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Baby Dead After Being Found With Homeless Mother At Bus Stop
A baby was found dead last week in freezing temperatures with his homeless mother in a bus stop along Southeast Powell Boulevard in Portland.
At first, it was unclear whether he died of exposure hours after being born outdoors or whether he was stillborn.
Four other homeless people died of exposure in the first 10 days of 2017, in the area.
The circumstances of the baby’s death, unfortunately, illustrate that much of the tragedy on Portland’s streets involves mental illness which is untreated.
According to reports, officers from the Portland Police Bureau responded to an alarming scene at a TriMet bus stop. A woman, who appeared to be homeless and was pushing a shopping cart, had opened her coat to show a man that she held a newborn baby. The man observed this on his way to work.
The woman was apparently barefoot and only partly clothed so the man told her to cover the baby, before calling 911.The 911 operator sent details to officers who were on their way to help, via text message.
“Baby was born in a transient camp near Chuck E. Cheese,” the text message said. (There’s a Chuck E. Cheese at 9120 Southeast Powell Blvd.)
Officers learned that the birth had happened hours earlier, and the baby had remained outside in freezing weather. The texts they received indicated that the baby was alive.
“Baby is conscious and breathing okay, but has been outside this entire time,” read a second text from the 911 operator. “Baby is ice cold.”
The child was then rushed by an ambulance to Oregon Health & Science University hospital.
Officers then interviewed the baby’s 34-year-old mother at the hospital. Doctors worked to resuscitate the baby, while the woman told police a disjointed story.
She told them that she’d gotten pregnant “by the miracle of immaculate conception” and she was unable to answer basic questions about where she was from or where the baby was born.
“It was very clear to me she was very mentally ill,” Officer Justin Raphael wrote in his police report.
Doctors spent a 25-minute effort to save the child.
“Around this time, OHSU personnel notified me that they were going to cease life saving efforts on the newborn,” Raphael wrote. “The newborn was pronounced dead at 0641 hours.”
Police wanted to find out more about the circumstances of the baby’s birth and death. Police later learnt that the Oregon State Medical Examiner’s office said the baby—then still at OHSU—was, in fact, stillborn.
The two pediatric emergency room physicians who’d tried to save the child disputed that conclusion.
“Dr. Sheridan told me it appeared to him the child was born at about 32 weeks,” Harley wrote in his report. “Dr. Sheridan told me the child appeared to ‘be viable.'”
Police would investigate the case if the baby died of exposure or of other causes but if the child were stillborn, they would not. The state medical examiner, Dr. Karin Gunson, later disagreed with the OHSU doctors’ assessment of the baby’s condition.
“After an autopsy, we determined that the baby was stillborn,” Tom Chappelle, an investigator for the medical examiner’s office told WW Monday afternoon. “Dr. Gunson did the autopsy herself.”
With that decision, the case was closed.
“The medical examiner ultimately is the one who tells us,” he says, “whether the determination was ‘stillborn’ or ‘homicide.’” Said Portland Police Bureau spokesman Sgt. Pete Simpson.
Donna Tapper
January 23, 2017 at 12:37 am
So sad
Tiffany Zoe Mercado
January 23, 2017 at 12:42 am
Harshest winter Portland has seen in years. Very sad.
Shanna Thompson
January 23, 2017 at 12:46 am
🙁
Fatima Usman Ali
January 23, 2017 at 12:50 am
Linda Hall
January 23, 2017 at 1:08 am
This should not happen in the United States of America!
Carolyn Acton
January 23, 2017 at 1:11 am
Kristy Sprunger
January 23, 2017 at 1:19 am
Did no one try to help this mother or baby!?
Leah Ash
January 23, 2017 at 2:01 am
Umm, Did you read the article?
Samantha Scott
January 23, 2017 at 1:31 am
Theres only one state i know of that will not leave a family homeless, all 50 should do the same! I understand is cost money but its worth not seeing this!!!
Julie L. Blowers
January 23, 2017 at 1:40 am
Tiffany Duran Garcia
January 23, 2017 at 1:45 am
🙁
Celina McLeish
January 23, 2017 at 1:49 am
So sad
Helen Gizas
January 23, 2017 at 1:52 am
Sad…
Fadumo Hamud Muse
January 23, 2017 at 1:57 am
So sad really
Desirrai Lopez
January 23, 2017 at 2:10 am
So sad
Jose Sanchez del Rio
January 23, 2017 at 2:14 am
We live in a throw away, selfish society.
Yanet Montero Mayeta
January 23, 2017 at 2:19 am
There is way too many things that needs to be fix in US…This is absolutely heartbreaking!
Bernadette Finne Navarro
January 23, 2017 at 3:30 am
I agree! My God there is no reason for a mother and baby to be dead because of the cold! I’m so sad and disgusted that this even had to happen.
Betty Lopez
January 23, 2017 at 2:36 am
This government make sick
Debbie Gurski Yarbrough
January 23, 2017 at 2:51 am
Unfortunately, most homeless people are mentally ill and refuse help-
Terra Gallacher Prince
January 23, 2017 at 4:00 am
You are correct about having mental illness, but I’d change most refuse help to some.
Melissa Matlock
January 23, 2017 at 4:08 am
Some just do not have good strong support or the right resources.
Melissa Matlock
January 23, 2017 at 4:08 am
Some just do not have good strong support or the right resources.
Jadine Pangelinan
January 23, 2017 at 2:52 am
Jennifer C. Bautista Krystal Cruz
Essie Moreira
January 23, 2017 at 3:12 am
Bernadette Finne Navarro
January 23, 2017 at 3:29 am
This is so messed up!!!! Rest In Peace sweet angels
Anisa F. Taherani
January 23, 2017 at 4:16 am
Breaks my heart
Maria Balderama
January 23, 2017 at 5:00 am
So sad
Milagros Marin
January 23, 2017 at 5:16 am
So sad!:(
Gina Fearne
January 23, 2017 at 6:02 am
The baby was actually born sleeping….God bless
Gina Fearne
January 23, 2017 at 6:04 am
The baby was actually born sleeping R.I.P. little one xx
Tali Montoya
January 23, 2017 at 6:04 am
This is so sad, we have to be doing much more for our homeless. Heartbreaking
Gabriela Meyer
January 23, 2017 at 7:59 am
This is where the welfare should be used for, in situation like this.
Gabriela Meyer
January 23, 2017 at 8:01 am
Netra Biggus
February 1, 2017 at 11:54 pm
Where do you get those big emojis at?
Joanna Blain
January 23, 2017 at 12:33 pm
Yajayra Orihuela
January 23, 2017 at 5:50 pm
Very sad.
Netra Biggus
February 1, 2017 at 11:52 pm
So, was that really her child? Why wouldn’t someone help her before the tragedy occured? You can’t tell me that someone of authority hAs had to have seen her.