A newborn is being treated in a hospital after being found next to her dead mother in a Phoenix residence. Harmony was about three weeks old and extremely dehydrated when she was discovered wrapped in a blanket close to her mother, Jade Hardin.
According to police, on May 14, neighbors at the apartment complex at Central Avenue and Illini Street reached out to request a welfare check since packages were piled up outside and they hadn’t seen the woman in many days, 13 News previously reported.
“Officers looked through an open window and saw an adult woman who was motionless,” said Phoenix Police spokesperson Sgt. Brian Bower. Police broke through the apartment door and found the baby and the dead mother.
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“It wasn’t learned until well after the fact from doctors and staff at the hospital that if the police officers didn’t immediately provide aid and didn’t immediately go into the apartment, the child may not have survived much longer,” Sgt. Bower said at the time.
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The family of Harmony’s 7-year-old half-brother, DJ, wants to keep him and Harmony close while authorities look into Hardin’s death. They also want to bring Harmony to their Tucson home.
Derrick Hill, DJ’s father, and Catherine Hill, his stepmother, both expressed shock when they learned of Hardin’s passing.
“She would constantly call, but she did not do that, and he told me that, and he was like, ‘Something doesn’t feel right,” Catherine told 13 News.
“As soon as I got the call, it was instant tears,” Derrick added. “It was the worst thing I could ever hear.”
According to Derrick, he was supposed to take DJ to meet Harmony for the first time and spend Mother’s Day with her. DJ had also written a letter for Hardin that read, “I love you so much, Mommy.”
Meanwhile, Harmony was still being closely monitored when they last heard about her, but she was being fed and crying. Hardin never revealed Harmony’s father to the Hills, who are now waiting expectantly to find out who will get custody of her.
The Hills want to reunite the siblings and bring Harmony into what they term their mixed family so DJ can grow up together with his sister.
“We want to have (Harmony) experience the same love that we have for our kids,” Derrick remarked.
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“We’re big on family, and we just want her to experience that love,” Catherine said. “We have so much love to give to her, for sure.”
To preserve their mother’s memory, the couple also revealed their intention to share their late mother’s story with DJ and Harmony.
“Your mom will always love you at the end of the day,” Derrick said. “She’s watching you, and she’ll always have your back.”
“We talk about her, show him videos, pictures, and things, and that’s what we plan to do with Harmony, keep her spirit alive in every single way,” Catherine added.
In the interim, the family has created a GoFundMe page to raise money for Hardin’s kids and to bring Harmony home.
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