A Georgia deputy found newborn Baby India crying inside a tied plastic bag in the woods.
Sixteen years earlier, an Iowa mother facing a surprise birth made a very different choice.
That baby is grown now, and she has a message for the woman who gave her life.
Maleah Durand Was a Safe Haven Baby Born in Des Moines
Maleah was born on October 25, 2003, at MercyOne Des Moines Medical Center.
Her birth mother surrendered her under Iowa's Safe Haven law.
Her medical records gave her a name that told the whole story – Sara Haven.
"The day I was born, my mom didn't know she was pregnant at the time, which is a real thing," Maleah said.
Her birth mother didn't walk away cold.
"One thing that they did say is that she was loved," said Patty Durand, Maleah's adoptive mother.
"They knew that it was a hard decision, and her biological mother did tell her she loved her," Patty said.
Ed and Patty Durand of Van Meter became Maleah's foster parents the day after she was born.
They adopted her less than a year later.
The baby surrendered at a Mercy hospital went on to graduate from Mercy Health Sciences University.
Adopted Safe Haven Baby Says She Would Not Change a Thing
Maleah isn't bitter.
She's grateful.
"I would not change a thing. Absolutely not," she said.
"I love the woman who gave me life," Maleah said.
"I will always respect her. We will always have a connection."
Her next words read like a message to any mother facing the same choice.
"It will be okay. I'm okay," she said.
"I have been blessed with beautiful parents who have taken care of me with everything. They've helped me with everything."
"And the more people who love your child, the better."
Patty knows who deserves the credit.
"I think the real hero of the story right now is her birth mother," she said.
Iowa Now Has Four Safe Haven Baby Box Locations
Iowa's Safe Haven Act lets parents surrender babies 3 months old and younger at hospitals or fire stations, or by calling 911, with no punishment.
Eighty-two children have been saved under the law since 2002.
Since 2023, Iowa has added another option – Safe Haven Baby Boxes.
There are four of them, at the Fort Dodge Fire Department, MercyOne in Des Moines, the Norwalk Fire Department, and the Windsor Heights Public Safety Building.
A mother opens the climate-controlled door, lays her baby inside, and walks away.
The box locks automatically and sets off a silent alarm for firefighters or medical staff.
There are no cameras.
Maleah and Patty want to partner with businesses, schools, and community groups to put more boxes across Iowa and teach struggling expectant parents about their options.
Safe Haven Baby Boxes Founder Monica Kelsey Began Life Abandoned
Firefighter and paramedic Monica Kelsey founded Safe Haven Baby Boxes after learning her own life began with abandonment.
Her group now counts roughly 430 boxes in 24 states, with 77 babies safely surrendered through them.
Her team puts the mission in one sentence.
"It's better to bless a box in the side of a wall than to have to bless a box going into the ground," said Jessi Getrost, an executive assistant with Safe Haven Baby Boxes.
Across the country, more than 5,000 babies have been safely surrendered since Texas passed the first Safe Haven law in 1999.
From 2008 to 2017, as most states adopted Safe Haven laws, infant killings dropped 66.7 percent compared with the decade before the first law.
Pro-Abortion Critics Still Fight Safe Haven Baby Boxes
When Alaska's Senate passed a baby box bill 18-2 in March 2026, pro-abortion state Sen. Löki Tobin voted no.
"The potential misuses for these devices far outweigh the benefits," Tobin said.
Alaska has documented three abandoned infants since 2013, and two of them were found dead.
Baby India and Sara Haven Show Why Safe Haven Laws Matter
Georgia had a Safe Haven law in 2019, too.
Baby India's mother never used it, and a neighbor had to hear the crying from the woods.
Maleah's birth mother used Iowa's law, and her daughter grew up surrounded by love.
That's the difference the Durands want every struggling mother in Iowa to understand.
"The Safe Haven Box is an answer to no answer," Maleah said.
Sources:
- Kayla James, "Iowa Family Promotes Safe Haven Awareness, Shares Adoption Story," KCCI, September 25, 2026.
- "Mother Arrested in 2019 Case of Baby India Dumped in Forsyth County Woods," FOX 5 Atlanta, May 19, 2023.
- Heather Herron, "Safe Haven Baby Boxes Marks 10 Years Since First Installation," 21Alive News, April 23, 2026.
- Isabella Doer, "Safe Haven Baby Boxes Dedicated in Three More Communities," National Right to Life News, May 8, 2026.
- Mariana Timler, Elyse Gaitan, and Tessa Cox, "Safe Haven Laws: A Primer," Charlotte Lozier Institute, October 30, 2025.
- Nancy Flanders, "Pro-Abortion Legislator Argues Against Safe Haven Measure," National Right to Life News, April 16, 2026.
