On Christmas, the daughter of Dennis Eckersley, Alexandria Eckersley, gave birth in the woods in a tent. Sadly, instead of rushing her newborn son to safety, she abandoned the infant in the woods.
In a statement provided by Dennis, who was inducted into the MLB Hall of Fame after pitching for several teams from 1975 to 1998, the grandfather said he is “devastated” and “heartbroken” over how his grandson was bought into the world.
Hall of Fame Pitcher Speaks Out After His Newborn Grandson Was Left in the Woods
“We are utterly devastated by the events that unfolded on Christmas night when our daughter Allie delivered a baby while living in a tent,” Dennis’s statement began. “It is heartbreaking that a child was born under such unthinkable conditions and in such tragic circumstances. We learned with everyone else from news reports what happened and are still in complete shock.”
Dennis continued, admitting that he “had no prior knowledge of Allie’s pregnancy. We are extremely grateful to the first responders in Manchester, NH for saving this innocent newborn boy and to the hospital staff for everything they are doing to ensure his well-being.”
According to Dennis, Allie was adopted by Dennis when she was just a newborn herself. As he continued, he revealed Allie’s longtime battle with mental health.
“Though it is painful to share, we feel it necessary to offer greater context of Allie’s circumstances and background. Allie has suffered from severe mental illness her entire life. Allie was hospitalized numerous times for her illness and lived in several residential programs. We did our very best to get Allie all of the help and support humanly possible.”
According to USA Today, it was Allie, 26, who notified 911 that she had given birth in the woods in Manchester, New Hampshire. She went on to tell police that she went into labor in the woods but couldn’t remember where she left the infant.
It was 15 degrees as first responders began their search for the infant. Eventually, it was Allie’s tip that the infant may still be inside her tent that led to the recovery of the baby boy.
She told police that she didn’t even know she was pregnant. The baby boy was 4.41 pounds at birth. It’s reported that they believe Allie would have been around six months pregnant when she gave birth.
Allie also admitted to using cocaine and appeared to be under the influence of narcotics. Allie has since pled not guilty to charges of second-degree assault, falsifying physical evidence, reckless conduct, and endangering the welfare of a child.
Dennis concluded in his statement, saying, “We are in the process of filing a guardianship petition so that we may receive information and have decision-making with respect to Allie’s son.”