A Mother’s Love

Shivering in  her thin sweater in the chilly, damp Spring air, she held her little bundle, wrapped in a pink fleece blanket, close to her. She moved quickly, her head bent down, damp blonde hair falling in front of her face,  letting no one see the tears spilling from her eyes. Blinking them away, she  spotted  the door next to the Emergency entrance of the hospital.
Feeling oh so conspicuous, but overwhelmed by desperation, she pulled open the door and stepped inside the little warm room. There it was, as promised, a wooden baby cradle with clean crisp blankets covering a soft mattress. She glanced once more at her precious child, pink skinned,  eyes closed tightly and tiny rosebud lips pursed  together. A precious little angel. Her child. A child she could not take care of.  With a final kiss on her baby’s forehead, she carefully placed her under the covers.  She placed a bottle of milk and a small stuffed animal beside the child. The baby  breathed deeply.  The frail woman hesitated, then turned away, and through a blur of tears, she pushed open the door and stumbled around the corner of the building, empty armed and broken-hearted. She leaned against the red brick hospital building, covered her face, and let sobs escape her lips. Then she took a deep breath and walked into the morning drizzle and anonymity of the downtown core. 
This is one of the faces of a Mother’s Love. Not the type of love we might be thinking about this Mother’s Day. But this is the reality of some women who love their children as much as we love ours, but have no means or ability to care for them as they deserve to be.
Angel’s Cradle is an old European tradition that began way back in the Middle Ages. Mothers who could not care for their children because of destitution or disease were given a safe haven for their children. Instead of abandoning them on doorsteps or in alleys, the Christian community offered them a safe place to leave their children, who would then be placed where they could be protected, loved and cared for.
The St. Paul’s Catholic hospital in Vancouver has reinstated this tradition with the opening of Angel’s Cradle. As soon as the door to this room opens, an alarm goes off in the hospital to alert a nurse that a baby has arrived. This child is then assessed and turned over to child-welfare authorities. Although abandonment is illegal, women who use Angel’s Cradle will not be pursued or prosecuted.
Although controversial, any program that saves a child’s life and gives a desperate mother a way to help her child is a step in the right direction. I am thankful for the doctor at this hospital who believes that all children deserve protection and care, and did something practical to make this happen. And I pray for all the women in our communities who feel such desperation   that they choose to  selflessly give their children to those who are able to give them a safe and loving home.
Happy Mother’s Day to all women out there!