Would you ever nurse someone else’s baby? What if the life of that child rested on your decision? Maria Kristensen, a 25-year-old mom-to-be from Denmark was faced with this decision recently when she, her husband and three-year-old son Lucas were on their way to the airport in Turkey.
When Maria and her family set out that day, they probably had very few thoughts on their minds other than returning to their Denmark home safely. But as their taxi cab drove down the street, something stood out that they just couldn’t ignore.
“We sat in a taxi when we looked out on something [to the] right,” Maria said. “There was a pink little bundle up in a bag right outside of the road where the sun only shone down. She lay and baked.”
The family asked the cab driver to turn around so they could investigate the bundle further.
“We were very nervous to go out of the car,” Maria recalled. “Was the life of the child? It was over 40 degrees [Celsius], and the bundle lying in the sun.”
Yet despite their fear, the couple approached the little bundle lying in the street. When they reached it, they found a very small newborn girl. Her head was still bloody and the umbilical cord looked as though it had just recently been cut. Maria, a social worker by profession, believes that the little girl had to be only about a day old.
“The mother had packed her into pink clothes and put a blanket around her,” Maria said. “She was really hot, so I hurried to get her in the car and asked the driver to [turn] on the air conditioner. But there was no life in her.”
Maria’s husband Kent brought some cold water and tried to cool the baby down that way, but she still wasn’t responding. Suddenly, Maria had an idea. At 31 weeks pregnant, she was already lactating. After asking the cab driver if she could nurse the infant (due to cultural rules against nursing in public), Maria attempted to nurse the little girl.
“It took a while, but after a while, the little girl began to drink,” Maria said. “After she got into the industry, she revived. There was life in her eyes. She looked around and we thought ‘in the world.’ She was still bloody, and paper [was] on the umbilical cord. It’s probably a mother who has been powerless and did their best.”
For some, the idea of nursing someone else’s child may seem strange, but Maria says it felt completely natural to her. What was difficult for her was when the little girl had to be taken into child protective custody.
“In fact, I took it pretty well until I had to give her away,” Maria said. “It did not feel good at all to give her away. She woke up and looked the more [in] my eyes, and now I have gray ago.”
The little girl will be adopted out and has been named Ceren. Maria has been able to talk to the authorities about little Ceren’s progress and has been told that she can come by and visit at any time.
At first, it may not have occurred to Maria that she saved the little girl’s life. But now home in Denmark, she’s started to realize just how vital her ability to nurse may have been in keeping Ceren alive.
We often forget just how our decisions can impact the life around us. I’m completely amazed at how quickly and lovingly Maria reacted towards a child that needed her, despite the fact that the child had been born to another woman from another country. Hopefully, this little girl finds a permanent home that can give her just that kind of love – thoughtful, instinctive and loving beyond condition.
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That is amazing! What a great thing Maria did!
I’d absolutely nurse that baby. And I wouldn’t have even asked. In a life or death situation I wouldn’t have cared if they dragged me away in handcuffs as long as I nursed that baby first. It would be hard to give that child up though. I’d probably try to adopt the child myself.
Absolutely agree!Perhaps, if she is not adopted soon, Maria will be given that option. On the other hand maybe her role in that child’s life was simply to keep her alive until she could get to a place to go to another amazing mom-to-be awaiting their miracle baby.
Amazing! and beautiful! i’m so happy she thought to breastfeed that little girl. i hope i have an opportunity to save a life like this one day <3
I cant see how people can be so cruel… there r other options then leaving a baby on the side of the road to die.
I like how you put your blog graphic on that nursing picture but you could not possibly own it unless you were actually there in Turkey…
@Christine @MamaPapaBarn ~ We purchased the images from our photo agency so we do own it.
Why does it matter where the picture came from? That’s really not the point of the story. It is a beautiful story that some troll wanna be has to go and try and spoil.
People used to do it all the time.
It’s an awesome story. Though I must admit I do not connect with the idea of being unsure of nursing “someone’s else’s child”. It seemed as though the woman in the story had no trepidation for this, but apparently some people would (as you’ve inferred)? Maybe it’s because I’ve never breastfed, maybe it’s because I’m an adoptive parent, but to me it seems instinctual to rescue a child in need, no matter their origin. Bravo to this woman for saving this child. I hope the baby grows up knowing how miraculous her life is & fulfills a special destiny.
I agree! I would nurse any baby who needed it in a heartbeat!
I have nursed another mother’s baby before, no big deal. Would you hesitate to give a bottle to someone’s baby? A baby in need is to be taken care of without hesitation.
I would in a heart beat!! Every baby deserves a chance!!
This is amazing! I love this story… it’s completely brightened my day. Thanks for sharing =)
I wouldn’t give the baby away!!!! i would want to adopt her
This is a beautiful story! Simply amazing 🙂
I have to agree with the above comment – a wonderful story, but although stopping to help was brave and very admirable, breastfeeding a baby in need would be instinctual for me as a mother, whoever’s child it was. But such a lucky baby to be rescued by someone who could help in this way!
It’s not weird at all. I breastfed my best friends baby when she was in the hospital. I was happy to do it, and it wasn’t strange at all.
What a wonderful story. If that would have happened to me I think I would have had to adopt that baby!
Any news on how the baby is doing and if she has a family? What she able to continue to receive breast milk?
When my oldest son was about 8 months old I was at church and there was a women whose three month old was still not back to her birth weight. Mom was determined to breastfeed even though the medication she had to take was not supposed to be used by breastfeeding mothers and was preventing baby from gaining weight. Anyway I nursed her and there were a number of people who were upset by it. I fail to see why. It is no different than eatting a hamburger in front of a starving person. I was making more than enough milk for my son, I asked the mother’s permission and that baby got what she needed. Same with this lady.
no pic you did a awesome thing ,some people dont get it and the mother said yes, so what is so wrong with this. you are a amazing person to help that lady out.
I totally agree. I would breastfeed someone else’s baby in a heartbeat, but there is the issue of diseases such as HIV passing through breastmilk so we all have a responsibility to consider that when feeding someone else’s child or when allowing someone else to feed our own child. I don’t want to be one of those irritating fear mongering people but it is a very real risk and you should never, ever breastfeed someone else’s child unless you are 100% sure your are clean. Likewise, you should never allow your own child to be breastfed by someone else unless they are sure and you can trust them that they are clean. Anyway, my point is I don’t find it weird at all to feed another person’s child, but we need to be safe and sensible about it and it needs to be mutually agreed upon between two parents.
don’t want to sound horrid and disagree with your opinion,however she couldn’t very well ask mums permission because the poor little soul was left to die,and yes i would do it if i could however little bit to old now.
I don’t see any reason not to, I know a lot of breastfeeding mothers that would in a heartbeat!
This is a wonderful story. It is so beautiful to still see love in the world and I am so happy that that baby was given another chance at life. It is my will that she finds a family that will love her and that she has a successful, happy life!
When my daughter was a newborn, my husband asked me if I would breastfeed another baby if we found one injured or abandoned and I answered YES without even thinking about it. Of course! This woman is a HERO!!! Amazing story!
A beautiful story, although I don’t see why it’s made such a big deal to feed someone else’s child, or the fact the baby was from a different country than Maria. A baby is a baby, no matter it’s origin. I don’t feel there’s any sort of strangeness in feeding someone else’s child.
If they HADN’T seen the little pink lump in the road, if they HADN’T went back to check, if Maria HADN’T been inspired to nurse her…. so glad Ceren is ok. I would love to love and care for her, or any unwanted babies!
And why on earth can’t babies nurse in public in Denmark?!?!?! They need food and water just as the rest of us.
Because it was in Turkey, not Denmark. In some countries it is against the law to BF in public places.