The birth of her daughter, Francisca, required an emergency Caesarean section that left Gallardo infertile.
Most dumps are not open to the public, so the actual number of bodies disposed of in this manner is likely higher.
[2] The headline, "Horrendo acto criminal: Botan un recién nacido al basural" ("A horrendous criminal act: A newborn baby was thrown on the rubbish dump"), described a newborn found inside a garbage bag at a local dump in Puerto Montt, Chile.
She asked to speak with judge Francisco Javier del Campo at the First Criminal Court of Puerto Montt.
When he arrived after a two-hour wait, Gallardo declared "I came to ask permission to bury the baby that appeared in the trash.
"[2] Del Campo was confused and Gallardo did not know what to say; eventually, she offered "I want to give a human burial ...
"[2] Eventually del Campo was convinced of her good intentions but told Gallardo that he could not authorize the release of the body then - an autopsy had to be performed and the crime investigated.
[1] According to Chilean law, if a body is not claimed by family members it is classified as human waste and disposed of with surgical trash.
Additionally, a doctor has to rule that the baby was not stillborn for it to be considered human and be given a proper burial.
This meant that Gallardo had to get a doctor to classify the child, which she named Aurora after the Roman goddess of dawn, as having lived.
[1][2] Gallardo said the funeral was like a big birthday party as people sang songs and read poetry about Aurora.
"In my job, I am used to the fact that nobody, not even family members, are interested in removing the bodies, which spend months in the freezer.
In November, she hung posters saying "Don't throw your babies in the rubbish" at every Puerto Montt trash dump.
In December, she visited Ziolkowski at the Legal Medical Service to inquire as to the status of Manuel.
[2] As she waited for Manuel's release, she wrote letters to newspapers, television stations, the Senate, the first lady, and the director of National Children's Service (SENAME).
On 28 April 2004, SENAME announced they would file a complaint in the cases, increasing the chances of finding those responsible.
[1] Gallardo sums up her philosophy on life: "Once I saw a photo ... the prettiest flower came out of a pile of cow dung.
"[2] Gallardo's efforts inspired director Rodrigo Sepúlveda to make a movie about her life, entitled Aurora.