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2nd February 2024
10:21am GMT
The case surrounding abandoned baby Elsa has broken the public's hearts.
The infant was discovered in a shopping bag on the night of January 18th. Her mother has still not been found but police are urging her to come forward. They're concerned for both her physical health and her well-being.
Baby Elsa was found by a member of the public who was out walking their dog on the night of January 18th.
The infant was discovered in a shopping bag at the junction of Greenway and High Street South in East London.
The stranger who found her quickly wrapped her up to keep her warm until the ambulance arrived. There were sub-zero temperatures on the night baby Elsa was found.
Her umbilical cord was still attached when she was found. After she was rushed to hospital, doctors confirmed the infant was born just an hour before she was found.
Despite being left in subzero temperatures, baby Elsa was not harmed. Doctors confirmed she did not suffer any injuries and was in good health when she arrived at the hospital.
She was kept in the hospital so doctors could monitor her, but has since been released to live with a foster family as an investigation takes place.
Police issued a statement following the discovery of baby Elsa:
"I am grateful to the members of the public who stayed at the scene to speak with officers and medics – your actions contributed to saving Elsa’s life.
"We believe Elsa to have been less than an hour old when she was found. We do not yet know how long she had been there when she was found."
Police have been campaigning to find baby Elsa's mother since she was left alone on January 18th.
They have stressed that they want to ensure she is okay.
Police have also urged the public to stop making cruel remarks about the infant's mother online because nobody knows what she is going through.
"Our thoughts now turn to the baby's mother; we are extremely concerned for her welfare as she will have been through a traumatic ordeal and will be in need of immediate medical attention following the birth.
"Trained medics and specialist officers are ready to support her and we urge her to get in touch by phone or walk into the nearest hospital or police station."
We're keeping both baby Elsa and her mother in our thoughts during this heartbreaking time.
