Dramatic Case

Mother Left Baby with Disability at Hospital

The child was born in January at the Feldkirch Regional Hospital and has been living there ever since.(Bild: Mathis Fotografie)

A child was born with a severe disability in Feldkirch (Vorarlberg) in January—and was simply left behind at the hospital by his parents! Since then, a search for suitable foster parents has been underway, including via social media. The good news: Two interested couples have come forward.

An appeal from Provincial Councilor Martina Rüscher is currently circulating on various social media channels. “We are urgently seeking foster parents for a small baby who was born in Feldkirch in January with a severe disability (head deformity, fused fingers),” it reads. The parents were reportedly so shocked that they did not even take the child home. The baby has now been living at the state hospital for four months.

Didn’t expect it to spread so widely
At first, most users assumed this must be fake news—only to be proven wrong. The state councilor spoke out on her official account and confirmed that foster parents were indeed being sought for this child. However, she said it was not her intention for the message to ultimately be shared so widely across various social media channels. “Nevertheless, we have already managed to find two interested families,” she announced, ending with some good news.

Provincial Councilor for Health and Social Affairs Martina Rüscher has found a solution.(Bild: Diverse Fotografen honorarfrei)

She expressed her gratitude for the overwhelming support and asked that people refrain from further posts. However, anyone interested in becoming a foster parent is welcome to get in touch. Her staff would refer interested parties to the appropriate authorities. The Child and Youth Welfare Service is responsible for such cases. Even in the case of the disabled child, who still has several surgeries ahead of them, the Child and Youth Welfare Service must decide on all steps to be taken.

If parents are unwilling or unable to care for a child, Child and Youth Services must assess whether the child’s welfare is at risk. 

Christian Netzer, Kinder- und Jugendanwalt

But how is it possible that the parents could simply leave their child behind at the hospital? “If parents are unwilling or unable to care for a child, Child and Youth Services must assess whether the child’s welfare is at risk,” explains Vorarlberg Child and Youth Advocate Christian Netzer in response to a query from “Krone.” It would be utterly disastrous to simply hand a child over to the parents if they cannot care for it.

Christian Netzer, the Children’s and Youth Advocate for Vorarlberg(Bild: MARCEL HAGEN)

He is only marginally involved in this specific case, so he cannot say much about the details. In principle, however, he is pleased that a “creative, individual solution like the search via social media” was successful.