Watch CBS News

Funeral Held In NW Suburbs For Abandoned Babies

MOUNT PROSPECT, Ill. (CBS) -- Months - or in some cases - years after they were abandoned, several newborns were laid to rest today in the northwest suburbs reports WBBM's Nancy Harty.

Funeral Held In NW Suburbs For Abandoned Babies

Following a funeral mass at St. Raymond de Penafort Church in Mount Prospect, dozens of mourners went to All Saints Cemetery in Des Plaines for the burial of seven babies abandoned by their mothers.

"Abandoned by us as human beings," said Dawn Geras, president of Save Abandoned Babies.

Geras says one of those newborns sat in the morgue unclaimed for a year-and-a-half until her group and the group Rest In His Arms organized the funerals.

"Maybe my being there and putting myself out there will get the word out there so that I never have to go to another burial for another newborn baby again," said Geras.

State law gives overwhelmed parents up to 30 days to legally give up their unharmed newborn to someone at a hospital, fir or police station.

Since the law was enacted 12 years ago, Geras says 85 infants have been given up and placed in homes. However 70 have been illegally discarded - 36 of which did not survive.

View CBS News In
CBS News App Open
Chrome Safari Continue
Be the first to know
Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting.