Would-be parents are lining up to give a baby girl, found abandoned by the side of the road near Atlanta, a forever home.
Officials say the baby, who has been named India, has no shortage of people wanting to adopt her.
‘We have people waiting in line to provide that child with a forever home,’ Tom Rawlings, the director of Georgia’s Division of Family and Children Services, told ‘Good Morning America.’
Video: More than 1,000 people offer to adopt Georgia baby found in plastic bag in woods
Authorities say more than 1,000 people are interested in adopting India.
There is currently a waiting list of about 200 families looking to adopt babies in Georgia alone, according to Rawlings.
She was found by two sisters, Kyler Ragatz and Kayla Ragatz who contacted police just after 10pm on June 6 in Forsyth County north of Atlanta.
They said they’d heard a noise like a cat and saw a baby’s arm sticking out of a plastic bag.
When deputies arrived at Daves Creek Road in Cumming, they found the baby who still had her umbilical cord attached and was stained with blood from the birth.
India had no significant injuries .
The video of the rescue, recorded on an officer’s body camera, was made public on Tuesday.
A deputy can be seen reaching for the light brown plastic shopping bag containing the baby before ripping it open, exposing the infant inside.
Video: Sheriff bodycam video shows moment Baby India is found in the woods
‘When we were able to pick her up, wrap her up, get her a little warm, I was able to talk to her a little bit,’ Forsyth Sheriff’s Deputy Terry Roper who was first on the scene told Good Morning America on Wednesday.
‘I wanted to give her comfort. A little bit later I realized it was the first time she had felt love, and I felt honored to be able to give her that.’
India was handed to medical first responders, who performed first aid on the infant before wrapping her in a blanket.
Authorities have been looking for the girl’s mother since June 6, taking to Twitter to ask if anyone in the area knows ‘a female who was in late stages of pregnancy.’
Officials are asking for tips about a woman who recently gave birth but does not have a child in her custody.
Rawlings said India is now smiling and laughing and is being well cared for. For confidentiality reasons he couldn’t say where she is.
‘In child protective services we deal with a lot of tragedy, of course, but it’s great to have a miracle,’ Rawlings said of baby India’s survival. ‘And this truly is a miracle.’
‘I’ve been working child protective services for almost 20 years now, this is one of the most exciting, wonderful miracles I’ve seen in my life,’ he added.
The Sheriff’s Office reminded the public that the state of Georgia has a law called Safe Haven (HB 391).
This law allows a child’s mother to leave her baby, up to 30 days old, with an employee of any medical facility including any hospital, institutional infirmary, health center or birthing center in Georgia without prosecution. This includes hospitals, fire stations and police stations.
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