An Open Letter to Baby George's Mother

Last Sunday, a baby boy was born in a flight from the Middle East to the Philippines. He was abandoned by his mother, left him in a trash bin inside the airplane. This is an open letter to his mother, from the heart of a new mom:

An Open Letter to Baby George’s Mother

I guess by now you might have heard the news about your failed plan in throwing away your newborn son without anyone knowing. I do not know you personally, I do not have the right to judge what you have done. I honestly do not know what you were thinking and feeling at the time you decide to hide him inside the trash receptacle.

But I do know how you must have felt when you found out you were pregnant. You must have been scared, shocked and maybe sad. I admit I felt the same way. To be honest, I got scared when I found out I was pregnant. Scared, because I do not know how to take care of a child (any first-time mom feels that way, I guess). Scared, because I don’t know if I will become a good mother. Scared, because I might not be able to give my child the best future possible. I also admit I was a bit sad because all my plans have been put on hold. Some plans were even put on permanent halt. No more spur of the moment travels, no more impulsive purchases…I bid goodbye to “no responsibilities.” I was all those things because I was scared of a big change.

The only difference between you and me – you let all those negative thoughts take hold of you; I did not. You let them eat you like a monster. I, on the other hand, accepted the change, and all those negative thoughts have been washed away. In other words, I embraced motherhood—all the happiness and hardships that come with the whole package. The happiness gobbled up all the fear I had inside. I am now ultimately happy. Being a new mom is sheer joy.

I know I’m not an expert in motherhood. But this I tell you:

In that one plane ride from Bahrain, you witnessed the miracle of life. But instead of embracing it, you threw it away—in a trash receptacle. The miracle of life, now known as Baby George, was abandoned by his own mother. By leaving him there, you will miss the chance of seeing him smile for the first time. You will miss the first time he crawls and you might never hear the first time he mutters “mama.” You will never witness his first laughter, and his first steps…

You have your own selfish reasons. And the world might never hear your side of the story, or might not even understand your reasons.

He may have been unwanted by you—his own mother. But a lot of people want to take care of him, and treat him as their own. He (like any newborn child) deserves a good future. He deserves to be loved and to be taken good care of. I know that someday soon, someone will make all that possible. Someday soon, a kindhearted and unselfish person (or family) will welcome him with open arms, and be the best mom (or dad) for him.

_____________

Baby George has been given medical attention since, and is now in the care of DSWD. In just three days, more than 25,000 kindhearted Filipinos want to adopt him.