FOR A GOOD CAUSE -- Dena Blackburn

-- Story by Deepa Bharath, photo by xxxxx

Dena Blackburn knows what it takes to be a teenage mother. She had a

baby boy when she was barely 16 years old.

Today, as a volunteer for Project Cuddle, the 32-year-old Costa Mesa

resident counsels frightened or confused girls or women who don’t know

what to do with their unborn babies.

“When I was in that situation, I had great support from my family,”

Blackburn said. “But many of these girls who call are not as lucky.”

Blackburn volunteers for 12-hour shifts at least three or four times a

month to operate Project Cuddle’s nationwide hotline. The Costa

Mesa-based nonprofit organization often takes in the newborn babies and

helps find them a home.

In August, Blackburn got an opportunity to take in a baby girl whose

mother had delivered her in a bathroom. One of the group members met the

mom at a high school football field behind the bleachers.

“The baby was in the ICU for a while,” Blackburn said. “But my husband

and I had a chance to care for her a whole day. She was so perfect, a

beautiful little girl.”

Three days a week, Blackburn works at a company selling computers.

Life is busy as well with her two son, ages 15 and 5.

“But I make time to do this,” she said. “This is a priority for me.”

Blackburn has volunteered at Project Cuddle for nearly two years. She

says she gets great satisfaction from helping people in need.

“I get to give advice to those who are in a similar situation I was in

several years ago,” she said.

“A lot of these girls don’t know what to do. Some of them -- their

boyfriends want them to have an abortion. They don’t want to do that.

It’s just that you can give clearer guidance when you’ve been there

yourself.”

Also, the job is convenient, she says.

“All I have to do is stay home and take the calls,” Blackburn said.

On an average, she gets about four calls per shift. But it varies from

day to day, she says.

Some call just to talk. Some ask for advice and others call with an

emergency, for example, wanting to give away their baby. In those

situations, Blackburn pages whoever is on call so they can take

appropriate action.

“This is just something I love doing,” Blackburn said. “And I’ll do it

for as long as I can and whenever I can.”