From a Cardboard Box to an Officer’s Badge: Officer Matthew Stewart’s Unbelievable Journey

Hear what happens when a one-week-old baby is left alone in a cardboard box on Christmas Eve?

In Episode 3 of the Beyond the Box podcast, Safe Haven Baby Boxes founder Monica Kelsey sits down with Matthew Stewart, a police officer in South Bend, Indiana. What unfolds is a powerful conversation about the night his life began and a story no one could have scripted.

Left Behind, in a cardboard box.

Matthew was born in December of 2000, just months before Safe Haven laws went into effect in Indiana. His young birth mother wrapped him in blankets and left him in the breezeway of an apartment complex, hoping someone would find him. 

“I think I was a week old. Christmas Eve, I believe,” Matthew recalls.

Monica paused.

“So your mom kept you for a week… and then placed you in a box.”

Two tenants heard the sound of a baby crying and opened their door to a life-changing sight. Not long after,  one-week-old Matthew was making headlines as the affectionately nicknamed “newspaper baby.” 

Today, he is a husband, a father of two, and a police officer serving the very city where his life began.

Finding Purpose As a Police Officer

Matthew didn’t grow up dreaming of becoming a police officer. In fact, when Monica jokingly guessed that he probably wanted to be a firefighter as a kid, he laughed and replied:

“Nope. I wanted to be a mechanic… and I did that for a while. But it just wasn’t for me.”

What he didn’t expect was to find his true calling behind bars—literally.

He took a job at the local county jail, thinking it would just be temporary. Instead, he found something he hadn’t felt before: purpose.

“I started at the jail, just to try it. And I loved it,” Matthew said. “That’s when I realized—I want to be a police officer.”

Monica, never one to miss a joke, responded with a laugh:

“So you wanted to be a mechanic, but you settled for being a police officer?”

It turns out, the place most people hope to avoid was exactly where Matthew needed to be to discover his purpose.

A Desperate Choice

Matthew has since connected with both of his birth parents. He holds no bitterness.

“She was young. They had no idea what to do.”

His birth mother had even called a hospital asking how to surrender a baby—but hung up before finishing the conversation. 

“She didn’t leave me to die—she left me somewhere safe.”

Not every mother in crisis knows what to do. Not every baby gets the ending Matthew did.

Why Safe Haven Baby Boxes Matter

Since launching in 2016, Safe Haven Baby Boxes has helped safely surrender close to 60 infants in Indiana—and in that same timeframe, no illegally abandoned babies have been found dead in the state.

Because of Safe Haven’s expanding network and education efforts, the next baby like Matthew may not be placed in a cardboard box—but in a box built with safety, life-saving technology, and within reach of first responders who are trained and equipped to get necessary care for every child placed in a Baby Box.

Want to Help Write the Next Story?

You can help change the ending for the next baby in crisis. Whether it’s supporting a new Baby Box, sharing the Safe Haven hotline, or giving monthly, your involvement with Safe Haven Baby Boxes changes lives. 

Because every life deserves a chance.
Because every child deserves a story of hope.

Support Safe Haven Baby Boxes
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Thank you for being a vital part of our Safe Haven family. Your passion and support make all the difference.