They Feared No One Would Attend a Funeral for a Nameless Abandoned Baby, They Were Wrong

International   |   Sarah Zagorski   |   May 4, 2015   |   2:16PM   |   Glasgow, Scotland

In Scotland, hundreds of people have attended the funeral of a six-week-old baby boy who they didn’t even know.

Two years ago, an unidentified boy was found dead and wrapped up in a blanket on an Edinburgh railway track. At the funeral, police appealed to the community asking for help in identifying the boy’s family. The funeral was published in the Scotsman newspaper and everyone was invited to attend.

The announcement read: “With deep sadness, the little baby boy who was found wrapped in his blanket on the walkway/cycle path at Restalrig, Seafield, Edinburgh, will be laid to rest at Seafield Cemetery on Friday, May 1, 2015 at 10am, to which all will be warmly invited to come along and pay their final respects to this little baby boy.”

During the ceremony, the congregation bowed their heads in respect as the tiny coffin went by and a single piper played Amazing Grace. According to the Daily Mail, a minister also delivered a sermon about the infant and then mourners released balloons, laid flowers and soft animals on the site where he was finally laid to rest.

A reverend that attended the funeral commented on the remarkable turnout. Rev Wishart said, “It’s just something like this touches everyone’s hearts. This is a great community. Leith is a great community. It’s just been fantastic, a wave of compassion.”

The man who volunteered to play the pipes for the funeral, Cameron McKay, said, “It was quite emotional, really sad actually. Although it was a great turnout, it was quite sad to see all the people.” Margaret Halliday, who works with the support group Angel Wings and makes burial clothes for babies, also commented on the funeral.

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She said, “I think the turnout is absolutely incredible. It’s very moving to think that there are so many people here today just to give this baby some love.The poor wee boy, I don’t know what his mum must be going through today, it must be horrendous for her. No matter what the circumstances, I just feel for his mum as well.”

One woman who attended the funeral, Vashier Malik, said, “It’s sad, but one thing I’m happy is that all the community is here,” and another, said, “Having children myself, one of them at St. Mary’s School, we go on walks along the path where the baby was found all the time – it was so tragic.”

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