Abandoned Infant Found Alive With Heartbreaking Note In Cardboard Box In Alaska

An abandoned newborn with a heartbreaking letter was found alive near an Alaskan road, say authorities.

On Friday at about 2:00 p.m., Alaska State Troopers responded to a call of an abandoned baby found in a cardboard box, according to a statement from their daily dispatch. The unidentified child was discovered at the intersection of Dolphin Way and Chena Point Avenue in Fairbanks. 

Despite freezing temperatures near zero with a wind chill of -12 degrees, the baby managed to escape harm.

“The child was transported by EMS to a local hospital and was found to be in good health,” said law enforcement.

On Saturday, Fairbanks resident Roxy Lane posted a Facebook video shortly after finding the newborn by a row of mailboxes near her home. The footage captured the letter as the baby cooed from its swaddling.

“Please help me!!! I was born today on Dec. 31, 2021, 6:00 a.m. I was born 12 weeks premature,” the letter started. “My mom was 28 weeks [pregnant] when she had me.”

The author, presumably one of the parents writing in the first-person of the infant, cited financial troubles for their inability to care for the child.

“My parents and grandparents don’t have food or money to raise me,” the letter continued. “They NEVER wanted to do this to me… My mom is so sad to do this. Please take me and find me a LOVING FAMILY. My parents are begging whoever finds me.”

The note concluded with, “My name is Teshawn.”

Roxy Lane referenced safe haven laws in Alaska with her video, saying that some, especially young people, might be unfamiliar with the laws since they were established in 2008. These laws prevent parents from prosecution for the safe surrender of their newborn if the infant is less than 21 days old and in accordance with other state laws. The Safe Surrender of Infants Act encourages such parents to surrender their newborn to peace officers or medically trained providers and the like.

“I hope the mother 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,” Lane stated in her post. “Please, someone knows this new mom, 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.”

Alaska State Troopers in Fairbanks hope that anyone with information about the child or the child’s mother will contact them at 907-451-5100.

“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,” Lane continued. “But she named him! There’s some love there, even if she made a terrible decision.”

Lane concluded by saying she’d think about “Teshawn” for the rest of her life.