What Ever Happened to Baby Alexander?
“Baby Alexander” as the Newcastle Herald named him, was found abandoned and crying under a gum tree in a University car-park, on the 3 February 1998.
Luckily, he was found at 8:30am by a medical student on what is now the present site of the Information and Communication Technology (ICT) Building, just opposite the Great Hall.
We’ve always wondered what happened to him. According to the subsequent news reports his real mother never came forward, and he later went to live with foster parents in Sydney.
This is our University’s 60th year, and we want him to know, where ever he is, that we are thinking of him, and hope he’s okay. He would be around 27 years old now.
TRANSCRIPTION
Where’s my mum?
Baby Alexander – his wrist-tag read unidentified.
Wrapped in towel and abandoned
By ELLEN CONNOLLY Police Reporter.
Published: Newcastle Herald 4 February 1998 p.1
THIS is baby Alexander, a newborn found wrapped in a handtowel and dumped in the carpark of Newcastle University yesterday.
Less than two hours old, his mother had abandoned him.
As police continued their search last night for his mother, Alexander was being cared for by staff at John Hunter Hospital.
Lying in his crib in the neo-natal ward yesterday, little Alexander looked like any other newborn. Yet a closer look revealed the tragic reality his wrist-tag read `unidentified’.
He was found at 8.30am by a medical student who was returning home after an early morning swim at the university.
Wrapped in a handtowel, he was lying under a gum tree in the carpark, screaming.
His umbilical cord had been cut but he was still covered in amniotic fluid.
`It was quite obvious he was only a few hours old,’ the Beresfield ambulance officers who took the baby to hospital, Mr Jed Gollan and Mr Ben Gilmour, said.
Mr Gollan said the baby was in `relatively good health’, despite some ants finding their way into the towel.
`We gave him some oxygen and took him over to the hospital,’ Mr Gollan said.`He’s very fortunate. He probably would not have been in as good a condition if he was exposed to the heat for too much longer.’
Hungry and tired, he was fed and placed in an incubator for three hours before becoming the star attraction as police, hospital staff and media poked and prodded him.
Taking centre stage in the ward yesterday, he sucked contentedly on his dummy, unaware of the commotion.
Police realise that Alexander is the only one, apart from his mother, who knows the real story. It is believed he was with his mother for no less than two hours before being placed under a tree in the university carpark.
`All he wants is to be cuddled and to be held,’ a midwife at John Hunter Hospital, Sister Susan Knight, said. `He needs his mum. He needs to be loved.’
Sister Knight said there was deep concern for the welfare of the mother, who might need medical treatment. `We want her to know that her baby would like to see her.’
She said a nurse in the emergency ward, who was expecting a child later this year, gave him the temporary name of `Alexander’ until his mother came forward.
`He has definitely won a few hearts. He’s perfect. There’s nothing wrong with him.’
She said Alexander’s arrival had distressed a number of the mothers in the ward, which was predominantly made up of premature babies.
`Most of these mothers have babies who are very sick. This one is perfect yet no one wants it. So they’re finding it a bit hard to come to terms with,’ Sister Knight said.
Sister Knight said Alexander would remain in the care of the hospital until his mother came forward or a home was found.
Detective Inspector Bob Williams, of Waratah patrol, said yesterday that no one had come forward with information, despite extensive media reports.
`Our emphasis is on the care for the mother,’ he said.
`We’re not here to reprimand her. We want to ensure she gets the necessary care and that there can be a reconciliation.
`Hopefully mum and her baby can have a future together.’
Anyone with information is asked to contact Wallsend police on 49-560799.
TRANSCRIPTION
Baby Alexander goes home without mum?
By ELLEN CONNOLLY Police Reporter .
Published: Newcastle Herald 10 February 1998 p.2
THE tragic tale of baby Alexander dumped in the Newcastle University carpark a week ago continued yesterday when he was released from hospital and taken to Sydney to be with his new foster parents.
Despite a week-long media campaign in which police appealed for Alexander’s mother to come forward, her whereabouts remains a mystery.
Alexander was found abandoned at the university last Tuesday morning by a medical student.
Wrapped in a handtowel, he was lying under a gum tree in the carpark. He was less than a few hours old and was still covered in amniotic fluid.
He was taken to John Hunter Hospital where he remained until yesterday.
The manager of the Newcastle office of the Department of Community Services, Mr Geoff Strang, said it was hoped Alexander could begin to lead a normal life in a family environment.
`We have no leads at all of who the mother is,’ Mr Strang said.
`And we can’t leave Alexander in limbo, week in week out, waiting for his mum to come forward,’ he said.
`Previous experience has shown us that mum usually turns up in the first 24 hours. If she doesn’t, it’s very rare that she’ll turn up at all.’
He said Alexander would remain with the foster family in Sydney for the next three weeks.
The matter would be returned to Worimi Children’s Court on February 24, where it was expected Alexander would be made a ward of the State.
`We would be making a recommendation that he be made a ward of the State with a view that since he is so young, with no previous emotional attachment, that he be adopted,’ Mr Strang said.
`The child will be placed with adoptive parents, drawn already from people who have been approved as adopting parents.’
He said Alexander was in excellent condition.
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Alexander’s future in court.
By ELLEN CONNOLLY Police Reporter .
Published: Newcastle Herald 25 February 1998 p.5
BABY Alexander, who was abandoned in the Newcastle University car park three weeks ago, will remain with a Sydney foster family.
A magistrate adjourned the matter in Worimi Children’s Court yesterday.
The case will return to the court on March 17, where it is expected Alexander will be made a ward of the State.
A foster family has cared for Alexander since his release from John Hunter Hospital.
Despite a media campaign in which police appealed for Alexander’s mother to come forward, she has not been found.
Alexander was found wrapped in a handtowel under a gum tree by a medical student.
He was a few hours old and still covered in amniotic fluid.
The manager of the Newcastle office of the Department of Community Services, Mr Geoff Strang, said he expected the baby would remain with the foster family as an interim measure.
`He would probably be looked after there until his case is assessed for adoption,’ Mr Strang said.
`It appears to be a clear-cut case and the magistrate would not want to prolong it.’
Gionni Di Gravio OAM
University Archivist & Chair, Hunter Living Histories