Baby Shirley’s first moments of life involved being thrown into a pit toilet and then set on fire by her mother.

The child, born in Swaziland, survived her mother’s attempt to kill her.  Two Americans who were on a mission trip were informed of the child and they brought her to Cape Girardeau, Missouri for life saving surgery.

Police in Swaziland had taken the woman into custody and left the baby at the hospital.  Under the country’s law, the baby had to be taken back to the mother to be nursed.  That’s when Raeleena and Jeremy Ferguson stepped in.

“It was just surreal,” Raelenna Ferguson said. “It truly is just a miracle they said yes.”

Yes to everything the couple wanted to do…bring the baby to the states, caring for the child and giving her a chance at life.

The move was coordinated by Heart of Africa who requested a passport for the child and miraculously had it approved before the Ferguson family left the country.

After the surgery, Baby Shirley will return to the Heart of Africa shelter to grow up as adoptions by Americans of children from Swaziland is not allowed.