Adoption Calls Pour In for Abandoned Baby ‘Timmy’

ANAHEIM — The 5-day-old baby boy slept quietly at Humana Hospital-West Anaheim on Friday, dressed in a pastel blue and white jumper and snuggled close to a stuffed elephant, enjoying just two of the dozens of gifts that have poured in since he was found abandoned Monday next to a back alley dumpster.

But the infant, affectionately called “Timmy” by the pediatrics staff, has generated more than just gifts. Hospital officials say they have received more than 50 phone calls from people eager to adopt the seven-pound newcomer.

“They started coming in as soon as the news was released about him,” said Mardi Coker, a hospital spokeswoman. “There has a been a tremendous amount of concern shown for the child by the community.”

But the callers will have to get in line. The first prospective adoptive parents will be people who have bided their time on the long waiting list maintained by the county agency that oversees adoptions, officials said.

The callers who wanted to take the infant into their homes instead were referred to the Orange County Social Services Agency, according to Coker.

Under the state child welfare and institutions code, the social services department has 21 days to make a recommendation to the Orange County Juvenile Court about the child’s future.

“In a case such as this, it is so hard to tell what will happen,” said Gene Howard, director of children’s services of the Orange County Social Services Agency. “Usually in a week or two, someone shows up, be it the mother or a relative who knows what happened. You never can tell.”

Howard added that a social worker is investigating the infant’s abandonment.

“There are very few leads, so it will be difficult,” Howard said. “But 48 hours after the child is deemed a dependent of the juvenile court, an investigation has to take place.”

The agency could recommend that the baby be placed in a foster home, or, if the mother is found, the department will advise whether parental rights should remain with her.

If the mother is found, several services could be offered to her, Howard said. “This may mean putting the child into a foster home until the parent gets her act together.

“It’s a lengthy process, because there are literally hundreds of names waiting to adopt a healthy child,” Howard said. “The majority of the children currently waiting for adoption usually have some type of special need, physically or emotionally.”

“Timmy,” who was reported to be in healthy condition, was found by a woman dumping her trash Monday afternoon behind Lincoln Liquor Store on West Ball Road in Anaheim. The newborn was on the ground, wrapped in a towel and placed in a brown paper bag.

In addition to gifts of toys, clothes and diapers, the baby has received a large sum of money from well-wishers, the hospital spokeswoman said.