She had multiple stab wounds over her little body, made from the same knife but fortunately, none caused serious damage.
Trigger warning: Contains details of child abuse that may be distressing to some.
Do you believe in miracles? Most people do. As for those who do not, this story might convince you that miracles do happen. Sometimes we experience hardships in our lives and expect no help but somehow, we get it when we least expect it.
Diego Sebastian Penayo, a 31-year-old gym instructor, was passing by the Costanera Oeste Avenue in Posadas which is located in the province of Misiones in north-eastern Argentina when he heard faint cries of a baby. When he tried to find the source out of curiosity, he found an infant, abandoned in the area, reported The Daily Mail.
Newborn baby is found abandoned with a rusty knife sticking out of her back in Argentina https://t.co/civJxXAJtE
— Daily Mail Online (@MailOnline) September 9, 2020
What Diego didn't expect to see was the horrific condition of the baby girl. He was shocked when he saw that she was wrapped in a pink and blue colored blanket, inside a plastic bag.
But that wasn't it.
A rusty knife was sticking out of the tiny one's back. Looks like the baby girl was a fighter because even after the sharp knife's injury, she survived, as cited by the news website Clarin and reported by The Sun. Her wails were a cry for help which helped Diego find her and save her.
Before the baby was taken to the Dr. Fernando Barreyro Pediatric Hospital for treatment required for her survival, Diego took her to the police station. The rusty knife was still stuck in her back until it was removed by medical professionals.
To the doctors' horror, she had multiple stab wounds all over her tiny body but fortunately, they weren't fatal. Miraculously, the blade which was used to attack the infant was the same one that was sticking out of her back. The rust stopped the blade from making any puncture marks and so none of her vital organs were damaged.
David Halac, a spokesman for the hospital revealed that the knife was manufactured by a company named Tramontina. Giving further updates on the resilient baby's condition, he said, "The baby is currently stable, and we believe that she will survive."
The police investigated the horrible incident and found the mother. The doctors suspected that the baby was abandoned just a day or two after its birth and they were right. The mother revealed to the police that she "gave birth and left Hospital Dr. Ramon Madariaga Treble to go to a nearby street, where she abandoned the newborn girl."
Newborn baby girl found stabbed with rusty knife left in back and wrapped in plastic bag as mum is arrestedhttps://t.co/FTPypyerBv pic.twitter.com/iHTXVZ5VdQ
— The Scottish Sun (@ScottishSun) September 9, 2020
The detained mother's identity has not been revealed by the media. Also, it's not clear whether she's been charged yet. For the staff at the hospital taking care of the baby girl, that she survived was nothing less than a miracle because she fought through such traumatic circumstances. So, they gave her the name that suited her the best, Esperanza, which means hope. But later, as reported by the Daily Star, she was renamed Milagros, which means Miracle.
David later disclosed to the media that the doctors were being extra precautious with the little one and were treating her with strong antibiotics to stop any kind of infection. "It's a rare postoperative precaution, but normally babies a few days old haven't been injured with a rusty knife," he said and added that she's now able to breathe without any aid.
The miracle story of the strong baby made many people come forward and help the little girl in any way they could, including donations of essential baby items, blankets, and clothing. One of the organizers of the collection, María Inés, said, "We brought a little of everything we have been collecting. We are going to try to bring a little more every Friday. We’re very happy because this will also benefit other children."
This is an example of "being at the right place, at the right time." If it wasn't for Diego passing by the area where the baby girl was crying, none of us would've been able to know how strong-willed the baby was. She wanted to survive and she did.
References:
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-8713659/Newborn-baby-abandoned-rusty-knife-sticking-Argentina.html
https://www.thesun.co.uk/news/worldnews/12626076/newborn-baby-found-stabbed-knife-back-plastic-bag-mum-arrested/
https://www.dailystar.co.uk/news/world-news/newborn-baby-girl-found-bin-22674321