The newborn infant that was discovered abandoned in the compound of a sawmill in Kwebanna, Barima-Waini, Region One, on New Year’s Day has been discharged from a hospital in Region One and is in the care of its mother, a 14-year-old girl with a speech impairment, and her parents.
The infant and its mother are currently at home in a healthy condition.
Toshao of Kwebanna, Paul Pierre, told Stabroek News on Tuesday that on New Year’s Day around 10:00 hours he was informed by a resident that a visitor had found a baby abandoned in the grass of sawmill compound located in the community.
He said that the visitor told him that she was passing through the community when she heard the cries of a baby. He said that she thought that the baby was with its mother but upon further inspection, she found the baby and sent someone to alert him.
Pierre stated that when he arrived at the sawmill, the visitor had already wrapped the baby in a sheet and he escorted them to the community health centre and placed it in the care of a nurse. Up to that point he said, they did not know the identity of the mother and so he investigated the matter.
After making a few queries, he learned that a 14-year-old was not feeling well so he went to the home and questioned the grandparents who confirmed that the girl was not feeling well and reportedly had a stomach ache. He said that the underage teen eventually admitted to the grandparents and him that she was the mother of the child.
The Toshao said that presently both mother and baby are in a good condition and back at home. The 14-year-old lives with her grandparents, mother and step-father. Her father died a few years ago. The Guyana Police Force and the Childcare Protection Agency are investigating the matter.
