LITTLE ROCK, Ark. — (Editor's Note: The attached video is from a report in December 2020.)
Goodwill Industries of Arkansas is searching for the owners of a baby box donated to a store in Bella Vista, Arkansas, in early January.
The box includes items belonging to a child named Phillips who died in November of 2001 at St. Mary's Hospital (now Mercy Hospital) in Rogers. The date on the box is 11-23-2001.
“We often get things that are unique and special, and we don’t feel they were intentionally donated," Brian Marsh, the president and CEO of Goodwill Arkansas, said. “When that happens, we try and find the rightful owners."
The box includes a teddy bear, rubber ducky, a small blue hat, and some scripture.
“We worked to try and locate the family. Not being able to and have exhausted all our different avenues to do that, we posted a picture last Friday on Facebook and we have over 1.6 million views and it has gone viral," Marsh said.
Marsh said Goodwill Arkansas is also working with Mercy Hospital Northwest Arkansas to try and find the family. The hospital is going through old records to find any evidence.
If the hospital can find them, they will reach out to the family.
"At the time in 2001, state law did not allow for the issuance of a legal birth certificate on babies that were stillborn. So, we think that this may be the case, so we don’t have much information to go on," Marsh said.
If you are the owner of the box or know the family, reach out to Goodwill Industries of Arkansas at (501) 372-5100.