A story that could have had a tragic ending just received its happily ever after. On January 28^th, Florida’s Polk County Sheriff’s Office (PCSO) received a call about cries come from the woods near Regal Loop Mobile Home Park in Mulberry. Magdalena Gregorio Ordones, a resident of the park, was up after midnight and heard the strange cries. After initially thinking she was hearing a cat, she decided it was a baby and convinced her husband and daughter to grab flashlights and search the woods. They found a newborn baby girl wrapped in a blanket with her umbilical cord and placenta still attached to her. Ordones then called 911.

Detective Joshua Green and Sgt. Sean Ryan arrived at the scene, along with Fire and Rescue. Paramedics believed the baby had been outside for at least an hour and a half. Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd praised God for the baby’s survival. “It was because of the grace of God that she was able to survive and had those lungs to scream loud enough to get the attention of someone.” Judd named the baby Angel Grace. It was around the low 50s when Angel Grace was found, especially cold weather for Florida residents. Angel Grace was taken to the hospital, where she was cleared. Her mother has never been found.

Nearly 10 months later, PCSO was able to share a happier update on Angel Grace, with her adoption officially being finalized. Members of the PCSO were invited to participate in the ceremony. “What started out as a frightening, possible bad event ended up with the most wonderful outcome. Angel Grace is going to celebrate her first Christmas with her new mom and dad. She’s not gonna be alone in the woods by herself. She’s gonna be in the loving arms of a family in a warm home on Christmas Eve,” said Sheriff Judd. Angel Grace’s parents have not released their names but did permit the PCSO to release photos of the event on its Facebook page. Angel Grace’s new parents had been trying to adopt for a long time and had fostered the baby while they awaited her adoption to go through. “They wanted a child. They wanted a baby, and now they have the most awesome Christmas present ever,” said Judd. Judd called it “the best possible outcome.” “Because we were able to find Angel Grace, we were able to create a real special present for not a child without a present, but a child without a great mom and dad who otherwise wouldn’t be a mom and dad this Christmas.”

Florida has a Safe Haven Law, which permits parents to leave any baby under the age of one week at a designated Safe Haven, such as a hospital, EMS, or fire station. Nearly three hours north of where Angel Grace was found, the state has its first Safe Haven Baby Box, which enables parents to place a baby in a safe “box” attached to an EMS building. Placing a baby in the box triggers an alarm which alerts EMS to check out the box. A baby was adopted through Ocala’s Safe Haven Baby Box earlier this year.