In a heart-wrenching turn of events, a defenseless one-year-old child has met a devastating fate after being inadvertently abandoned in a sweltering car outside a hospital for an excruciating duration exceeding 9 hours.
The foster mother, who is employed as a social worker at a local Washington hospital, was en route to her morning shift when she tragically overlooked the presence of her baby in the backseat of the vehicle.
Upon concluding her arduous nine-hour shift, she discovered the lifeless form of her one-year-old and swiftly rushed the toddler to the hospital, desperately hoping for a miracle. Regrettably, all attempts to revive the child proved futile.
Police, shedding light on the incident during an interview with PEOPLE, revealed that the foster mother unintentionally forgot about the toddler in the car upon arriving at Good Samaritan Hospital in Puyallup, Washington on the fateful Wednesday. The ambient temperature in the region at that time ranged between 70 and 75 degrees Fahrenheit. However, upon reaching the scene, authorities were astounded to find the internal temperature of the vehicle hovering around a scorching 110 degrees.
Don Bourbon, the Captain of Puyallup Police, conveyed to the outlet that immediate life-saving measures were undertaken when they found the unresponsive child. Overwhelmed with distress upon discovering the unfathomable tragedy, the foster mother and her husband are fully cooperating with the ongoing police investigation.
In response to the incident, Good Samaritan Hospital issued a statement expressing their deep sorrow: “A tragic incident took place at the Good Samaritan campus Wednesday involving an employee and their child. This incident also impacted a number of our other team members. MultiCare has offered a number of paths for support for our employees. We extend our condolences to everyone involved.”
Presently, no charges have been filed as the Pierce County Prosecutor’s Office awaits the conclusion of the investigation before making any further decisions.
Bourbon emphasized the need for individuals to pause, reflect, and prioritize their families amidst the hectic nature of modern life. “We all are hectic in our lives,” he remarked. “We all have a lot going on. And this unfortunate situation is that, hopefully it reminds us to take a step back and slow down and just make sure that we are taking care of our families and taking care of each other.”
