11 mo. old dies in car

[Deb7]

I believe I saw a thread about this subject somewhere, but I can't find it anywhere.

Anyway, I was worried about putting it under the child neglect (because IMO that is where it belongs) but I didn't want to offend anyone.

11 mo. old dies in car (http://news.cincinnati.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080821/NEWS0107/808210387)

At that link there is another link where you can listen to the mother's 911 call. I just about fell over when I heard it. :eek:

Here is a link to where the mother discusses her "what ifs"
If only??? (http://news.cincinnati.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080823/NEWS01/808230319)

I say, "if only" you hadn't forgotten your child in the car...

This "mother" has the audacity to imply (even though she says she doesn't blame the child care provider) that it wouldn't have happened if the daycare provider had called her.
Wow, talk about not taking responsibility for your own actions.

People forget their coat, their watch, books... things like that. You don't forget your child. And when you do and it results in the child's death, you stand up and take responsibility for it. Who would even be able to go on living knowing they caused their baby to suffer like that?
IMO I'm getting the feeling that this baby wasn't forgotten at all.

JIMOOOC

Anyway, if someone could point me in the right direction if this case is being discussed somewhere here, I would really appreciate it.

[Caje]

This site seems to imply that the new procedure of placing children in the back seat may have something to do with the increase in the number of deaths.

“…In the three-year period of 1990-1992, before airbags became popular, there were only 11 known deaths of children from hyperthermia.

In the most recent three-year period of 2004-2006, when almost all young children are now placed in back seats instead of front seats, there have been at least 110 known fatalities from hyperthermia...a ten-fold increase from the rate of the early 1990s. (graphic) [Important note: This in no way implies that it is advocated that children be placed in the front seat or that airbags be disabled.]…”

http://ggweather.com/heat/

[Heidi J.]

Wow.. she sounded very.. blase in the call.

As of Aug. 3, 115 children nationwide died after being left unattended in or around motor vehicles, according to Kids and Cars, a group whose mission is to assure no child dies or is injured in a non-traffic, motor vehicle-related event.

Very sad statistics..

:rose:

[Deb7]

Thanks Coldwater for moving this to it's proper place. Sorry I caused you extra work.

[c_biscuit]

Something does not sound right about that call... how could someone be so calm when describing that they forgot their baby in the car and left her to die?

She may just be in so much shock that she's shut down all emotions. I did read that when she went to the car she didn't even touch her baby because it was evident she had already died. That could be a detachment because of the pain.

Her reactions do seem odd to me, but I could see how they could be caused by the immense pain of losing a child. I don't have children so I am not sure what most mothers would do if faced with this situation.

I think a big problem is in our society, some people treat children like accessories and they take a backseat to everything else. A lot of times this type of thing is blamed on a routine change. But, you didn't forget to put the baby in the car, so how do you forget to take them out? It is scary when you "almost" forget a child, and leave home or the store. But something clicked in your brain to make you remember and you went back immediately. I have seen it happen.

I can't believe this woman didn't think about her baby once during the day. You'd think if she had thought, "I wonder how she's doing at the babysitter's" just once, as a fleeting thought, she would have immediately run out there. But she did not say anything to anyone until she went out to her van after work.

My suspicion is, she may have remembered during lunchtime or some other time before work was over, but was afraid to go see what may have happened, so she delayed the inevitable until she had finished her work. If this is true, she's incredibly self-serving and doesn't deserve to have children. But if she was so bogged down with work that she didn't get one second to think about her baby, she needs to quit her job for the sake of her other child or at least only work part-time. JMO

[Marcia3]

Here's an article from the Cincinnati Enquirer which gave me some things to ponder:

http://news.cincinnati.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080822/EDIT01/808220365

If you read the comments left by readers at the bottom of the article, you can see how divided this community is on this subject.

Very sad all the way around...and that woman will live with this for the rest of her life, I don't know how she will do that...my prayers are going out to her and her family.

JMO, of course.

[Deb7]

Originally posted by c_biscuit
Something does not sound right about that call... how could someone be so calm when describing that they forgot their baby in the car and left her to die?

She may just be in so much shock that she's shut down all emotions. I did read that when she went to the car she didn't even touch her baby because it was evident she had already died. That could be a detachment because of the pain.

Her reactions do seem odd to me, but I could see how they could be caused by the immense pain of losing a child. I don't have children so I am not sure what most mothers would do if faced with this situation.

I think a big problem is in our society, some people treat children like accessories and they take a backseat to everything else. A lot of times this type of thing is blamed on a routine change. But, you didn't forget to put the baby in the car, so how do you forget to take them out? It is scary when you "almost" forget a child, and leave home or the store. But something clicked in your brain to make you remember and you went back immediately. I have seen it happen.

I can't believe this woman didn't think about her baby once during the day. You'd think if she had thought, "I wonder how she's doing at the babysitter's" just once, as a fleeting thought, she would have immediately run out there. But she did not say anything to anyone until she went out to her van after work.

My suspicion is, she may have remembered during lunchtime or some other time before work was over, but was afraid to go see what may have happened, so she delayed the inevitable until she had finished her work. If this is true, she's incredibly self-serving and doesn't deserve to have children. But if she was so bogged down with work that she didn't get one second to think about her baby, she needs to quit her job for the sake of her other child or at least only work part-time. JMO [/*]

I can tell you how I think I would behave if this had happened to me. For one, I would most likely be hysterical and for another I would have taken my baby out of the car to hold her. (yes I am a mother) I can't even comprehend how she was so calm in that 911 call and the fact that she left the baby out in the car so she could go in the building to make the 911 call.
I totally agree with you, how does a mother not think about her baby even one time during the day?
The fact that her particular van has the mirror installed so you can see the child everytime you look in the rear view mirror makes me even more suspicious.

Like I said before, if I made such a horrendous mistake, I would want to be charged with a crime. I wouldn't stand around trying to put the blame on others, I would stand up take responsibility and hope for a harsh punishment. I'm pretty sure I would take my own life. :(

[melanie78]

The 911 phone call was ERRIE!!!

And my thoughts as always...make a law to prevent this from happening. By LAW we have to buckle up our babies in carseats yet there is NO law that says you can't forget them.

[Lis73]

:rose: For another precious baby lost. :rose:

[Marcia3]

Originally posted by Deb7


I can tell you how I think I would behave if this had happened to me. For one, I would most likely be hysterical and for another I would have taken my baby out of the car to hold her. (yes I am a mother) I can't even comprehend how she was so calm in that 911 call and the fact that she left the baby out in the car so she could go in the building to make the 911 call.
I totally agree with you, how does a mother not think about her baby even one time during the day?
The fact that her particular van has the mirror installed so you can see the child everytime you look in the rear view mirror makes me even more suspicious.

Like I said before, if I made such a horrendous mistake, I would want to be charged with a crime. I wouldn't stand around trying to put the blame on others, I would stand up take responsibility and hope for a harsh punishment. I'm pretty sure I would take my own life. :( [/*]

I wouldn't want to even imagine, or speculate, as to my reaction if I found myself in her shoes. I don't think she left her child to die intentionally, and that's just MOO, and I don't know Mrs. Edwards so I couldn't say if her reaction was normal for her.

I do know that when my children got hurt playing outside, I was as calm as a cucumber when dealing with the injury but completely fell apart once the situation was under control. So if I had called 911 during one of those moments, some people would probably think that I was too calm.

Again, JMO.

[Heidi J.]

Originally posted by Marcia3


I wouldn't want to even imagine, or speculate, as to my reaction if I found myself in her shoes. I don't think she left her child to die intentionally, and that's just MOO, and I don't know Mrs. Edwards so I couldn't say if her reaction was normal for her.

I do know that when my children got hurt playing outside, I was as calm as a cucumber when dealing with the injury but completely fell apart once the situation was under control. So if I had called 911 during one of those moments, some people would probably think that I was too calm.

Again, JMO. [/*]

I understand your point. I am one who can rarely attend funerals of acquaintances, because I will still cry a lot, and feel stupid. Some people are really emotional and some are not.

I really think to criminally prosecute someone for this is a gray area. But regardless, it will be something that gnaws at them for the rest of their lives. In many cases.. I think that is punishment enough.

My $.02

[Marcia3]

As of today:

http://news.cincinnati.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080911/NEWS01/809110381&referrer=FRONTPAGECAROUSEL

[lorjac]

I cannot no WILL NOT buy into this 'I forgot' crap. I take my kids to day care or school EVERY morning but when my husband has to do it... he has NEVER forgotten.

Even tho I drop them off EVERYDAY before I go to work, when I get to work I stop, get my stuff and STILL check the backseat. Even tho I know they are not in there... I still look in my back seat.

And how do you not think about your child or wonder how their day is going during that day and have some sort of bell go off in your head???

And how do you remain so calm??? Her voice barely even cracks...

And if she can take her daughter out to take her son to pre-school, five/ten minutes later you would think she could remember her daughter as well!!!

[Marcia3]

I won't judge this woman or the situation she is in since I don't believe that she intentionally left her child behind to die. She doesn't need to be sent to prison, IMO, since she will have to live with the "What Ifs" for the rest of her life.

I have read on several other MBs many declarations like your own, that "I would never leave my child" and so on. I've actually known two people who did just that...and if they had been asked if that was possible before it happened, they would have said "absolutely not." Fortunately in both of their cases, they were alerted to their child's presence in short order and nothing happened. And one of them is a surgeon...so not a stupid/forgetful/absent-minded person. Just an over-scheduled, stressed-out dad like so many parents these days!

JMO of course.

[lorjac]

I cannot say I know EXACTLY what I would do or say... but I'm fairly confident that I would be hysterical and somebody would have to tear me away from my child.

I watched a woman who had lost her daughter in a car accident... her daughter was decapitated.... she found her head. The mother sat on the curb holding her daughters head and refused to leave until they found her body. That is more likely to be me.

[5boxersmom]

I will never understand why these parents do not at least get a Child Neglect charge. I know it will not change what happen but at least it would seem the child was given alittle justice.

I remember where a dad came home after working overtime and fell asleep. His child was down the street and some woman got her and called 911. He was charged with something. What is the difference?

Just so sad. If people are so over stressed they are forgetting their children in cars then I think they need to do something about it. Get help, or a new job.

jmo

[lorjac]

I agree, there should be some charge.... yeah, in the end if it truly was an accident the parent has to live with that.... but for those who are just careless and could care less, they just get away w/it.

[Deb7]

I wouldn't want to even imagine, or speculate, as to my reaction if I found myself in her shoes. I don't think she left her child to die intentionally, and that's just MOO, and I don't know Mrs. Edwards so I couldn't say if her reaction was normal for her.

I do know that when my children got hurt playing outside, I was as calm as a cucumber when dealing with the injury but completely fell apart once the situation was under control. So if I had called 911 during one of those moments, some people would probably think that I was too calm.

Again, JMO.

I have to say, I am one of those people that completely freaks out when my child get hurt. So, you have a point there, different people do act different ways in similar situations. I just have a hard time with the new article where it says "On that fatal day, Edwards dropped her 3-year-old son off at a school near the East Price Hill campus of Cincinnati Christian University where she works. When she dropped him off, Edwards took her daughter inside the school with her. She then was supposed to drop the infant off at a nearby baby sitter."
How does that happen?
How in the world can you forget in that small amount of time? How? She had just touched her daughter and got her in and out of the car a short period of time before she arrived at her work.
I can't even begin to understand that one. :shrug:
And like other people have said on here, she should at least get charged with child neglect. At the very least. JMO

[Marcia3]

I would venture to say that she will ask herself that question over and over again until she dies. JMO.

[Shellberry]

oh my god. :(
sooo sad
:rose:

In that 911 call I didnt her hear say 'oh gosh'--did I hear a different version?

well,I will say one thing-this woman knew she had 2 children, she took the baby into her sons school.
yet forgot her-an 11 month old?!- when she went into work.
I have a 20 month old, unless she was sound asleep in the car, she was always jabbering and looking around pointing at things when she was 11 months, and even more so now.
This child wasnt a 2 or 3 or 4 month old.

man.


:rose: RIP Jenna

[febreze]

raised 4 daughters all very close in age, i never in a million years could forget they were in the car. sorry but it does not make sense to me that so many people can forget they have their child in the car and go off to work leaving them to die, your mind has got to be way off somewhere else to do that, i just find it very hard to believe someone could just forget the child in the car, i worked 2 jobs took my kids to the babysitter, picked my hubby up from work between jobs and ran a dozen places on lunch breaks and never forgot i had four children and never forgot where they were,

[Marcia3]

I know two people who have done exactly what Mrs. Edwards did; went to work and forgot that their child was in the car. Sorry, but I do think it's possible to become that distracted. Fortunately, both of the people I know who did this discovered their child before exiting the area and they were saved from this outcome. But circumstances can roll up on you like a sickness, and sadly, this mother will have to live with what she did for the rest of her life.

IMO, she does not need justice, she needs mercy.

All JMO.

[Shellberry]

raised 4 daughters all very close in age, i never in a million years could forget they were in the car. sorry but it does not make sense to me that so many people can forget they have their child in the car and go off to work leaving them to die, your mind has got to be way off somewhere else to do that, i just find it very hard to believe someone could just forget the child in the car, i worked 2 jobs took my kids to the babysitter, picked my hubby up from work between jobs and ran a dozen places on lunch breaks and never forgot i had four children and never forgot where they were,

I know two people who have done exactly what Mrs. Edwards did; went to work and forgot that their child was in the car. Sorry, but I do think it's possible to become that distracted. Fortunately, both of the people I know who did this discovered their child before exiting the area and they were saved from this outcome. But circumstances can roll up on you like a sickness, and sadly, this mother will have to live with what she did for the rest of her life.

IMO, she does not need justice, she needs mercy.

All JMO.

I can see both of your points.

what I dont get is how she went through the day-
didnt she wonder at any point during the day what her kids were up to -how their day was going?
did she usually leave work on her lunch break or for a 10-15 min break?
and didnt anyone at all walk by her car and see the child in there?


imo/jmo

[Shellberry]

I will never understand why these parents do not at least get a Child Neglect charge. I know it will not change what happen but at least it would seem the child was given alittle justice.

I remember where a dad came home after working overtime and fell asleep. His child was down the street and some woman got her and called 911. He was charged with something. What is the difference?

Just so sad. If people are so over stressed they are forgetting their children in cars then I think they need to do something about it. Get help, or a new job.

jmo

omg-I was wondering why she didnt get any charge at all too!
neglect, endangerment, or anything at all.
imo-this case, and the other one mentioned in the news article might prompt people to 'accidentally' leave their babies.

I could her 'forgetting' if say, hubby used to take the kids to school & this one day she did, it wouldnt have been her normal routine to have the kids.
but I didnt see anything like that written anywhere.

ugh, so sad.
:rose:


imo/jmo

[Marcia3]

I can see both of your points.

what I dont get is how she went through the day-
didnt she wonder at any point during the day what her kids were up to -how their day was going?
did she usually leave work on her lunch break or for a 10-15 min break?
and didnt anyone at all walk by her car and see the child in there?


imo/jmo

I don't know about her lunch break, there is a cafeteria on campus or maybe she brought her lunch or worked through lunch. Also, I don't know if she thought about her children during the course of the day, but the prosecutor did say that Mrs. Edwards thought she had dropped her daughter off at the sitters, and that's why she was shocked to find her in the van as she left work that day.

I'm familiar with that campus (I was a student there at one time and go back to visit every so often) and the way the parking lot is situated, it's entirely possible and quite feasible that no one walked past her vehicle during the course of the day. It wouldn't have mattered after a few hours because by that point the baby was probably still. But can you imagine how loud and piercing her cries must have been before she died?

Shakes me to my soul.

[PolyGraph]

I cannot no WILL NOT buy into this 'I forgot' crap. I take my kids to day care or school EVERY morning but when my husband has to do it... he has NEVER forgotten.

Even tho I drop them off EVERYDAY before I go to work, when I get to work I stop, get my stuff and STILL check the backseat. Even tho I know they are not in there... I still look in my back seat.

And how do you not think about your child or wonder how their day is going during that day and have some sort of bell go off in your head???

And how do you remain so calm??? Her voice barely even cracks...

And if she can take her daughter out to take her son to pre-school, five/ten minutes later you would think she could remember her daughter as well!!!

:cuss:
I soooooo agree with you on this, i have two toddlers and although my routine changes EVERY day I dont buy this excuse one bit! I could understand if she forgot the child for a few minutes but at some POINT IN THE DAY didnt it occur to her that Jenna had not been dropped off???? And whats up with that totally detached 911 call that sounds like she totally knew her daughter was already dead and in that car??? the whole thing reaks to me, Im not saying she did it on purpose but my guess is the woman is on some type of psychotropic med or zanax (sp?) and she is totally loopy.

Im not saying that any of you who are on meds is loopy but I will maintain from day 1 that I dont agree with all the psychotropic meds being used out there, and even though some people may do well on them, I see a lot of crimes being commited either purposefully or accidentally by people using meds. Thats a whole other topic so I digress, this whole case makes me ill.

Heres another big problem with her not being charged...anyone who wants to purposely kill their child can now use that as an excuse and possibly get away with it!!! Oh she just forgot my a$$. Either she is on drugs and didnt think at some point during the day to check on her kids, she has some mental illness that has not been identified, or she did it on purpose. No normal person does this and forgets ALL DARN DAY LONG. Sorry Im so mad about this...

Poly~

[PolyGraph]

omg-I was wondering why she didnt get any charge at all too!
neglect, endangerment, or anything at all.
imo-this case, and the other one mentioned in the news article might prompt people to 'accidentally' leave their babies.

I could her 'forgetting' if say, hubby used to take the kids to school & this one day she did, it wouldnt have been her normal routine to have the kids.
but I didnt see anything like that written anywhere.

ugh, so sad.
:rose:


imo/jmo

I wonder if she were not a 'dr.' and if she were a pauper if the media would have looked at her with such empathetic eyes and if she would not be charged. This reminds me of the whole maddie mccann thing too...parents who are respectable citizens who do not get chastised for doing the unthinkable. But if someone poor does it or who is considered less than a 'perfect citizen' than obviously they are TOTALLY at fault. Ill see if I can find some cases to back me up on this theory.

Oh yeah the above post and this one are totallY moo. THANKS

[Deb7]

The other day I read this article (I had actually seen a commercial for the #2 listed item before) and I decided to contact both the author of the article and Volvo.

Here is a link to the article: http://autos.yahoo.com/articles/autos_content_landing_pages/707/top-10-scariest-new-car-features/;_ylc=X3oDMTFkN3JzOGE1BF9TAzI3MTYxNDkEc2VjA2ZwLXRv ZGF5BHNsawNzY2FyaWVzdC1mZWF0dXJlcw--

(Sorry that is so messy but the board has opted out on clean urls it seems)
AND here is my message I sent to the author of the article:

I read that article provided by you to yahoo and I have a problem with your number 2 selection (I have pasted it below this message)
I think that the heart rate monitor would serve a better purpose as a device that lets you know that you left your child in the car rather than "someone is waiting to abduct you". If it has the ability to alert you that someone is inside then it has the ability to alert you that you left someone inside. Believe me, this happens far too often fot this to not be a very important (and mandatory IMO) feature to every new car made.
Thank you for your time.
Deb
2. Heart-Rate Monitor
You read correctly. Volvo's Personal Car Communicator monitors the cabin and pulses a light on your keyfob if your car has an unexpected visitor inside. TV ads show a woman approaching her S80 in a deserted parking garage, seeing the warning and hightailing it away. The thought of having this feature is scary in and of itself — not for fear of being carjacked, but because we wonder what sort of paranoia would drive you to want it.

AND here is the message I sent to Volvo:
I just read a review on yahoo about car features. Volvo was listed with the Heart-Rate Monitor, however it is being described as protection from someone hiding in your car waiting to get you. I think the monitor should be marketed as a way to make sure you haven't left a child inside of your vehicle. Too many children get left in their cars either by accident or whatever, and this could be a way to prevent this from happening in the future. I think this monitor should be mandatory in all new vehicles, not just the Volvo. You would do yourselves a bit of good if you change your commercials to show a busy mother forgetting the dog, or the baby in the car seat as she goes inside. I know it is a very sensitive subject, but if it saves a child then it is well worth it. I would buy a car just for this feature alone, and I have yet to leave my child in the car, but I don't want to ever have the chance to make that mistake either. Thanks so much for your time. Deb

Maybe if many of us rally together to get this device to be used for this purpose, well maybe a child can be saved.

[FoxySly]

I bet if these kind of "forgetful parents" were charged with murder for their forgetfulness this would NOT be happening all the time.

Sly

[Annie143]

Amen to the statement about some kind of charges being levied. To me, this sends a clear message to parents that want to rid themselves of an unruly or unwanted child. And, a big DITTO to the fact that if this had been a lower class of citizen involved, they would have been crucified. I, myself, almost left a child in the car once but, thank goodness, she was old enough to say something before I closed the door.....it can happen. It was an unsual occurance to take her to where she was going that day, I was a single parent who was distracted with many issues, my job was in management and very stressful BUT, it was still my responsibility as a mother to take care of my child.

Sorry, no pass should have been given. At least, a charge of child neglect should have been filed. We should have written to the DA and/or sent letters to the editor of the local newspaper, complaining of this instead of doing so on a message board, between each other.