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Singer works to protect babies in need
By KYLE SUTTON
The Patriot Ledger -- Monday, February 11, 2008
MARSHFIELD - Renee Marcou of Wilmington is accustomed to talking about music, but perhaps her fans should start asking her about a more serious subject - baby abandonment.
The 19-year-old budding pop singer, spokeswoman for Baby Safe Haven New England, is on a six-state tour to educate young people on how to get help if they are considering abandoning a newborn.
"What we're doing is spreading the word and getting (information about) the hot line out there,'' Marcou said.
Sunday night, Marcou spoke to listeners of WATD-FM in Marshfield and this morning was due to be on WRZE-FM in Hyannis. She will appear on New England Cable News at 8:40 a.m. Wednesday and perform her hit song "Collide.''
Mike Morrisey of Lexington, who co-founded Baby Safe Haven in 2001 with his wife, Jean, after the discovery an abandoned baby in a Dorchester cemetery, said he knew Marcou was the perfect candidate after seeing her on a cable television talk show.
"When she talks, you know there's emotion and honesty behind it,'' Morrisey said.
Results have been positive since Marcou joined the cause, Morrisey said.
About 30 to 50 calls a month come in from Massachusetts, according to Morrisey.
The efforts of the Morriseys led Massachusetts lawmakers to adopt the Baby Safe Haven law in 2004. The law allows parents to anonymously leave newborns less than a week old at hospitals, fire stations and police stations without facing legal consequences.
Momentum mounted to pass legislation after a baby was found dead in a trash can at a University of Massachusetts-Amherst dormitory in 2002.
A 19-year-old student from Plymouth served a one-year jail sentence after admitting to the abandonment.
Former Rep. Thomas O'Brien, D-Kingston, was the prime sponsor of the bill.
"Any time and any way you can get the word out to young people, it makes sense,'' said Sen. Michael Morrissey, D-Quincy, a supporter of the law.
Before the law was enacted, a parent could face up to five years in prison for abandoning a baby.
The Baby Safe Haven New England tour is expected to continue through April and May, when abandonment most often occurs.
The Massachusetts Baby Safe Haven hot line number is 866-814-SAFE.
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