Woman wants to adopt foundling

Press, 1 April 1980, Page 6

Woman wants to adopt foundling

PA Wellington A Porirua solo mother, Mrs Raewyn Wegert, wishes the old ' saying, "finders keepers,” applied to babies. It was Mrs Wegert, aged 31, whof ound the muchpublicised baby, Olivia Cas, in the Wanganui bis depot toilets in March?

The next day, she approached the Department of Social Welfare about adopting her. "I really felt something for her,” she said yesterday. “Anybody who found her would have wanted to adopt her. If I had my way, I would have taken her home then and there. She is a beautiful baby.” But Mrs Wegert, a solo mother of two daughters, aged 12 and nine, realised if the baby were adopted, it would be more likely to go to a couple already on a waiting list.“I would still like to

apply but it would be a hopeless case. I even had a name—Kirsten —picked out for her,” she said; 5 On March 13, Mrs Wegert was on a bus from Hawera which stopped .at the Wanganui bus depot ; ’ She saw the baby lying on the floor of a toilet, crying its head off. * -

“She was wrapped in two blankets and was in. pretty good condition. I, am pretty sure she was not born there,” Mrs Wegert said. She told the station master who called the police. After making a statement, she continued on the bus to Wellington. The baby was taken to Wanganui Base Hospital where she remains. Staff there dubbed her Olivia and a doctor named her Cas after the casualty ward where she was taken. . • “She is growing well,” Sister A. C. Stewart said yesterday. “She .is just a normal, happy, healthy little baby

and we are very attached to her.” ; • ’ .•

. -The assistant director ©jjsocial work at the Depart* ment of . Social Welfare irii. Wanganui (Mr ?A. Ellis) said the. baby was due' foi bq placed in foster ; care. ? *‘We have had, at least, al dozen offers'of adoption * and other offers, of assistance;. We had ‘an, offer to breast* feed'the baby and I think she is being breast-fed-;while in hospital,” Mr ;Ellis said.<

A woman, aged 31, pleaded guilty in the Magistrate’s Court at Wanganui yester-i day to a charge of unlawfully abandoning a child. She was remanded to April 21.

Mrs Wegert has been knit# ting clothes, two ' matinee 1 jackets with matchingbooties, to send to Olivia Cas. ? She would’ have liked a; larger family but.surgeryjfkwj cancer four years ago ruled 1 that out. A social worker: suggested she might apply, to foster a child and she is giving that some thought. ’