It was a normal day for Shavannie Gravesande when she dropped off her seven-month-old daughter Oriya at her daycare in Ogle, East Coast Demerara Tuesday morning and headed to work.
But things took a turn for the worse when she received a call hours later that Oriya was unresponsive and had to be rushed to a nearby health centre.
The News Room understands that the baby girl was found unresponsive at the daycare and taken to a health centre where medical professionals attempted to resuscitate her about eight times.
When that failed, they called for an ambulance from the Georgetown Public Hospital but it seemed too late.
The child was pronounced dead at the Georgetown Public Hospital minutes after she was brought in.
Her mother was present and had to be consoled by the father who related that it had been hours after the incident that they were informed.
“When we dropped her off and left, everything was good. She was smiling and everything was ok,” the distraught father to the press.
“She fall down at the side of the bed and wrap up between the sheets and suffocated,” a wailing Gravesande told reporters outside the GPHC.
“How can a daycare be so unresponsible to allow me child to fall down and suffocate?” she asked.
Gravesande said it took two hours before they got the news and also asked why the child was taken to the health centre instead of a hospital.
She complained too that she had earlier been deprived of entry into the facility to see where her daughter would be kept.
“She said Child Care does come every day and there was no reason to come in.”
Recalling that her daughter came home previously with marks on her forehead, Gravesande cries for justice.
An investigation is underway.
My profound sympathy goes out to Ms. Gravesande at this traumatic time in her life. No amount of comfort could ease your pain at this time but please note. that others are grieving with you too.