Home Home Hello, ambulance? I… I found a baby in the entrance hall. It looks like someone dropped it off. Please come quickly.” Kristina got up this morning at the crack of dawn: she had to rush to the store while the fresh bread was still available and before her favorite curd snacks— which, in her opinion, were a perfect match with tea—were all snapped up. She quickly pulled on her jeans, a sweater, and on her feet—her old, comfortable sneakers. Outside, it was still gray; the summer sunrise had just begun over the high-rises of their neighborhood. Approaching the front door, she noticed how the hallway floor was scattered with her nephew’s toys, the little one she sometimes babysits: a small car with its wheels worn off, a plastic tractor without its bucket—they had been left behind from yesterday when a friend had visited with her son. Kristina smiled as she gathered them and put them on the shelf. “It’s nice that sometimes you can hear a child’s laughter in the building, even if it’s not your own,” she thought. She didn’t have any children of her own yet: there was her career, or other reasons. And she didn’t have a husband either—she had recently split up with a guy who turned out to be “not ready” for a serious relationship. She quickly tossed her wallet and phone into her purse and stepped out onto the staircase landing. The warm air and the sunlight promised a splendid summer day. The girl took the elevator down, stepped into the courtyard—where already some elderly women were bustling about, and two students were smoking on a bench. “Everything seems normal,” Kristina thought. She nodded to a neighbor: “Hello, Aunt Valya!” “Hi, Kristina, up early today?” “Yes, just out for bread.” The neighbor smiled, adjusted her scarf. Kristina headed to the nearest “Pyaterochka”, fortunately only about a five-minute walk away. After making her purchases, she filled an entire bag: bread, cheese, yogurts, fruits, and a couple of cans of canned peas (just in case she wanted to make a salad). As she headed to the checkout, she estimated that she should be out of the store in about 20 minutes. And indeed, she got into a small line, but she paid quickly. Finally, she left the store and strode back along the cozy path in the courtyard. She felt a warmth in her heart, knowing a day off was ahead—time to take care of household chores without any rush. However, as she approached her multi-story building, she noticed something odd: in the entrance, where a glass porch led in, a woman was pushing about with a child in her arms, and a little further away a man was arguing with someone on the phone. Kristina walked past them—the people were strangers to her; perhaps they were guests of someone. She was already about to enter the building when suddenly she heard a muffled groan or cry echoing somewhere down the staircase. A child’s cry? She stopped and listened. The crying sounded very faint, as if it were half a whisper, almost imperceptible. Her heart skipped a beat: “Could someone have dropped a baby?” She took a few steps inside, leaning against the cool wall. “Do you hear that crying?” she asked the random people who were following her inside. “I don’t hear anything,” one man brushed her off. Another woman shook her head: “Probably just your imagination…” But Kristina was convinced that what she had heard was real. She decided to follow the sound. Walking a bit deeper into a narrow passage between the garbage chute room and the stairwell, where old furniture was usually piled up, she noticed a small bundle. And from there—indeed—a barely audible child’s voice, crying. With her heart sinking, she leaned down and carefully lifted the edge of the blanket. What she saw shook her to the core: an infant, a tiny baby, maybe just a week old, no more. Its cheeks were pale, its lips blue from the cold or—God forbid—from malnutrition. “Oh my God,” she gasped, feeling her hands tremble. The child was wrapped in a haphazard manner in an old, thin blanket, not even properly diapered. “This is just abandonment!” flashed through her mind. “Who could do something like this?!” Kristina’s heart filled with horror and pity. She immediately dialed 03: “Hello, ambulance? I… I found an infant in the entrance hall. It looks like it was abandoned…” Continued in the 1st comment

Hello, ambulance? I… I found a baby in the entrance hall. It looks like someone dropped it off. Please come quickly.” Kristina got up this morning at the crack of dawn: she had to rush to the store while the fresh bread was still available and before her favorite curd snacks— which, in her opinion, were a perfect match with tea—were all snapped up. She quickly pulled on her jeans, a sweater, and on her feet—her old, comfortable sneakers. Outside, it was still gray; the summer sunrise had just begun over the high-rises of their neighborhood. Approaching the front door, she noticed how the hallway floor was scattered with her nephew’s toys, the little one she sometimes babysits: a small car with its wheels worn off, a plastic tractor without its bucket—they had been left behind from yesterday when a friend had visited with her son. Kristina smiled as she gathered them and put them on the shelf. “It’s nice that sometimes you can hear a child’s laughter in the building, even if it’s not your own,” she thought. She didn’t have any children of her own yet: there was her career, or other reasons. And she didn’t have a husband either—she had recently split up with a guy who turned out to be “not ready” for a serious relationship. She quickly tossed her wallet and phone into her purse and stepped out onto the staircase landing. The warm air and the sunlight promised a splendid summer day. The girl took the elevator down, stepped into the courtyard—where already some elderly women were bustling about, and two students were smoking on a bench. “Everything seems normal,” Kristina thought. She nodded to a neighbor: “Hello, Aunt Valya!” “Hi, Kristina, up early today?” “Yes, just out for bread.” The neighbor smiled, adjusted her scarf. Kristina headed to the nearest “Pyaterochka”, fortunately only about a five-minute walk away. After making her purchases, she filled an entire bag: bread, cheese, yogurts, fruits, and a couple of cans of canned peas (just in case she wanted to make a salad). As she headed to the checkout, she estimated that she should be out of the store in about 20 minutes. And indeed, she got into a small line, but she paid quickly. Finally, she left the store and strode back along the cozy path in the courtyard. She felt a warmth in her heart, knowing a day off was ahead—time to take care of household chores without any rush. However, as she approached her multi-story building, she noticed something odd: in the entrance, where a glass porch led in, a woman was pushing about with a child in her arms, and a little further away a man was arguing with someone on the phone. Kristina walked past them—the people were strangers to her; perhaps they were guests of someone. She was already about to enter the building when suddenly she heard a muffled groan or cry echoing somewhere down the staircase. A child’s cry? She stopped and listened. The crying sounded very faint, as if it were half a whisper, almost imperceptible. Her heart skipped a beat: “Could someone have dropped a baby?” She took a few steps inside, leaning against the cool wall. “Do you hear that crying?” she asked the random people who were following her inside. “I don’t hear anything,” one man brushed her off. Another woman shook her head: “Probably just your imagination…” But Kristina was convinced that what she had heard was real. She decided to follow the sound. Walking a bit deeper into a narrow passage between the garbage chute room and the stairwell, where old furniture was usually piled up, she noticed a small bundle. And from there—indeed—a barely audible child’s voice, crying. With her heart sinking, she leaned down and carefully lifted the edge of the blanket. What she saw shook her to the core: an infant, a tiny baby, maybe just a week old, no more. Its cheeks were pale, its lips blue from the cold or—God forbid—from malnutrition. “Oh my God,” she gasped, feeling her hands tremble. The child was wrapped in a haphazard manner in an old, thin blanket, not even properly diapered. “This is just abandonment!” flashed through her mind. “Who could do something like this?!” Kristina’s heart filled with horror and pity. She immediately dialed 03: “Hello, ambulance? I… I found an infant in the entrance hall. It looks like it was abandoned…” Continued in the 1st comment

Home admin · April 12, 2025 · 0 Comment

Christina was up before sunrise that morning — she needed to make a quick run to the store.

As she made her way to the front door, she noticed the familiar sight of her nephew’s toys scattered across the hallway floor.

She often babysat him, and though she had no children of her own, there was a quiet joy in the sound of a child’s laughter echoing through her home. For now, her life was centered around her career and personal goals, and she hadn’t yet met someone to start a family with.

After finishing her shopping, Christina’s bag was full: fresh bread, cheese, yogurt, fruit, and a few cans of peas in case she felt like whipping up a salad later. It was her day off — a rare chance to take care of things around the house without rushing.

As she returned home, walking along the peaceful path through her courtyard, she felt content. But just as she reached her building’s entrance, a faint sound caught her attention — a weak cry or moan. It sounded like a child.

She paused, listening closely. The sound was coming from the stairwell, near the garbage chute where discarded furniture was often left. Curiosity mixed with worry pushed her forward.

Tucked in the shadows, she saw a small bundle — a baby, barely a week old.

His tiny face was pale, lips tinged blue from cold or hunger. Christina’s heart clenched in sh0ck and compassion.

Without hesitation, she called for an ambulance.

“I’ve found a baby… he looks abandoned. Please come quickly,” she told the dispatcher, providing her address.

While waiting, she knelt beside the infant, whispering softly, “It’s okay, little one… you’re safe now.”

Within minutes, the ambulance arrived. Paramedics rushed in, and Christina carefully handed over the fragile baby. The doctor checked him over and nodded gravely.

“He’s alive, but weak. He needs medical care immediately. Are you his mother?”

Christina shook her head, emotion rising in her throat. “No… I just found him.”

After the ambulance sped away, Christina stood in silence, feeling shaken.

Back in her apartment, her groceries sat untouched on the table — cooking was the last thing on her mind. Later, she called her friend Oksana, needing to share the experience with someone.

That evening, Oksana arrived with a cake, and over tea, Christina recounted everything — the discovery, the fragile little life left alone in the cold.

“I keep thinking about him… What will happen to him now?” Christina wondered aloud. “Will he end up in an orphanage?”

Oksana nodded gently. “Most likely, unless his parents come forward. Or he’ll stay in the hospital until social services make arrangements. Are you thinking of helping him somehow?”

Deep down, Christina’s heart was already stirring with a thought that frightened her: Could she possibly take this child in? The idea seemed impossible — she was single, with an ordinary job and only limited experience raising children. But her heart was restless.

The next morning, Christina received a call from a police officer handling the case.

“We’ll look for the mother, though it’s often difficult — people leave and disappear. Usually, in these situations, the child is placed in an orphanage or foster care.”

Later, unable to shake the image of the tiny baby, Christina called the hospital to check on his condition. Days passed, but the thought of him lingered constantly in her mind.

A week later, gathering her courage, she visited the hospital. There, under a warming lamp, lay the fragile little boy, asleep and snoring quietly. Seeing him, her heart filled with emotion.

Returning home, Christina called her mother, who lived in another city.

“Mom, you won’t believe what happened…” she explained, voice shaking. “I found a baby… he’s in the hospital now, but I can’t stop thinking about him.”

Her mother was understanding but honest. “If you feel ready to be a mother, then go for it. But know that it won’t be easy, especially alone.”

Days later, Christina walked into the local child welfare office.

“My name is Christina — I found the baby in our building. I’d like to know if I can adopt him or become his guardian.”

So began a challenging new chapter of her life — collecting documents, undergoing health checks, and taking parenting courses.

Months passed. At the end of summer, Christina received the long-awaited news: she was approved to adopt the child.

In late August, the court hearing made it official. When the judge declared her the child’s legal mother, Christina could hardly hold back tears.

Ten days later, she held in her hands the baby’s new birth certificate, listing her as his mother.

She celebrated quietly with Oksana, a few friends, and her mother, who came from afar. Everyone shared in her joy — and understood that her life had changed forever.