A Georgia woman took advantage of a loophole in a Nebraska law to abandon her 12-year-old son in Lincoln last week.

And now Georgia officials are on their way to Nebraska to bring him back.

Tysheema Brown, 33, said she tried everything she could do to help her son before driving over 1000 miles to take advantage of Nebraska’s “Safe Haven” law.

The law was originally intended to protect unwanted infants. Every state has a Safe Haven law, but Nebraska is the only state that does not have an age cap.

In Georgia, the age cap to abandon a baby without fear of prosecution is 3 days old.

Since Nebraska’s law took effect in July, 20 children ranging in age from 1 to 17 years have been dropped off at local hospitals. Critics of the law argue that it was never intended to allow frustrated parents to abandon teenagers.

“This law has had serious, unintended consequences,” Nebraska Gov. Dave Heineman said in a statement. “It needs to be changed to focus on its original intent — protecting infants.”

Heineman said that the state legislature intends to meet to amend the safe haven law so that it only applies to infants up to three days old. The next legislative session isn’t until January 2009.

Brown saw no other option but to drive to Nebraska after her mom told her about Nebraska’s Safe Haven law. Her son had been kicked out of two schools for fighting and he was arrested for stealing a camera. Brown feared he would end up in the state’s badly run juvenile corrections facilities.

“I just broke out crying,” said Brown, who drove over 15 hours straight with her son and 7-year-old daughter. She left her son at Lincoln General Hospital East on Saturday night. “I ran out of fight. I ran out of hope,” she said. “I never ran out of love for my child.”

Brown said when they reached Nebraska her son turned to her and said, “Mom, do I have to go?”

“Yes,” she replied. “You have to go.”

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