Beyond the Box

The brotherhood of firefighters represents a special bond forged through shared danger, commitment to service, and unwavering support for one another. This episode of Beyond the Box pulls back the curtain on this powerful connection through the story of Josh Garrison—a firefighter, plumber, and unsung hero of the Safe Haven Baby Boxes movement. Host Monica Kelsey welcomes Abby Garrison, Josh's widow, and Larry, a fellow firefighter, to share memories of the man who personally installed 21 ba...

Every revolution begins with a moment of clarity. For Monica Kelsey and her friend Pam Stenzel, that moment happened in Cape Town, South Africa, where they encountered their first "Baby Safe" – a simple device allowing desperate mothers to safely surrender infants they couldn't care for. That discovery, sketched on a Delta napkin during their flight home, evolved into Safe Haven Baby Boxes, now operating in 22 states across America. This deeply personal conversation reveals how two adoptees ...

A rare and powerful conversation unfolds as Monica Kelsey welcomes a birth mother who surrendered her baby in a Safe Haven Baby Box. With remarkable courage, this young woman shares her complete journey—from discovering she was pregnant at 16 weeks to the night she gave birth alone in her bathroom, guided only by Google searches and YouTube videos. The raw emotion is palpable as she describes holding her newborn daughter for six hours, praying for clarity while feeling overwhelmed by circums...

From a simple conversation to a nationwide movement saving hundreds of lives—the untold story of Safe Haven Baby Boxes unfolds through an intimate chat between founder Monica Kelsey and former Indiana State Representative Casey Cox, the man who authored America's very first baby box legislation. Their reunion at Woodburn headquarters reveals the extraordinary behind-the-scenes struggle that brought this life-saving concept to reality. When government agencies insisted no safety protocols cou...

What happens when a night of celebration turns into the worst moment of your life? In this raw and unflinching conversation, Monica sits down with her son JJ to discuss the night that forever changed both their lives—when JJ's choices behind the wheel resulted in the death of his best friend Casey. The conversation weaves through memories of Casey, described lovingly as someone who was "exactly like me... very outgoing and outspoken" and "the glue that held a lot of our group together." We h...

A cardboard box in a frigid apartment hallway during a winter storm became the unlikely beginning of an extraordinary full-circle story. Matthew, abandoned as a newborn just days before Christmas in 2000, has defied incredible odds to become a South Bend police officer—the very department that investigated his abandonment. Detective Gene Eyster vividly remembers that night: two feet of snow, temperatures around 15 degrees, and bitter winds. He rushed to the scene and nicknamed the infant “Bab...

What happens when a child once abandoned becomes a passionate advocate for others facing the same fate? Isabella’s remarkable journey, from being left at a Chinese orphanage at less than two days old to becoming a dedicated champion for Safe Haven Baby Boxes in America, showcases the extraordinary resilience of the human spirit. Adopted at age six by an American family, Isabella faced tremendous challenges—adapting to a new language and culture while navigating physical limitations from malnu...

Kentucky State Representative Nancy Tate joins Monica Kelsey to share the powerful legislative journey behind bringing Safe Haven Baby Boxes to the Commonwealth. As a freshman legislator, Tate led the charge on three bills that passed unanimously—an extraordinary feat in today’s political climate. Her passion was sparked by the real-life abandonment of a baby in Bowling Green, and she went above and beyond by visiting Indiana to see the technology in action before advocating for it back home....

What happens when an abandoned baby grows up to protect the very streets where they were once left behind? In this deeply moving conversation, South Bend Police Officer Matthew Stewart shares his extraordinary journey from being the "newspaper baby" – abandoned in a cardboard box in an apartment complex breezeway on Christmas Eve 2000 – to becoming a guardian of his community. Matthew's story unfolds with remarkable candor as he recounts how tenants heard his cries, leading to his rescue and...

Linda Znachko, founder of He Knows Your Name Ministry, recounts her journey of providing dignity and proper burials for abandoned infants after seeing a news report about "Baby Doe" found in a dumpster. Her powerful mission statement that "Doe is not a name, a dumpster is not a grave, and a diaper is not burial clothing" has guided her work for over fifteen years. Linda shares the heartbreaking yet inspiring journey of how she became an advocate for these infants, beginning with the tra...

Welcome to the debut episode of Beyond the Box with Monica Kelsey, a brand-new podcast from Monica Kelsey, Founder and CEO of Safe Haven Baby Boxes. This series will explore the stories behind the mission to protect newborns and provide safe, anonymous options for mothers in crisis. In this first episode, America’s favorite fire chief, John Moriarty, joins the conversation to reflect on the journey of bringing a Safe Haven Baby Box to Carmel Fire Department. With 43 years of service, John sha...