Tree of Hope

The Tree of Hope Dedication Scheduled for Wednesday, April 26

[Wheaton, IL] – A Tree of Hope dedication ceremony will take place at 10 AM on Wednesday, April 26, 2017 at Seven Gables Park located at 1750 S. Naperville Road in Wheaton.

The nonprofit group Rest in His Arms announced plans for “A Tree of Hope” to be dedicated in Seven Gables Park to remember the newborn baby girl who was found dead last August in a backpack in a forested area of Wheaton. The child was named Baby Hope and was laid to rest last fall.

The event will include an opening prayer, an update on Baby Hope’s case by members of the DuPage County Sheriff’s Office, and a reminder by the Save Abandoned Babies Foundation of how the Baby Safe Haven Law works and how it has been used to save the lives of 119 babies in Illinois to date. The ceremony is for anyone who has been touched by the loss of Baby Hope and for all those who would like to learn more about safe, free, and legal alternatives so that no infant is ever abandoned to die alone in a horrific place. All are welcome. The ceremony is family-friendly.

Organizer Susan Walker says the purpose of the tree dedication is to bring healing to the Wheaton community and allow the tragic loss of Baby Hope to leave a legacy. Walker shared, “A number of Wheaton families wanted to honor Baby Hope and helped to contribute to the cost of the plaque while the Wheaton Park District paid for the other half of the cost. The Park District was instrumental in working with us to create this enduring way to remember a little life lost too soon. We’re pleased that the plaque includes information to remind the community about the Safe Haven Law so that a case like Baby Hope’s never has to happen again.”

Walker continued, “It is fitting that we dedicate the tree in April as both the State of Illinois and the Nation observe Baby Safe Haven Awareness Month. The law works when people know about it.”

The Tree Dedication is a collaboration between Rest in His Arms, Save Abandoned Babies Foundation, Wheaton Police and Fire, the DuPage County Sheriff, Central DuPage Hospital, and the Wheaton Park District. Many local officials will be present including Mayor Michael Gresk.

Members of the press are invited to the ceremony and will have an opportunity to meet and talk with members of Rest in His Arms and Save Abandoned Babies Foundation as well as with representatives from the area’s Safe Havens – police, fire, sheriff and the hospital.

Rest in His Arms is an all-volunteer 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization dedicated to providing a Christian funeral and burial for babies who have been abandoned. For more information about A Tree of Hope, see the event listing on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/event...

To learn more about the Safe Haven Law, visit the Save Abandoned Babies Foundation, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, at www.SaveAbandonedBabies.org and click on the tab marked “Resources.”

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