Shamyra Cooke is in shock after losing her 2-year-old son, Saunti, just hours after dropping him off at the New Britain YWCA daycare.
“I don’t have nothing left but my son’s shirt. I don’t even want to take a shower because I have his scent on my skin,” Cooke told WFSB.
She said she got a call informing her that her child had choked on a piece of a meatball a few hours after dropping him off last Tuesday. The daycare staff assured her, however, that her son was breathing and doing well, but she had to be there as soon as possible. When Cooke arrived at the daycare, she discovered emergency responders performing CPR on her kid.
According to a statement from the City of New Britain, emergency services were dispatched to the daycare center at 11:44 a.m.
“Everyone was freaking out, everyone was crying, everyone was running around and they were already doing CPR on my son,” Cooke said. “When they closed the door on me, once the EMS closed the door on me, I already knew. I work at a hospital, I know how this goes.”
Cooke said her son was a healthy child who had been attending the daycare since he was just a few months old.
“There is no way I can bury my son without answers. This is just too much for a person. My son barely got a chance to live,” she said. “This is all after being told everything was okay, that they were working on him before I got there. And I only live three minutes from the daycare. All they had to do was just call me.”
The day after the incident, family members gathered outside the YWCA. They put up balloons and demanded accountability.
“All we got was a ‘sorry’ from the director, and now I have to bury my 2-year-old son,” Cooke said. The bereaved mother is having difficulty picturing life without her child.
“We just brought him to the beach for the first time last week. He touched the sand for the first time. That was his first vacation, and two days into daycare, he’s gone,” she lamented. “This is just a nightmare. I just feel like I’m sleeping. I just want to wake up.”
Angela Cooke, the boy’s aunt, said, “We need answers. We need answers.”
The YWCA provided a statement saying, “YWCA New Britain grieves this immeasurable loss with the parents, family, and loved ones affected. There are no words to fully express the sorrow we feel, and we extend our deepest, most heartfelt condolences to the child’s parents, family, and loved ones. We are holding them close in our hearts during this unimaginably painful time.”
As stated by YWCA, staff acted promptly and followed all emergency protocols, including phoning 911 and providing age-appropriate first aid. The child’s family was immediately notified and kept informed throughout the procedure, the daycare said.
They wrote, “The child was then taken via ambulance to the nearest hospital. Unfortunately, we learned the devastating news that the child passed away.”
“At YWCA New Britain, our children and families are at the very heart of all we do. This loss is felt deeply by every member of our staff and community. We are grieving alongside the family and ask the community to join us in surrounding them with love, care, and support. We are cooperating fully with the New Britain Police Department and other state agencies as they review this incident.”
It was also announced that the facility will remain closed through August 24. Information on other programs will be made available.
However, Saunti’s mother challenges the daycare’s claim that it immediately contacted the boy’s family.
“For them to even have the audacity to say that they talked to me the whole process through is a slap to my face,” she stated.
As she manages the most difficult days of her life, her frustration grows.
“He passed away in front of his cubby. I can’t even go back to get his bookbag because I can’t do it,” she said.
According to the City of New Britain, the event is not currently being investigated by the police department. Nonetheless, the state’s Department of Children and Families said that it was looking into the matter.
In Connecticut, childcare providers must meet specific standards, according to the OEC. Childcare centers and their staff must adhere to a number of regulations, such as requiring all staff members to have completed health and safety training, having at least one staff member with a current CPR certification, and having someone with first aid certification based on courses for children.
The OEC requires programs to have policies, plans, and processes in place for when an emergency occurs.
New Britain Mayor Erin Stewart posted a statement on social media that read, “My heart breaks as I write this. As a mother of two young children myself, the very thought of one of them being taken from this earth is paralyzing. I cannot imagine the grief that Shamyra Cooke and her family are experiencing right now as a result of this tragic accident.”
She continued, “While there is no way to alleviate the level of grief that comes with the loss of a child, the City has provided Shamyra and her family with resources at the New Britain Police Department and Community Mental Health Affiliates to help them navigate the days ahead. I am sending my heartfelt prayers for strength to the many, many people impacted by baby Saunti’s passing.”
Meanwhile, the family has engaged an attorney to represent them as the incident is investigated.
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