A child to love

“It’s not their fault that they are born with a drug addiction,” she said. “They shouldn’t have to endure such discomfort.”

Hudson Cradle in Jersey City is a special home for babies less than a year old who have been affected by their mothers’ use of drugs or alcohol while pregnant. Last week, Weehawken High School’s Peer Leadership program visited the home.

It started out as a simple discussion between two teachers. A few months ago, Weehawken High School teacher and Peer Leadership advisor Laura Sciortino was talking to her friend, Webster School second grade teacher Christie Dermody, about possible charity projects for the Peer Leadership group to get involved with.

“I was looking into a program at St. Joseph Hospital in Paterson for newborn babies, when Christie told me about the agency that she was already volunteering with called Hudson Cradle in Jersey City,” Sciortino said. “I checked it out and figured it would be a perfect place for our kids to help. When I got there, it was amazing.”

Sciortino was so inspired by the program that she took a two-day seminar course solely on FAS (Fetal Alcohol Syndrome), just so she had enough information to present to the student members of the Peer Leadership group.

“I never really knew anything about drug-addicted babies until Ms. Sciortino told us about Hudson Cradle,” said Melissa Brando. “Once she gave us the presentation on FAS, I knew that I wanted to help more.”

Sciortino had 15 students volunteer to offer assistance at the Hudson Cradle facility in downtown Jersey City. Only four students are permitted to go at a time, so the first group of four, namely Brando, Nora Kdiry, Kristen Torres and Stephanie Cajina, went on a Saturday evening to volunteer for three hours.

“When we first arrived at Hudson Cradle, I was curious and scared,” Brando said.

Taking a baby But each of the four students was handed a child to love, nurture and care for.

“They went right to work right away,” Sciortino said. “They were definitely hands-on from the beginning. The nurses there couldn’t have been nicer, and the babies took to the kids right away.”

Kdiry was blown away by the experience.

“It was absolutely amazing,” Kdiry said. “It was so worth going, and it didn’t seem like it was three hours. I love those kids. It was so much more different than holding a sibling. It was hard knowing that someone else had caused them such discomfort. It isn’t fair. They were just little angels. I am aware of the problems that are out there, but I would have never known that there were babies like this. It was so good to see them being cared for so much. I am now attached to them.”

Brando didn’t want to leave.

“I was really attached to the baby that I had,” Brando said. “I really didn’t want to leave him. I could tell that I was making a difference because my baby was smiling back at me when I was feeding him. It was really as if I was his mom. I felt a great sense of love and responsibility while I was there.”

Torres also felt like it was worth the time and effort.

“I felt it was worth the trip, because I never knew places like this existed,” Torres said. “It’s heartwarming to know that there are places like Hudson Cradle where kids are being cared for. I loved how I was able to connect with the babies by playing with them and showing them some love. It’s incredible how just three hours could make such a significant difference, not just for the babies, but for me, too.”

Cajina said that she can’t wait to go back again, although now, she’ll have to wait for her next turn.

“It made me feel really good about myself going to Hudson Cradle,” Cajina said. “I was able to spend those hours with children who need the love. It was a very special experience that I was able to share with my peers.

Seeing those kids make me feel responsible for myself in making future decisions. I want to visit Hudson Cradle again. I’ve really grown attached to the babies. I look forward to spending more time with the babies and volunteering more often.”

A week later, Sciortino brought three more students, namely Graciette Hache, Victor Ledesma and Laura Osorio, for another three-hour stint with the Hudson Cradle babies.

“This time, our kids were even able to give the babies their treatments,” Sciortino said. “The nurses were that comfortable with our kids.”

Sciortino said the volunteer efforts helped everyone.

“I’m very impressed with the depth of the program,” Sciortino said. “They were able to affect the babies, but they received a lot more than they could have imagined. They all want to go back again and we’re working to get some dates in the future.”