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 ntil last year, too many babies born in Atlanta-area hospitals had nowhere to go. Their parents were on the streets, on drugs, or lost. Some infants needed more care than their relatives could provide. And there weren't enough foster homes that wanted these "boarder babies."
The problem of boarder babies is a national one that hits close to home. Grady Hospital alone cared for more than 250 boarder babies over the past 10 years at a cost of $7 million. But the human costs were even more alarming -- too often babies were sent home to dangerous environments because there was no other alternative. Donna Carson had seen it happen over and over again. "After one or two months, the child is dead or has a skull fracture. What is the point in saving these kids only to send them to that fate?" She dreamed of a better solution -- a safe, nurturing refuge for these medically fragile infants. Carson had spent some 23 years working with sick infants and their families as an instructor in Emory's department of pediatrics and director of Project Prevent, a program that gets pregnant substance abusers involved with prenatal care, drug treatment, and other services that lessen the likelihood of a poor outcome of pregnancy. She was instrumental in securing grants and other support that help pay the rent for the Victorian home that houses Project Prevent and Family Links, a respite care organization. Carson hoped someday to use the rest of the house for boarder babies. A series of Atlanta Journal/Constitution articles focusing on the effects of cocaine on children and on Carson's work produced an outpouring of volunteers who helped make Carson's dream become a reality. In June 1999, "My House" opened as a temporary emergency shelter for 11 boarder babies. |
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Today My House receives at least five referrals a weeks from Atlanta-area hospitals with babies who are medically ready to leave the hospital but have no appropriate places (relatives or foster homes) to go. More than 200 volunteers help the full-time child care staff, raise funds, or do whatever needs to be done to keep the shelter going. Pediatrics residents and physical therapists lend a hand, and the house is supported by donations from businesses, church and school groups, and individuals. Carson, who's been called "a one-woman revolution" for her work in the intensive care nursery at Grady, Project Prevent, and My House, refuses to put limits on the possibilities for these children. Their future grew brighter this fall when My House received the "Use Your Life Award" from Oprah's Angel Network. This award provides financial support to people who are working to better their local communities. Carson appeared on The Oprah Winfrey Show to receive the $100,000 award. To learn more about My House, visit the My House website or contact Donna Carson at 404-876-3467. Or read about My House in the Fall 2000 issue of Emory Medicine. |
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Copyright © Emory University, 2000. All Rights Reserved.
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Web version by Jaime Henriquez.