- Sam Peterson, who was dropped off at a hospital under the safe haven law, shares his story as Utah's newborn safe haven law turns 25.
- Former Utah Rep. Patrice Arent sponsored the law to help prevent babies being left in dangerous circumstances.
- The law allows mothers to safely relinquish custody of infants at hospitals.
SALT LAKE CITY — Sam Peterson said he is grateful to be "living proof" that Utah's newborn safe haven law does what it was designed to do — it protected him when he was an infant.
Now, he is a 24-year-old engineering student at Brigham Young University who loves the outdoors and thanks the safe haven law for each birthday and opportunity.
"I believe this law was a blessing to everyone involved. It was a blessing to my parents who were finally able to welcome a child into their family, it was a blessing for me because I was raised by parents who love and support me through everything that I do, and while I don't know my birth mother, I hope it was a blessing to her as well. I hope she found peace knowing that her son is safe, loved, and given every opportunity to be successful," Peterson said.
He told his story at a Utah Department of Health and Human Services event to commemorate the 25th anniversary of Utah's newborn safe haven law and the many lives it has changed, on Monday — with his being one of the first. A statement said the mission of the law is: "No names, blame, or shame — only love and support."
Peterson said his parents waited eight years trying to adopt and had decided to stop focusing on trying to adopt right before they got a call about him, and now he feels like he is where he was meant to be.
"I honestly just feel like it was planned, it was perfect, I fit right in," he said.
To mothers who may take advantage of the law, Peterson said he understands the decision will be hard but encouraged them to have faith in it and to consider the beautiful things that could come from it.
Pioneer in safe haven laws
Former Utah Rep. Patrice Arent sponsored the 2001 bill to create a newborn safe haven law and since that point has been the chair of the Newborn Safe Haven Advisory Board. She had heard about "dumpster babies," babies left in restrooms or a bedroom drawer to die, and wanted to provide an alternative.
While working on the law, she said she got anonymous calls from mothers who didn't have the option and told her about the guilt they face, encouraging her to push to get it passed.
Arent said there was pushback from some people about the law who were worried about creating drop-off zone for babies, as only a few states had similar laws, but ultimately it passed the first year she proposed it.
She said the state doesn't have numbers for how many babies the law has saved, partially because officials also provide resources to help mothers find what they need to care for the baby themselves or connect them with adoption agencies. The state has also cared for babies who didn't fit the infant age limits, which have expanded from 72 hours to around 90 days.
"We don't know how many babies were saved, because we've saved them in so many other ways, and we also don't know how many babies haven't been saved," she said. "We just want the babies to be alive, to end up in these safe, loving homes."
Now she is "thrilled" that every U.S. state has some version of a safe haven law allowing a mother to anonymously give up custody of an infant.
"This is such a better alternative than what could happen to the baby," Arent said.
Under Utah's law, the only legal place to drop an infant off anonymously is a hospital; many states include fire stations, but in Utah, fire stations do not always have someone there, so the law restricts it to hospitals.
'Huge impact'
Not long after the law passed, Arent said she saw a group celebrating at a courthouse and recognized one of them — Sam Peterson's grandfather, who told her about his grandson and said, "He is alive because of your law." She said it didn't just benefit him and his birth mother, but his extended family.
"Even if only one life had been saved under this law, I see the huge impact from just this one person," Arent said.
Heather Peterson said they love sharing the story of her son, who she was able to watch grow from a newborn to a man because of an unknown woman's courageous decision. She said it was "a miracle" when they got a call that there was a baby for them.
"Because somebody knew where to go and that she had a place to turn, and because there was a legal and compassionate option for her, our family was created," she said.
She said the law did what it was supposed to do, protecting her son and his biological mother — who she said drove from another state to find a hospital that could help.
"I don't know anything about what it took for you to get to that hospital and to make that decision, but I am so grateful for the courage that you showed. And I want you to know that your son is loved, that he has thrived, that he has been given opportunities in this life, and we are so grateful to you," Heather Peterson said to the mother.
