Losing a child is the worst thing a parent can experience.
Regardless of how it happens, whether in an accident, from an illness, or a wound, no father or mother should have to bury their child.
Imagine how much worse it would be if a simple mistake led to the death of your child? You’d rather not think about it, right?
Unfortunately, that horror was the reality for Ali and Derek Dodd after they left their 11-week-old baby at a daycare.
Ali Dodd did not want to leave her newborn son Shepard with a total stranger so early in his life; he was only 11 weeks old.
But circumstances forced her to return to work. After all, the money wouldn’t just come in on its own.
Together with her husband Derek, she chose a reliable and highly recommended daycare to care for their dear newborn son.
On April 6, 2015, the Dodd family left their son at the daycare they had chosen. It was the sixth time they had done this.
But what they didn’t know is that just a few hours later their lives would change forever.
It’s the kind of conversation no mother should have, when Ali recalls the day she heard the horrifying news.
“The daycare manager said, ‘Ali, come quickly.’ I don’t know what happened! I let him sleep for a little while, and when I came back to check, he had turned blue.”
Ali and Derek will never forget the moment they realized Shepard was no longer there.
Furthermore, as if the shock of losing their son was not enough, it got even worse. The family had to come to terms with the fact that Shepard’s death could have been prevented.
A mistake had occurred that should never have happened.
According to US Weekly, Shephard’s official cause of death was positional asphyxia. The boy slept in a fastened car seat, his head had slumped down against his chest while he slept, and because he was not yet strong enough to lift his head, he suffocated.
Tragically, authorities had previously heard complaints from parents about this daycare, as they had used unsafe methods to make children sleep before.
“This was not an accident,” said dad Derek.
“She knew that a car seat was not a safe way to sleep, and that two hours was far too long to keep a newborn baby behind closed doors.”
According to Derek, the daycare provider was not charged. The case is still ongoing.
The parents have tried to cope as best as possible with the loss of their son. For the last 3 years of their lives, they have honored the life of their baby. Their goal is to continue telling their story so that something like this never happens again.
Their hope is that no family has to go through such a tragedy. They are currently educating parents and caregivers about the importance of safe sleeping practices for children.
The couple from the American state of Oklahoma has also started a petition to establish stricter standards for daycare centers and preschools.
Part of their work was used to establish Shepard’s Watch, an organization dedicated to educating people about young children and their safety.
“Shepard’s death should not have been in vain,” says Derek.
Keeping your child safe
Remember that car seats are designed to protect children when they are in the car. It is possible for your child to fall asleep in these seats, but you need to be careful about how they are positioned. As with everything, it is always important to read the safety instructions.
If you have a car seat that meets the necessary requirements, make sure it is placed on the floor when your child is in it, and not on a table or bed.
It is vital that you use it correctly. “More importantly, never leave your child unsupervised when they are alone,” says Anna Strandberg, child safety expert at the Consumer Agency.
We can never accept that toddlers still die due to negligence and simple mistakes.
As these parents want to emphasize: Every child deserves to wake up after their nap.
Please share this article on Facebook if you also want to pay attention to child safety. It is important that we spread awareness about the risks of car seats.
