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At sad story's end, 'there's help'

Safe Haven law - inspired groups see baby's death as a chance to educate.

By MICHAEL KRUSE
Published January 14, 2007

BROOKSVILLE - She could have given birth to her baby boy and kept him.

She could have given him up for adoption.

She could have taken him to a hospital, or a fire station, or an ambulance station, at any point in the first three days of his life, no questions asked. That's allowed in Florida thanks to the so-called Safe Haven Act passed in 2000.

Nicole Batiste did none of those things. The young woman from Spring Hill gave birth alone in her bedroom and didn't help the infant as he gasped and died and then put him in a Rubbermaid tub and drove herself to the hospital because she continued to bleed. Batiste, 20, on Thursday was sentenced for aggravated manslaughter of a child to two years of house arrest, four years of probation and 1,000 hours of community service.

Sitting next to her in court was Nick Silverio. He is the founder and leader of A Safe Haven for Newborns, a statewide, Miami-based, all-volunteer, nonprofit organization that promotes and educates people about the Safe Haven law. And in the aftermath of Batiste's sentencing, it looks as if some of those 1,000 hours of community service - maybe even most of them - will be done with Safe Haven, Silverio said Friday.

Here is where a longer view starts to come into focus: The sad story of Nicole Batiste and her baby boy has settled into three parts.

The first part was the pregnancy she hid. The private part.

The second part was the court case. The public part.

Now, maybe, probably, hopefully, comes the third part.

The good part.

"We look at this as an educational opportunity," said Theresa Meloche, the Safe Haven coordinator for Hernando, Pasco and Citrus counties.

"There's help," Silverio said. "She could have gotten help where she wouldn't have had to face this all alone."

Silverio and his wife didn't have any children of their own. His wife, Gloria, had two miscarriages, but they were godparents to 14 children.

Gloria was killed in a car wreck in December 1999. They had been married 31 years.

He started Safe Haven in her memory.

Since 2000, according to statistics kept by Safe Haven, 57 babies have been dropped off and saved at hospitals, fire stations or ambulance stations. In that time, Silverio said, 21 have been found dead. The names of the babies who have been saved are listed at asafehavenfornewborns.com, from Philip, Jabari and Simon to Madison, Jacob and Gloria Hope.

No babies so far have been dropped off under the Safe Haven law in Hernando, said Meloche, the local coordinator.

In Batiste's case, she never told her mother, her boyfriend or her boyfriend's family. The baby was born at 31 weeks old.

Silverio got interested in the case after talking to the Times several months back.

He wrote a letter in December to public defender Ray Shaw proposing that Batiste tell her story in a Safe Haven "education and awareness" video. The target audience: middle schools, high schools, colleges, youth groups and other community outreach programs. Parts of the video also could be used in public service announcements on TV.

Silverio drove up from Miami Wednesday afternoon and stayed the night in the Hampton Inn out by Interstate 75. He got up the next morning and drove to the courthouse.

He met Batiste on Thursday in court.

"She's a bright girl, and she made a mistake, and she realizes it," he said Friday. "I thought she was contrite, and I thought she was a warm person. She seemed very, very genuine, really."

Silverio called the sentence with no time in jail or prison "a compassionate solution."

"Now she has a chance to continue her life," he said. "She has a chance to make something of her life."

Batiste hasn't talked publicly about the case, ever, but Shaw and prosecutor Pete Magrino are okay with her doing community service with Safe Haven, and Silverio said Friday that Batiste is, too.

"This can help her," he said, "and this can help others."

Michael Kruse can be reached at mkruse@sptimes.com or 352 848-1434.

Fast Facts:

Pregnancy help and guidance

If you are pregnant and need assistance, there are places that can help. Hernando County health and human services officials say there are many options available. Along with guidance, the following groups offer free pregnancy tests and give proof of pregnancy letters, which must be signed by a registered nurse, doctor or midwife. Proof of pregnancy letters can help in applying for Medicaid to cover prenatal care at the Health Department.

Safe Haven: For more information on safe haven, go to www.asafehavenfornew- borns.com, or call toll-free at 1-877-767-BABY.

Planned Parenthood: Visit www.planned- parenthood.org for information on pregnancy.

Hernando County Health Department: 300 S Main St., Brooksville; 754-4067; 8 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday- Friday; www.health.co.- hernando.fl.us; or 7465 Forest Oaks Blvd., Spring Hill; 688-5067

New Generation (formerly A Woman's Resource Center, Christian-based): 134 E Fort Dade Ave., Brooksville; 544-0911; 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Tuesday and Friday and 6:30-8:30 p.m. Thursday; www.purehope.org

Baby Love Pregnancy Center (Christian-based): 2107 Mariner Blvd., Spring Hill;

683-8217; noon-4 p.m. Monday, Wednesday and Friday

6-9 p.m. Tuesday; www.babylovepcc.org

Catholic Charities (Christian-based): 1423 Kass Circle, Spring Hill; 686-9897; or call the Pregnancy Center directly, 683-5533, ext. 27; 8 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday-Friday; www.catholiccharitiesusa.- org. Call for an appointment.

[Last modified January 13, 2007, 20:27:23]