Abandoned baby found by the roadside in Stearns County:
The baby — believed to be 3 to 14 days old — was left near the intersection with another gravel road, Chief Sheriff’s Deputy Bruce Bechtold said today.
She was found by Bob Klaverkamp, a dairy farmer who was on his way home. She was in a car seat propped against an oak tree, about 7 feet off a gravel road, covered by a pink blanket with a small duffel bag nearby.
"I was thinking somebody got rid of a car seat for some dumb reason," he said. " I got out to check, and I heard a little whimper.
"I lifted the blanket and there was a baby."
He said he went to his truck and called 911, then picked up the baby and took it into his vehicle to keep it warm. "I touched its fingers, and it wasn’t very cold," he said. "She was holding my finger as I talked to her. She was very sweet, a very nice little baby. She was very quiet, with once in a while a little whimper. A very good baby."
As I was reading this story, the thought came to me, as natural as anything, "Huh! I should call and ask if they need anyone to take care of that baby, because I could take care of her." For an instant, it seemed like a very good idea. And then, of course, I remembered that I already have a fairly newly born baby to take care of, three-month-old MJ (in fact I was nursing her at that moment), so—I guess it’s not such a good idea!
Those maternal instincts can be weird sometimes. Bravo, Mr. Klaverkamp, who had this to say, too:
"I told the 911 operator I wanted to keep her," Klaverkamp said, smiling.
How could you not?
She’s a lucky girl. This is Minnesota, and it’s November.
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