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Two Children Left At Hospitals Under 'Safe Haven' Law
OMAHA, Neb. -- The family of a 15-year-old boy who was left at a Lincoln hospital under the state's Safe Haven law said leaving him there was their last hope. The boy's aunt said she and his guardian have tried everything -- medication, psychiatrist, therapy and other methods. "We had to go to the next level," said Cathy Poulin. "He can be made to get help."Poulin said the boy's mother, her sister, died several years ago. His father left him, she said, and the boy has been living with several other relatives for years. He's heading down a dangerous path, she said. The Safe Haven law was intended for newborns. Nebraska is the only state where the law prevents penalty for the abandonment of youths up to 19 years old. A grandmother left an 11-year-old boy at Immanuel Hospital in Omaha last weekend. But these cases represent a misuse of the law, said Department of Health and Human Services worker Todd Landry. "Neither of these kids were in danger of being harmed themselves," Landry said. Senator Arnie Struthman and the DHHS will review the law and make amendments where necessary to prevent hospitals from being overrun by children who are not in immediate danger. Posted by: Beavis 2008-09-16 |
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