Jeannie Joseph is a neo-natal nurse who has worked for over 20 years. She has had her fair share of remarkable childbirth stories to fill your ears with. 14 years ago, she herself played a major role in a story of her own that has now become huge. It all started with a shoe-box.

Jeannie works at the Swedish American Hospital in Rockford, Illinois, on April 24, 2004. The emergency department called her from the special care nursing room. When she came, she saw a teenage boy filled with tears, holding a shoe-box. Jeannie was in utter shock when she looked inside the box.

Kept Inside A Shoebox

Tucked In A Shoebox

There was a 3-pound baby sleeping in the shoebox. The baby was wrapped in a dish towel and a doll’s onesie. The teen stood by when the hospital staff took the baby into isolation. After three hours, they managed to stabilize the baby. Jeannie noticed that the boy was in tears the whole time so it got her curious enough to approach him for answers.

A Teen Dad

Teen Dad

The boy told her that he and the baby’s mother who was 15, wanted to give the baby up. Jeannie agreed to his request but informed him that after this, it would terminate his rights as a parent so she would no longer have the authority to update him regarding the baby. She gave him two parental bracelets and time to think things over.

Words Of Comfort

Comforting Words

The couple came to see their baby at the hospital. Cherish Coatesl, the mother, was clearly saddened keeping her head down. Jeannie gave a hand and told her, “You know that you saved his life, right? I don’t want you to hang your head. You gave him the best chance you could.”A bond immediately formed between the two.

Listen To Me

Lend Me Your Ear

Cherish confided in Jeannie, who gave her a shoulder to cry on. Because her parents wanted her to join college she admitted that they kept her pregnancy a secret. Her own mom had given birth when she was 15, and Cherish was raised by her grandparents, whom she didn’t want to let down. She told Jeannie the horrific way she gave birth to her child.

The Scared Teenagers

The Terrified Teens

Cherish managed to hide her growing belly in school until her cramps started to occur. She would deal with her labor pains locking herself away in her room after school. She summoned her boyfriend as soon as she birthed the child. The boy climbed a ladder to get to her bedroom. After feeling helpless and scared, he came and brought the baby to the hospital leaving an explanation before going away.