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Published 16:22 05 Apr 2024 GMT
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Published 15:53 22 May 2022 GMT
A grieving mom has issued a warning to fellow parents after her baby was strangled to death.
Danielle Morin lost her son Deacon when his teething necklace tightened and would not release, suffocating him.
Now, she's used her social media platform to try to warn other parents so they don't have to endure the same heartbreak.
According to a report by CBS Los Angeles, Danielle was given an Amber teething necklace by a close friend who bought it off Etsy. The popular childcare item is intended to help kids with their teething and is typically made out of Baltic amber, which supposedly releases a soothing liquid when gnawed
Danielle gave the necklace to her toddler Deacon. However, on December 10, 2016, disaster struck when Deacon was found dead at his Fontana childcare center. The necklace had tightened around his neck and failed to release, suffocating him.
Since her son's death, Danielle has sued Etsy, telling CBS: "I want parents to know there is no more Toys 'R' Us and people need to go online to buy products and these products are dangerous products...No parent should have to bury their child."
The online retailer responded with a statement saying that, while Deacon's death was an unspeakable tragedy, their platform could not accept responsibility.
"Etsy is a platform and did not make or directly sell this item. We believe the allegations should be directed at the criminally-negligent daycare providers or, if appropriate, the seller of the necklace," the statement read.
After years of grieving for her son, Danielle gave birth to another baby boy, Rhett, in 2019, and is now raising him. But she still takes every opportunity to remind fellow parents about the dangers of teething necklaces. In a recent video, she responded to a commenter saying: "Me and my kiddo love his."
"We also loved our amber teething necklace until it strangled my son to death," Danielle wrote in the TikTok, which showed sweet clips of Deacon and then heartbreaking footage from when he was in the hospital and his funeral service.
"Know better do better! Child safety isn’t a parenting choice, it’s a duty!" Danielle added. She captioned the TikTok: "If you know this could be your outcome why risk it?"
Published 11:08 22 May 2025 GMT
A distraught mother has alleged that her three-year-old son "lay dead for hours" at a daycare without any staff realizing.
Conrad Ashcraft, a neurodivergent toddler described by family as sweet and loving, was found unresponsive and face down on a pillow by his mother, Tara Williams, when she arrived at Poppy's Playhouse 2 in Park Hills, Missouri, around 4:15PM on Friday (May 16).
“His mom was there at approximately at 4:15PM and found him deceased,” Conrad’s aunt, Lacey Hardie, told KSDK.
According to a redacted lawsuit filed by Williams and reviewed by PEOPLE, an employee at the daycare allegedly used their lower body to apply pressure to Conrad’s chest or abdomen to force him to sleep.
The suit claims that Conrad "suffered a fatal injury" as a result and that the daycare staff failed to recognize when the woman's son "was suffocating or had suffocated".
“He was nonverbal, so he couldn't say 'oh this hurts' or 'I can't breathe,'” the late boy's aunt revealed. The grieving aunt added that his "words were limited" and he had "recently learned to say I love you."
The child’s death has launched a full investigation by the St. Francois County Sheriff’s Department and Missouri’s child services.
The city of Park Hills recused itself from the case, citing a conflict of interest as the daycare is owned by former city councilwoman Spring Gray.
In a statement, the city confirmed that the facility’s ownership by a sitting council member prompted them to refer the matter to the sheriff’s office to ensure the investigation would be “conducted independently and without influence".
"We understand the community's grief and concern. The city has full confidence in the independent investigation and believes that accountability is essential, regardless of the circumstances," they added.
Following public outcry and pressure from the community, Gray submitted her resignation from the Park Hills City Council on Tuesday, May 20.
“Her decision follows recent developments involving her privately owned business,” the city shared in a statement.
The daycare’s license has since been suspended by the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, effective immediately.
According to reports, Poppy’s Playhouse 2 has 10 days to appeal, though its Google listing now shows the location as “temporarily closed”.
The lawsuit also alleges that the daycare approved of, and failed to train staff against, techniques that involved using weight and pressure to subdue children into sleep.
"It's not just one person or the owner, it's everybody there who was witnessing the abuse and didn't say anything," Hardie said.
In a heartbreaking detail, the heartbroken aunt remembered her nephew as “just the sweetest boy. Everybody loved him so much, and he just completed our family, and now our family is missing a piece of our heart".
Conrad's obituary described him as a child who “loved swimming, Toy Story, Ms. Rachel, Cocomelon, and the movie Cars,” adding that he also adored pizza and spending time with his family.
Sheriff Jeffrey Crites issued a public appeal for information, noting that the investigation remains ongoing. “Our hearts go out to the family and loved ones affected by this heartbreaking event,” his statement read.
Community members have since organized a memorial outside Poppy’s Playhouse and are planning a benefit event at The Bullpen in honor of Conrad’s memory.
A mom has slammed a daycare center after spotting a frightening risk when she checked on her baby son.
As reported by Kidspot, a mother was working as a chef at the daycare center in Sydney, where her three young children also attended.
During her shift, she prepared afternoon tea to give to the children and decided to take the opportunity to check on her five-month-old son.
But when she walked in, she was horrified by what she saw.
The mom revealed to the outlet that she saw her baby boy fast asleep in his cot, lying on his side, but his face was completely covered, as his bib was still attached around his neck and pulled upwards.
She said she'd asked staff to put the bib on him because he had been drooling onto his clothes but specifically instructed that they remove it when he was sleeping.
"I freaked out," she said, putting her hand on her son’s back to make sure he was still breathing. "I decided to take a photo because this is unacceptable. As a parent, that was worrying, and I just wanted to show the director," she added.
The mom claimed that the center used an app to log when checks were made on babies. She claims her son was checked on at 1.43PM and not again until 2.20PM.
After removing the bib herself, the woman returned to work shaken by what had happened. She walked over to the director, who reportedly "brushed [her] off" so she showed the alarming photo she took to an educational leader in the baby’s area and asked: "Is this safe sleep?"
"And she said, 'No, it’s not,'" the mom shared.
According to Red Nose, babies should sleep on their backs with their faces and heads uncovered to limit the dangers of overheating and suffocation. This is advised until they are at least 12 months old, as the chance of SIDS - the sudden and unexplained death of a baby younger than one year old - is at its peak between two and six months of age.
Following the incident, the mom disclosed that the owner and manager of the daycare apologized and expressed remorse, but she is still angry about the potentially fatal ordeal.
"[If] this is what’s happening to my son and I’m in the center, can you imagine the negligence for those who don’t see this?" she asked, revealing to the publication that she has since contacted the Department of Education and filed a complaint about the center.
She has now left her job at the center and told Kidspot: "I’m just in shock about child care in general now... I’m going to stay home with my kids."
Published 11:22 15 Dec 2025 GMT
Christmas is creeping ever closer, and if you're anything like us, you probably still have a few presents left to buy.
However, if any of those gifts are for children, a warning has been issued for parents to avoid getting any of these items - including some that could potentially be deadly.
According to the Child Accident Prevention Trust, these are the items you should never gift a child in order to prevent any unexpected trips to the ER, or - at the worst - even cause death.
One of the most dangerous items the trust warns against is anything with small, strong magnets, which may look innocuous but could actually cause serious injury or death.
It explained: "High-strength magnets can rip through a child’s gut if swallowed, causing very serious and even life-threatening injuries.
"Yet many cheaper magnetic toys from unknown sellers online can be far too strong to be safe. And may not come with safety warnings. Many have been recalled."
If you really want to buy any magnetic toys for a child, they recommend only purchasing from a reputable retailer or a trusted brand name as they are more likely to be safer than buying from a cheaper or unknown source online, which may not be made to such high standards.
They also warned that it's not just small children that are at risk of serous injuries or death from magnets, as many older children have accidentally swallowed magnets after putting them in their mouths or using them to create fake piercings.
It added: "Please teach older children about the dangers of putting magnets in or near their mouths and remind them to keep magnets away from younger brothers and sisters."
Another thing that could seriously ruin Christmas is anything with small button batteries that can be easily accessed.
The trust warned: "Button batteries can badly hurt or kill a small child if swallowed. Yet they will be found under almost every tree this Christmas."
Particular attention should be paid to any toys bought cheaply from unknown sellers online, light-up or moving decorations which are brought out for the holidays, as well as in gifts bought for other older members of the family or pets.
They also urged parents to check the packaging in case there are any spare button batteries loose inside, and to keep them in a safe place out of reach of children.
Any toys with button batteries should be checked to ensure the compartment is sealed with a screw or similar fastener to prevent children being able to gain access to the battery, and anything that doesn't have this should be kept well out of their reach.
Water beads are also a popular toy many children will be receiving this year, but they should only be played with under close supervision.
The brightly colored, squishy balls are very appealing to small children but could cause serious problems if swallowed.
Given that they retain water by design, the balls can absorb stomach fluids and swell to many times their original size, which could cause a serious bowel blockage.
The CAPT advises that they're never bought for children under the age of five, and any older children should be supervised when playing with them - ideally in a large tub with plenty of free space so stray beads can't escape onto the floor. All beads should be safely cleared away after use to prevent younger children or pets from accessing them accidentally.
Christmas is an expensive time of year, so many people consider cutting costs by buying copies of the most popular toys from cheap online retailers, often based overseas.
However, this could be setting yourself up for unknown risks as the quality is often far less strictly controlled, so the item may have cheap parts that break easily, button batteries that are easy for a child to access, hight strength magnets that could come loose, or harmful levels of chemicals.
The CAPT advises buying a smaller toy from a reputable retailer instead of a cheap copy, especially for children under three years old.
Aside from the obvious injury risks - especially when used without wearing protective helmets - these items house lithium-ion batteries which are known for starting explosive fires which can spread quickly.
Many have been recalled from sale - particularly cheap copies - and parents are advised to only buy from reputable retailers and manufacturers, and use only manufacturer recommended batteries and chargers and never leave them charging unattended or overnight.
Slime might be an incredibly popular children's toy but it can be an adult's worst nightmare, due to the mess and chance of it getting stuck to soft furnishings or a child's hair.
But the risks could run even deeper as certain slimes have been recalled for containing dangerous levels of certain chemicals including boron, which can cause irritation, diarrhoea, vomiting and cramps if ingested, and there is even concern it could cause harm to the reproductive system.
Their advice is to only buy from reputable brand names and retailers and never from unknown vendors online.
The message is clear - it's better to pay a little more for fewer items you know are likely to be safe and of higher quality than to buy hundreds of cheap trinkets from online sellers to fill up the underside of the tree, as it could end up with some seriously undesired consequences.
Published 17:37 14 Dec 2021 GMT
There's nothing like festive decorations to help get your family into the holiday spirit. But when it comes to small children, having so many ornaments lying around can quickly turn into a nightmare before Christmas.
One parenting educator and paramedic shared a terrifying story about the dangers of baubles.
Nikki Jurcutz and her sister run tinyheartseducation, an Instagram account dedicated to helping parents protect their children. She often shares stories that have been sent in by other parents to help illustrate how everyday objects can become hazards for very small kids.
Recently, Nikki posted one mother's story to help highlight how dangerous glass baubles can be.
The parent recalled how she had been taking festive photos with her 14-month-old daughter Savannah when the incident occurred.
"I’d gone all out with a backdrop and props and had some beautiful baubles nearby that my grandma had given me. I was watching Savannah the whole time, got her into position with a jingle bell toy," she wrote.
"Before I knew it she had scooped up this precious bauble and decided to bite it. As I turned around I heard a massive crunch, and it had exploded in her mouth."
The mother recounted how she tried to stay calm and remove all the fragments from her toddler's mouth.
"I was absolutely petrified inside and made sure she was okay. I knew the parts were so small, and had essentially exploded in her mouth."
After rushing her daughter to the children's hospital, the child was given X-rays and an all-over assessment to make sure she hadn't swallowed or inhaled any of the sharp fragments. Thankfully the tests came back clear, and Savannah and her mom were able to go home unscathed.
"I felt so lucky and relieved, and of course super emotional," the mother wrote, before ending her story with a word of warning to other parents.
"I just wanted to share because I know the Christmas season is upon us, and our little ones are attracted to shiny and bright objects. It happened within seconds and it could have ended up with surgery."
Many parents have taken to the comments section to share this frightening story and spread awareness.
"A great and scary reminder," wrote one parent.
"This is why I did not put the tree up this year and won’t until he is older," added another.
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