Click here to read about the dedication of the Baby Box at Fire Station No. 7 in 2024, with remarks by Karen Light.

By Loretta Fulton

Karen Light, a member of Holy Family Catholic Church who was the driving force behind bringing the state’s first Safe Haven Baby Box to Abilene, will be guest speaker for the August meeting of the Abilene Association of Congregations.

The public is invited to the luncheon meeting, beginning at 11:45 a.m. Wednesday, Aug. 26, in the dining room at First Baptist Church. Serving begins at 11:45, followed by a devotional, brief business meeting, and the program. A $3 donation is requested for lunch. 

Karen Light

The Baby Box was dedicated on April 2, 2024, at First Station No. 7 on North Pioneer Drive, with many dignitaries participating in the ceremony. A special guest was Bishop Michael Sis of the Diocese of San Angelo. The Baby Box in Abilene was the first to be placed in Texas. It took Light months to get the Baby Box manufactured, shipped, and installed at the fire station. Easter Sunday fell on March 31, 2024, and Light noted the significance. 

“Symbolically, it’s really nice to have in the Easter season,” she said. 

Since the dedication, two babies have been safely placed in the Baby Box, Light said. The box is a secure place where an infant can be safely left and put up for adoption. Once the baby is placed inside the box and the door shut, it locks and a silent alarm is sounded. Firefighters respond within two minutes and the baby is transported to the hospital and eventually is placed with Child Protective Services for a closed adoption. 

It’s all private and confidential, with no cameras in the area. Texas Senate Bill 780 became law on Sept. 1, 2023, allowing “newborn safety devices” to be used to surrender unharmed babies who are 60 days old or younger.  

Baby Box dedication on April 2, 2024. Bishop Michael Sis is second from left. Karen Light is standing next to him.

Many individuals and businesses contributed to bringing the state’s first Baby Box to Abilene, but it was Light’s initiative that got the ball rolling. Thanks to her meticulous record-keeping, Light knows exactly what steps she took and when. 

On June 29, 2023, she heard an interview with Monica Kelsey, founder of Safe Haven Baby Boxes, on Guadalupe Radio Network, a Catholic station. Immediately, the thought occurred to her that someone needed to do it here. Then she began to ask who would do it.

“You need to do it!” was the revelation that came to her.

Loretta Fulton is creator and editor of Spirit of Abilene