SAN ANTONIO – A woman who fought to make sure there was a proper burial for a baby found dead at a recycling center last year is now fighting to make sure something like that does not happen again.
Pamela Allen, with Eagles Flight Advocacy & Outreach, is trying to get the word out about the Baby Moses Law by launching the San Antonio Baby Moses Project.
Allen said the driving force behind her mission is Baby Noel.
Baby Noel was born on Dec. 20, 2013, and three days later, his body was found in a duffel bag at a recycling plant.
He had been strangled by his mother.
"What a lot of mothers don't know is that the law is there to protect them and their baby," said Allen. "So it's just that simple. If you feel like you can't take care of that child, then you have the option to leave that baby at a safe site."
Under the Baby Moses Law, mothers can leave their unharmed newborn baby at a safe site, like a hospital, police station or fire station, and will not be prosecuted.
In the case of Baby Noel, his mother, Nidia Alvarado, was arrested and charged with capital murder, after she admitted to strangling her newborn soon after they left the hospital.
"Right now, we look at Ms. Alvarado, who is in jail awaiting trial for murder, had she known, had this law been made available for her, maybe things would be different," said Allen.
Allen fought to make sure Alvarado's baby, who she named Baby Noel, got the burial he deserved.
A judge ordered Noel's body to be released to her and with help from others, she was able to raise enough money for his services.
"Today's Noel's birthday," said Allen. "Maybe he'd be celebrating. So now we are going to honor his life, we are going to celebrate, but we're going to make sure that this does not happen again."
The San Antonio Baby Moses Project has also created a crisis hotline, 210-960-NOEL.