Jesus found in backyard

By Chris Karr in News on Dec 15, 2005 9:01PM

The local news is buzzing about the newborn boy found abandoned in a backyard in the suburbs. Melrose Park police report that neighbors found the child on Tuesday evening after the poor kid had been out in the cold for ten to twenty minutes, wrapped in nothing more than a woman's bathrobe. While the child (named Jesus Noel) is being cared for at Loyola University Medical Center, the police are looking for clues regarding the identity of the child's parents.

Chicagoist in no way condones parents abandoning their children, but if you're going to do it - do it right. Illinois has safe haven law that allows parents to give up newborn children anonymously and without the threat of prosecution. The child may be left at police stations, fire stations, or hospitals. The people at these places will notify the appropriate state agencies so that the child is looked after and placed in an adoptive home.

While it looks like young Jesus Noel will end up okay by the end of this episode, we'd like to remind you all that there are plenty of Illinois children still waiting for homes and families.

Image credit: NBC5 News