A three-year-old medically complex toddler with a history of cardiopulmonary arrest, pulmonary hypertension, seizures, bronchopulmonary dysplasia, and respiratory failure — requiring a tracheotomy and g-tube — was found unresponsive at 4:00am by his mother and was pronounced deceased at the hospital. The cause of death was bronchopneumonia of the lungs due to complications of prematurity and recent COVID-19 and RSV infections. The mother claimed she left the home at 3:00am and that another adult was present; however, video surveillance showed she left at 9:00pm the evening before, and phone records confirmed the other adult was not in the home, meaning the child was left completely unsupervised for approximately seven hours. The mother admitted she did not ensure the child's concentrator machine was plugged in before leaving. A high-risk intact family services case was already open at the time due to a similar incident four months earlier in which the mother left the child in the care of his 9-year-old aunts. DCFS indicated the mother for death by neglect, substantial risk of physical injury, and inadequate supervision.
Contexts/Conditions
Is there any mention of child drug ingestion or overdose?
Is there any mention of a drowning incident (either intentional or accidental)?
Is there any mention of a firearm incident?
Is there any mention of inappropriate supervision (e.g., child wandered off and drowned)?
The fatality report describes two separate instances of inadequate supervision. In June 2022, the mother left the medically complex toddler in the care of his 9-year-old maternal aunts while she traveled to another town: "Both of the toddler's 9-year-old aunts told the CPI no adults were in the home at the time of the incident and the mother had gone to another town to retrieve the toddler's younger sister." In the fatal incident, "Law enforcement obtained video surveillance that showed the mother left the home at 9:00pm the evening before, and phone records that showed the other adult was not in the home." DCFS indicated the mother for inadequate supervision (#74) in both incidents.
Is there any mention of inflicted injury? (e.g. slapped, punched, kicked, choked)
Is there any mention of malnutrition, starvation, or dehydration?
Is there any mention of medical neglect?
The fatality report states that in the June 2022 incident, "DCFS indicated the mother for substantial risk of physical injury/environment injurious to health and welfare by neglect (#60), inadequate supervision (#74), and medical neglect (#79)." Additionally, in the death incident, "The mother stated she did not ensure the machine was plugged in before she left the home," further evidencing medical neglect of the medically complex child.
Is there any mention of a motor vehicle crash or incident?
Is there any mention of a murder-suicide incident?
Is there any mention of outdoor elements (including hot car deaths)?
Is there any mention of prenatal substance exposure (including fetal alcohol syndrome or neonatal abstinence syndrome)?
Is there any mention of sexual abuse?
Is there any specific mention of shaken baby or abusive head trauma?
Is there any mention of prolonged abuse or torture (including restraints, captivity)?
Is there any mention of an unsafe sleeping environment?
Individuals Involved
Was an adoptive parent or guardian involved in the death?
Was a biological father involved in the death?
Was a biological mother involved in the death?
The fatality report explicitly states that "DCFS indicated the mother for death by neglect (#51), substantial risk of physical injury/environment injurious to health and welfare by neglect (#60), and inadequate supervision (#74)." The mother left the medically complex toddler without adult supervision and did not ensure the concentrator machine was plugged in.
Was a day care worker, babysitter, or nanny involved in the death?
Was a female paramour or friend involved in the death (e.g., girlfriend, stepmother)?
Was a foster parent involved in the death?
Was a male paramour or friend involved in the death (e.g., boyfriend, stepfather)?
Was another adult relative involved in the death? (e.g., grandfather, aunt)
Was a sibling involved in the death?
Child Characteristics
Was the child adopted?
Was the child homeschooled (including "cyberschooling") or taken out of school?
Was the child in foster care at the time of the incident?
Was the child living with relatives at the time of the incident (but not parents)?
Is there any mention of a neurological developmental child disability? (e.g., autism, intellectual disability, nonverbal)
Is there any mention of a physical child disability? (e.g., feeding tube)
The fatality report describes the child as a "medically complex toddler" with "a history of cardiopulmonary arrest, pulmonary hypertension, seizures, bronchopulmonary dysplasia, and respiratory failure. He required a tracheotomy and g-tube." The g-tube (feeding tube) and tracheotomy are explicit physical medical devices/interventions consistent with physical disability.
Is there any mention of prematurity or low birthweight?
The fatality report lists the cause of death as "Bronchopneumonia of the lungs due to complications of prematurity and recent COVID 19 and RSV infections." The child also had "bronchopulmonary dysplasia," a condition closely associated with premature birth.
Is there a history of child protection reports prior to death (for this child or siblings)?
The fatality report describes an indicated child protection investigation in June-July 2022, prior to the child's death in October 2022: "In June 2022, DCFS received a report that EMS and police responded to the family home because the toddler's tracheotomy dislodged, but the mother was not home and had left the toddler in the care of his 9-year-old maternal aunt." Subsequently, "In July 2022, DCFS indicated the mother for substantial risk of physical injury/environment injurious to health and welfare by neglect (#60), inadequate supervision (#74), and medical neglect (#79)." The report header also confirms: "indicated child protection investigation within one year of child's death."
Does the child have a history of foster care (but not in care at time of incident)?
Is there a history of a sibling death (separate incident from this death)?
Parent/Caregiver Factors
Was an adult charged or arrested for the child's death?
Is domestic violence by the parent/caregiver referenced?
Is there any mention that the death occurred in a temporary shelter or while homeless?
Is an intellectual disability of the parent/caregiver referenced?
Is the mental health of the parent/caregiver referenced?
Is a history of arrests or criminal charges for the parent/caregiver referenced?
Is substance use by the parent/caregiver referenced?
Notable Details
The fatality report reveals a significant discrepancy between the mother's account and physical evidence. The mother claimed she left home around 3:00am to pick someone up and that another adult was in the home. However, "Law enforcement obtained video surveillance that showed the mother left the home at 9:00pm the evening before, and phone records that showed the other adult was not in the home." This means the medically complex child was left completely unsupervised for approximately seven hours. Additionally, "The mother stated she did not ensure the machine was plugged in before she left the home," referring to the concentrator machine that "would have sounded alarms" had it been operational. Critically, the fatal incident occurred while a high-risk intact family services case was already open due to a strikingly similar prior incident just months earlier in June 2022, where the mother also left the medically complex child without adult supervision. Despite services being in place and the mother reportedly engaged in parenting classes, the same pattern of neglect recurred with fatal consequences.
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