50s: Starting with a storage ring

Chapter 679 Please Give the Child a Chance

Today's New York Times front page features a black-and-white photograph showing the body of an infant exposed inside a dumpster full of junk.

The baby's tiny hand is raised towards the sky, holding up a piece of trash, as if in its last moments it is pleading for someone to save it.

Below the photo was the news headline, with the words "HELP THE BABY!" written in bold, blood-red lettering.

Below the title are lines of alarming numbers:
In 1984, the New York City Police Department recovered the bodies of 106 infants, most of whom were found on the streets, in garbage dumps, or in sewers.

Because they were discovered early, only six babies received timely rescue; there may have been many more that went undetected.

This photo was obtained by Tong Jiajia's team from the New York Police Department's files.

Although it wasn't the first time she had seen this photo, when Tong Jiajia saw it again, she still didn't dare to look at it for long. But her determination to make "Angel's Hut" a success only strengthened.

Unsurprisingly, the report ignited the pride of New Yorkers: how could such a thing happen in our great Apple City?

Countless people called the newspaper hoping to confirm the authenticity of the news, but unfortunately, the newspaper's response was disheartening.

So this is what real New York is like.

After that, a new report was released every two or three days.

Some articles were popular science about the ancient "baby abandonment roulette," some were radical newspapers calling for the arrest and severe punishment of those who abandoned babies, and others were the opinions of public figures on the incident.

Among them, Father Irwin of St. John's Cathedral in New York, representing Bishop Wilson of the cathedral, pledged:
St. John's Cathedral will fully support any related charitable causes and does not rule out the possibility of re-establishing the "baby roulette" in the future.

Two weeks later, just as public opinion was about to cool down, the "Angel's Hut" project, initiated by Mayor Ed, was put on the agenda of the city council.

Indeed, the title of initiator of the "Angel's Hut" project has been pinned on Ed, and neither Tong Jiajia nor Sun Zhiwei objected to it.

Money alone cannot accomplish many things. Ed needed more positive exposure, and they needed to leverage Ed's political influence to ensure the smooth implementation of their plan.

As for Tong Jiajia's or the Maria Foundation's fame, that's not important. They did the work, and people will naturally find out in the future.

The media is taking action, Ed is taking action, and Tong Jiajia and the foundation are making final preparations.

The most important element of the "Angel Hut" project is the Angel Hut itself, which is designed to resemble a traffic control booth in China.

The cabin is made of heat-insulating materials, and the air conditioning inside is on 24 hours a day to maintain a constant temperature of 28 degrees Celsius. The power supply is provided by the partner company.

Inside the small room was a medical incubator and a crib, with a notebook on a small table next to it.

The notebook is used to leave messages, such as recording the child's name, birthday, medical history, and whether they have been vaccinated.

However, the first page of the notebook contained a pledge, in which the parents voluntarily relinquished custody of the child and also relinquished the child's future obligation to support the parents.

Many people believe that the West does not have the tradition of supporting the elderly, and that the elderly generally rely on medical insurance, pensions, and social welfare for their care.

This is indeed the case; the elderly mainly rely on personal savings, pensions, or institutions such as nursing homes.

Children typically provide assistance to their elderly parents out of moral responsibility or emotional reasons, such as by living together or sharing expenses, but this is not legally mandatory. However, 30 states in the United States still have the "Filial Piety Responsibility Act," which requires adult children to provide financial support to their parents when they are unable to afford basic living expenses.

If elderly parents are unable to live independently, their children may be required to cover care expenses.

In some states, when elderly parents apply for government assistance, their children are required to provide proof that they are unable to afford the expenses; otherwise, the children may be held accountable.

Sun Zhiwei insisted on including this commitment letter. You're about to lose your child, and you still expect your child to take care of you in your old age? That's just wishful thinking.

Of course, this commitment letter can be signed or not, but they will definitely take different approaches depending on whether it is signed or not.

There is a delayed alarm device inside this cabin, which is triggered when a baby is put in.

However, it will not immediately call the police or alert anyone, but will delay for 3-5 minutes to allow the child's parents to leave in time.

When the alarm sounds, people from our partner organizations will come and take the child away, and at the same time, the police station and the Maria Foundation will be notified.

The doors of the Angel's Hut, which are usually unused, are always open. When a baby is placed in an incubator, the doors will automatically lock once the child's parents close them.

This ensures that the child will not be harmed in the few minutes before someone comes to pick them up.

If Angel House takes in a child, but then loses the child before the person arrives, the consequences are unimaginable.

This is neither superfluous nor alarmist.

Sun Zhiwei did not hesitate to use the most malicious thoughts to speculate about human beings, the most intelligent of all creatures. He knew clearly that there was no limit to the evil in human nature.

At the same time, this is also to prevent their "Angel's Hut" from becoming a breeding ground for evil.

Twenty days after the start of the Angel House project, the first Angel House was quietly placed not far from the entrance of St. John's Cathedral in New York.

Father Irwin also installed three alarm devices, one in the guard room at the entrance, one in his own office, and one in the bishop's office.

This ensures that there is at least one place with people around 24 hours a day, so that they can rush there immediately after receiving an alarm and pick up the children in "Angel's Hut".

The installation was carried out quietly, without any media notification, because the official start date had not yet arrived.

They need to wait, both for the city council to issue the relevant legal documents and for all the "Angel Huts" to be installed.

Finally, they also need to promote the angel cabin so that parents in need can know where to find "Angel Cabin".

Another week has passed, and the city council has finally passed a temporary bill, the Safe Abandonment Act.

The following day, coinciding with the publication of the Safe Abandoned Baby Act, Tong Jiajia's Maria Foundation launched an advertising campaign for the act and their Angel Hut project:

"There is no shame, no punishment, and no need to leave your name."

“You can find Angel's Hut in any hospital, fire station, or church in New York. Please give your child a chance.”

(End of this chapter)