Miami's Forgotten 'Babies' Await Another Christmas

MIAMI, FL — Back in the late '80s, there were 15 babies born who would never grow up with a mother's touch and anything resembling a normal childhood. They required constant medical care and were sent to live in a community-based home that would come to be known as Baby House.

Most of them suffered from cerebral palsy or seizure disorders. Just about all of their families gave up on them. But over the years, these children experienced bright spots, too — such as trips to Disney World, occasional shopping outings and even cruises made possible through donations from organizations such Make-A-Wish Southern Florida, churches and other community groups.

"It takes a very, very special person to want to take care of children like this that can't hug you and kiss you at the end of the day," said Carol Montiel, a neonatal nurse who oversees a small but dedicated staff of caregivers at Baby House. "I'm going to cry. It's not easy working here."

Christmas has always been a special time of year at Baby House, and this year was no exception as a caravan of Miami-Dade police officers from the Intracoastal District Community Oriented Policing Services pulled up earlier this week with boxes of clothing, equipment, gift cards and other much-needed supplies along with a visit from Santa.

'You Could See It On Their Faces'

Detective Lee Cowart of the Miami-Dade Police Department said officers collected donations from Miami-area businesses, including Walmart, in what has become an annual tradition.

"I think we all got in the job to help people and assist in the community," he said, adding that Baby House residents look forward to the annual holiday visits.

"I know they were happy. You could see it in their faces," Cowart said.

The officers who participated in this year's event told Patch it takes several months to collect the donations. They distribute flyers to area businesses and receive donations from colleagues.

"It brings joy to us. We do this every year," Sgt. James Chery told Patch. "It's something special to us that we get to participate within the community ... and bring joy to the people that need it the most."

Lots of Ho-Ho-Hoing

Though the residents can't speak, they have other ways of expressing themselves, according to Viola Gibbs, who helps run Baby House. Some of the residents flashed big grins as Santa walked through the facility with a holiday bell and lots of ho-ho-hoing.

"I've been here for 19 years," Gibbs said. "Each of them I consider as my own child, basically. When you look at their face, you talk to them as you are bathing them. You talk to them as you are changing them. You can see their facial reactions — if they like something, or if they dislike something — this is how we can tell."

She said some staff members have been at Baby House since it opened. "I don't have a high turnover," she said.

Officer Reynal Michel has played Santa for the residents for the past five years. "It's pretty amazing," he said. "Every time I come in here, I feel like I'm doing something positive, especially when you get some of these kids smiling."

Name Change

Baby House is now officially referred to as United Community Options of Golden Glades, but it is still operated by the same organization that had been called United Cerebral Palsy of South Florida. Most of the people who know it's in the neighborhood still call it Baby House.

"The police department has been so wonderful. They come year after year," Montiel said. "They helped us in every which way possible. They have always been available to us. My staff is so grateful."

St. Mark Greek Orthodox Church in Boca Raton has also been sending gifts to Baby House for 20 years at Christmastime. It brings food for the staff, too.

All Grown Up

In many respects, the children of Baby House were Miami's forgotten babies. Despite great obstacles and 24-hour-a-day care, the original residents are all grown up now and in their late 20s or early 30s.

Four of them never left the nondescript Miami-Dade neighborhood where they began life's difficult journey.

Four others passed away last year while still at Baby House. Others have been transferred to nursing homes to accommodate new residents with similar disabilities.

Last year was probably the hardest for the staff when so many residents passed away after spending their entire lives at Baby House.

"We had four back-to-back deaths," Montiel recalled. "It's because our clients are getting older and they are developing adult diseases." Many of them will ultimately die from kidney disease, she said.

Origin Of Baby House

Baby House was made possible by the advent of portable ventilators and changes in Medicaid regulations that allowed nursing care to be provided in community-based settings.

"These are our babies no matter what, how old they will be. They will always be our kids because they don't have the support [of their families], most of them," Montiel said. "I have 15 children here. Of the 15, maybe I have six whose parents take any interest at all in their care."

Very few of the families even come to visit.

"Many of them left their children in the hospital and disappeared," Montiel said. "Today, I had to chase down a father who, instead of coming here to see his son, prefers to have me send the paperwork that needs to be signed on a yearly basis by email."

One of the original residents, Kevin Estinfil, suffers from hypothermia. His care led to a court battle and even a visit from then-Florida Gov. Charlie Crist at the time.

"Medicaid was paying $450 an hour to tell me 'no' when all I wanted was $250 a year," Montiel remembered with a laugh.

Emotional Boost

The staff gets an emotional boost from Lancaster, a 4-year-old service dog who is part yellow Lab and part golden retriever.

"He had two years of education," Montiel boasts. "He's trained to do 50 chores. He can open the refrigerator. He can even take out a Coke and give it to you."

Funding Challenges

Baby House has weathered its share of challenges over the years. Funding has been a constant struggle. And in 1992, Baby House sustained significant damage when Hurricane Andrew ripped through South Florida. In 2017, Baby House had to be evacuated for three days when Hurricane Irma threatened Florida.

Miami-Dade police helped find local hospitals that had room for some of the Baby House residents during Irma.

"Our kids need electricity. All of them require some sort of electricity to function," said Montiel, pointing to ventilators and various hospital machines that must be kept running at all times.

The facility has been collecting funds to purchase a powerful generator that will help keep the electricity flowing when the next hurricane hits.

Holiday Luncheon Not Nearly Enough

As a thank-you to her staff, Montiel said she will host a holiday luncheon for her staff on Christmas Day, another annual tradition.

"I'll have a luncheon for my staff who deserve a lot more than just a luncheon," she said. "It's painful to see that they work so hard and the funding is so little."

If you would like to make a tax-deductible donation to Baby House, send checks to Golden Glades Baby House, 16521 NW 1st Ave., Miami, FL 33169.