It was the cries of a newborn girl that drew the attention of parishioners of St. Monica's Church in midtown Toronto to a shelf just outside of the church's second-floor bathroom. There, before 11 a.m. Mass on Dec. 21, they found an abandoned child placed in a shoebox.

After the discovery, Toronto Police confirmed that emergency services arrived and transported the baby to the Hospital for Sick Children. The mother has also been located and police say has been receiving care. She now faces charges of abandoning child and parent not providing necessaries of life – endangering life, while the baby remains “healthy and safe.”

St. Monica’s Parish has deferred any further information on the discovery to Toronto Police Services, who say no further information will be provided.

Advertisement

The incident underscores the often hidden, yet profound desperation some mothers face in crisis pregnancies, as well as the urgent need for accessible, non-judgmental supports to prevent such tragedies.

Victoria Summerhill Fox is the executive director of Birthright International, a pregnancy support service founded by her grandmother Lousie Summerhill in Toronto in 1968 offering non-judgmental, confidential and free support to women who are pregnant or think they may be. Birthright has expanded to 20 centres across Canada and approximately 200 centres globally. The organization continues to assist anyone, regardless of age, race, financial situation or background. 

To Summerhill Fox, the sense of desperation and isolation highlighted by the St. Monica's case is something far more common than many realize, and often balances feelings of judgment with empathy for the less-informed.

“ Sometimes it is easy to forget that the desperation people feel is so common. Whether that translates to them giving their baby up for adoption or leaving them on a church doorstep, that sense of desperation exists,” she said. “When we remove the judgment of ‘How could they do this?’ it can become, ‘Imagine how desperate and alone she must have felt that she believed this was her best option.’ 

“A piece that people forget is that sense of desperation and helplessness that is unfortunately so common, especially as our economy struggles, people struggle, the cost of living is so high and even living in a big city. We want to remind people in these situations of struggle that they are not alone.”  

Advertisement

Birthright’s wrap-around care, as a  privately funded, registered non-profit, covers a variety of different support services for people in situations like this mother before, during and after pregnancy for as long as needed. Some of these are providing clients with information on pregnancy, child birth, adoption, prenatal care, parenting skills and child care, referrals for financial resources, social assistance and professional counseling, even providing select resources like pregnancy tests and various baby/maternity items.

The organization also prides itself on its non-tangible support by walking alongside mothers or expectant mothers, creating a safe space, as they navigate their personal journey through the unique challenges they face. 

“ We are not a medical facility. We don't perform or refer for medical services, but we remain well-connected in the community, so we have a lot of those resources ready to recommend. For example, while we don’t offer housing, we can point people in the right direction if that’s something that they are struggling with, same with  different doctors, food banks and lawyers,” Summerhill Fox said. 

It’s an approach that has proved fruitful across its nearly 60 years of service, with the executive director recalling the sheer human impact visible services like Birthright have on women facing desperate situations 

“ We're just here to try and walk alongside people and give them some hope, remind them that while this is tough, they’ve got this, and they don't have to journey it alone — there are resources available to you, and we'll help you find them,” she said. “Sometimes we see clients return after we have helped them through their pregnancy, drop in with their baby or tell their friends, and we know that we continue to reach people.” 

In the case of the child left at St. Monica’s, which curiously happens to take the namesake of the patron saint of mothers, it was suggested that parents in distress contact the Catholic Children’s Aid Society of Toronto. ShareLife also supports a number of agencies for parents, including Birthright, Rosalie Hall, Rose of Durham, Rose of Sharon and the Vita Centre. 

Summerhill Fox also hinted that the onus of support ultimately falls on us, too, sharing how everyday actions of solidarity and humility can impact those even in the most dire straits. 

Advertisement

“ Sometimes it’s about remembering to be that person who is offering, without judgment, to validate a person’s experience. I think that goes such a long way to just say, ‘Hey, I see you, and how can I help?’ ”

For more on Birthright, see https://birthright.org/toronto.