity "The Ladybug Foundation." Her infectious spirit of believing in the simple truth 'no one should have to eat out of a garbage can' is what has inspired the foundation.

Hannah has a list of five goals she would like to accomplish:

1. Teach people that homeless people are just like you and me. They just need us to love them and care for them.

2. Teach everyone to treat homeless people like family, because if you do that you will love them in all the right ways, treat them in all the right ways and care for them in all the right ways.

3. Teach people that no one should ever eat from a garbage can or live without a bed or a home and to let them know that there are people who have to because they have no choice.

4. Ask every person who will listen to help however they can to make life for our homeless people better.

5. Teach people that homelessness is not sad if you help.

The theme for this year's Ladybug Campaign is "Make Change". Hannah wants people to make change to fill her Ladybug jars, what she really wants is for all to "make change" in the way we see and help homeless people. Why this theme? Well, Hannah put it best when addressing the Rotary club of Winnipeg in March, "Together we must make change. Together we can make change. Together we will make change." How can you help? Send your support to:

The Ladybug foundation Inc.
P.O. Box 21054
Winnipeg, MB
R3R 3R2
Ph: (204) 897-0461
E-mail: ladybugfoundation@shaw.ca
Website: www.ladybugfoundation.ca

BU Buzz Editorial Staff