Nova Scotia MLA Brendan Maguire says the discovery of an infant abandoned on a Halifax doorstep has brought back some painful memories.
That’s because Maguire knows what it's like to be left behind. He was just four when his parents abandoned him and four siblings at the Halifax Shopping Centre.
“It struck a nerve because it took me back to a place I don't often think about,” Maguire says. “I think the biggest thing you remember isn't a visual thing. It's an emotional thing. I felt abandoned.”
“You felt alone. You felt scared. You don't feel like much.”
As a MLA, Maguire remains very involved with children in care. He urges parents and expecting mothers in desperate situations to ask for help.
“There are all kinds of different resources out there and no matter how much you think you are trying to help your child, abandoning your child on the side of the road is not the answer,” Maguire says.
Halifax Regional Police currently have more questions than answers. They know the baby girl is around four or five weeks old, of African Canadian descent and healthy.
For now, all they can do is continue to search for her parents.
“The investigation is ongoing. Right now our focus is to find the identity of the baby as well as her parents,” says Cindy Bayers, spokesperson for Halifax Regional Police.
Police are still canvassing around Quinpool road where the baby was found. They're looking at video surveillance and checking hospital records, but at this point they still don't know who this little girl is or where she came from.
The infant is in the care of the Department of Community Services. Brendan Maguire grew up in the same system with foster parents.
“I would hope and pray she ends up in the right hands and in the right situation,” Maguire says. “I think it opens up a broader discussion about how we treat kids in care and how we look at people who come from broken families.”
Maguire says he wouldn't be where he is today without a lot of kindness. He's thankful this little girl was also found by caring people who called for help immediately.
With files from CTV Atlantic’s Kelland Sundahl.
