A mother and son have told how they found a newborn baby girl abandoned in an east London park, after hearing her 'crying for her life' from inside a plastic bag. The tiny infant said to be less than an hour old was left next to a bench in Newham shortly after 10pm, when temperatures were sub-zero. Nurses are calling the youngster 'Roman' because she was found on Roman Road, reportedly wrapped in a towel and placed inside a Sainsbury's bag. She was quickly rushed to hospital where she is recovering from her ordeal, and police are now appealing for help in tracking down the mother. The newborn was found by Rima Zvaliauskiene, 50, and her son Ovidijus, 27, just 100 yards from their home while walking their dog. The Lithuanian grandmother said: 'There was a crying noise from the bag. She was crying for her life. The baby saved herself'.
Her son added: 'She looked a bit purple. She was very cold to the touch. Her forehead and ears looked like they were a bit frosty, she was cold.' We feel great that we helped save the baby’s life. I’m glad we were there or the baby might not have survived too much longer'. Local resident Georgina Player, 26, who lives around the corner from the play area in East Ham, said: 'The police came knocking at midnight to tell us what happened.' They said she was only 30-minutes-old when she was found she even still had her umbilical cord.' She's at Newham Hospital and I'm going to go there this afternoon to drop some things off for her baby grows, milk, anything. I feel so bad for the little thing.' She was left in a towel and plastic bag on the ground, next to the bench not even on it.' The police had sniffer dogs trying to find a blood trail but they couldn't, which makes me ask how she left in that state.' Although it was dark, a lot of people pass through here. You have to walk past to get to the buses.' I wish she knocked on the door for help but I think she knew someone would find the baby.'
The Met Police said officers are growing 'increasingly concerned' for the mother's welfare and appealed for her to contact the police, her local hospital or GP surgery. In a direct appeal to the child's mother, Inspector Shane Clarke of North East Command Unit, said: 'We are growing increasingly concerned for your welfare and I urge you to make contact either with police, your local hospital or GP surgery. It is really important that we know that you are safe.' I would also urge anyone who has information that could help us to reunite this baby with her mother to come forward.'