A blue bag under a tree
On Monday 12 October, at around 4 pm, 58-year-old Sandra was walking her dog back home in the northern suburbs of Milan, Italy. As reported by the newspaper Corriere della Sera, a blue plastic bag left under a tree on the pavement caught her dog's attention. When Sandra walked over to inspect it, she quickly realised something was wrong. "The bag was moving," she told the daily paper.
The bag was tied shut with two tight knots. She opened it up and found a newborn baby wrapped in a sheet and several pieces of cloth inside. Moments later, the baby began to cry.
Raising the alarm without a phone
Sandra did not have her mobile phone with her. She turned immediately to another passerby, and together they called 112, the emergency services number in Italy. Over the phone, the call handler explained how to protect the newborn by keeping him warm and covering him with whatever they had to hand. The second woman took off her sweatshirt to wrap around the baby. An ambulance and police officers quickly arrived at the scene.
Newborn out of danger
The baby, weighing around 8 lbs 13 oz (4 kg), was rushed to the Niguarda Hospital in Milan, where he was admitted to the neonatal intensive care unit. He is due to stay under observation for two weeks, but his condition has stabilised and his life is no longer in danger.
Sandra, who was deeply shaken, did not notice anyone suspicious in the area. Several hours after making the discovery, she was still struggling to process what had happened.
In France, an alternative exists for mothers in distress
There is no indication in the published reports regarding the circumstances under which the baby was abandoned. However, this story serves as a reminder that in France, the law allows women to give birth anonymously under Article 326 of the Civil Code, which guarantees secrecy of admission and identity without requiring any form of ID at the maternity ward.
Translated from the FR Wamiz website using artificial intelligence
