When Dawa Lama, 24, gave birth to a healthy baby boy in the bathroom at a Queens hospital last year, she could have easily turned him over to hospital staff if she felt she couldn't care for the boy. But she didn't -- she threw him in a trashcan. He died seven days later -- and now Lama is likely facing some time as a guest of the state.

Lama pleaded guilty this afternoon to one count of first-degree manslaughter in the May, 2011, death of her newborn son, who was posthumously named Mingmar Gurung.

"Today's guilty plea is a just and fair disposition to a sad case involving a very troubled young woman.  The defendant has been held accountable for what was a serious but avoidable crime," Queens County District Attorney Richard Brown says in a statement about the guilty plea. "New York's Safe Haven law allows a parent to anonymously surrender their unwanted newborn infant to personnel in a safe place - such as a hospital, a police station or a fire station - and not have to worry about getting in trouble."

Lama, who reportedly kept her pregnancy a secret from her family, went to the Elmhurst Hospital on May 10 of last year to register for prenatal care.

According to Brown, after checking into the hospital, Lama started experiencing pain in her abdomen and back, and went to use the restroom.

While in the bathroom, Lama gave birth to her son, whom, the district attorney's office says, was born "alive and full term with no obvious deformities."

Lama then removed the umbilical cord and threw the baby in a trash can -- again, New York's "Safe Haven Law" allows a mother to drop a baby off at a hospital, fire station, or police station and not face any charges as long as it's done within five days of the baby's birth. Despite already being in a hospital, Lama threw the kid in the garbage like a piece of trash.

Lama then left the bathroom, stopping at the front desk of the hospital to pick up her ID before leaving the building.

The baby was discovered later that day when hospital staff found blood on the floor in the bathroom. He was placed on life support for a week, but ultimately died.

Lama's sentencing is scheduled for April 16, in front of Queens Criminal Court Judge Lenora Gerald, who indicated today that she will likely sentence Lama to 10 years in prison.

 well deserved...

This is really sad

No one should be defending Dawa -- what she did was heinous and she has been held accountable. Her case should also serve as a severe admonition to other would-be criminals of similar category.

However, the perceptions of criminality -- and of the consequences thereof -- vary from society to society; and most immigrants are not even fully aware of what constitutes a crime in the US (not nercesarily in this particular case -- throwing a newborn into a trash bin is an obvious crime), let alone be informed of severity of consequences of committing them.

For instance, I wonder if Dawa would have been deterred from dumping her newborn in the trash bin had she been:

a. Fully aware of the severity of consequences of such a crime; and, more importantly,

b. Well informed of other safer, legal avenues to get rid if her unwanted newborn, i.e., to give up the baby within 5 days at a local police precinct, fire station or a hospital ANONYMOUSLY (New York law).

I am of the opine that as the government goes on convicting people like Dawa, it should also aggressively engage in awareness programs to prevent other Dawas from making news headlines.

Most of the time ignorance is bliss but in case of Dawa Lama it became a 10 year sentence. If she had known that she could easily have left the newborn at the hospital desk then she would never had to face this moment and the new born's life would be saved.

If it was in Nepal nothing would have happened so in time of duress she must have acted incoherently.

I do feel empathy for her but at the same time contributing to a death of her newborn was pretty heinous.

thuiikkkaaaa

 @cybernepali : Great writing again.I appreciate the way u organize humour in ur writing.I haven't missind any of ur writing yet.Keep writing bro.

@Poonte, one of the deterrant is punishment. Maybe her punishment would deter many others to do the same.

Yes, the government could educate and create awareness on these kinds of issues; but it is also a murder in any civilization to kill (by dumping) a newly born baby. Punishment varies but any human being with a semblence of consience should know that the person is committing a murder.

I can't digest that anyone would not know the detremental effects of throwing a baby in a trash and of it's consequential actions there after. I can bet my life that she probably knew she was doing a wrong thing and thought she would get away with it.

Lack of wisdom made her trip to jail. She should have dropped to fire fighter , police station, hospital , no question asked.

 Too bad they didn't hang the bitch. 10 years? What a f'n joke.

 This indirectly sheds light on the sad fact that such behavior is very much rampant back home.

America aayera Natho Sanga Masti Garda Ananda Aaye Ko Aba Sabai Bhulnay Bhai Jathi Lay

                                                   josh ko belama hosh navaya pachi

If she have had even a bit knowledge how the system of the country she is in works at least she wouldn't have done that , she did like other women back home ,I feel sorry for her all trouble but hopfully other like her will learn lesson of their life and not follow her.Not good .

 she a PRO!!! i dont think it was her first time... well yeah first time she got caught... i hope she gets maximum of what she gets..