A mother is left heartbroken after her 18-month-old son, Deacon Ryan Morin, died after he was strangled by his amber teething necklace while taking a nap at a daycare center in Fontana, California, according to ABC 7 Chicago .
On Wednesday, October 5, Danielle Morin dropped her son off at Little Impressions Daycare and when she returned at 5 p.m. to pick him up, she discovered paramedics working diligently to revive her son.
The mother was alerted by staff at the daycare facility that while her son was sleeping, he was strangled by an amber teething necklace he was wearing.
Deacon was rushed to Kaiser Permanente Hospital, where he was listed in critical condition.
Just five days after the toddler was strangled by his teething necklace, he was taken off life support at 3:01 p.m.
In a poignant Facebook post, Danielle announced the death of her son, adding, “This is the darkest day of my life, but I know Deacon is with the Lord and at peace shining down upon us.”
Hundreds sent their prayers for the heartbroken mother, including Facebook user Lisa Zain, who said, “To the mother, I am sorry. I hope you find answers. Do not beat yourself up about the necklace. You were doing what you thought was good for your child. Parenting is not easy.”
However, after learning that the Fontana toddler was strangled to death by an amber teething necklace during nap time, it sparked social media outrage.
Some criticized Danielle’s parenting, saying that they “would never let my child wear an Amber teething necklace,” while others said, “If you Google Amber teething necklace almost the first link is why they don’t work and how dangerous they are for reasons of choking and strangulation.”
Facebook user Danette Bejarano wrote, “Why would anyone’s child be wearing something around their neck while they are sleeping. I always take off my daughter’s necklace just for that reason. I am sorry but there is simply no excuse for this. I know we only have half the story, like how long was he sleeping, and I’m sure if they checked on a child they would notice something.”
“I can’t imagine coming to pick up my child only to find an ambulance working on my child. I hope this mother figures out why, and at the same time, I hope she has a lot of support. Prayers to the poor baby.”
https://t.co/myFbwlTmjI so sad!! Condolences
— Princess ???? (@Princess_Mac36) October 11, 2016
“I hope all those on here with negative and insensitive comments never have to go through the loss of a child,” said Deanna Castro on Facebook. “All these perfect internet parents, Danielle was one of the best moms and never would have put any type of jewelry on her child that would harm him.”
“I’ll pray for all the insensitive people on here. As well as continue to pray for my friend and her family to find peace during this tragic time. Rest easy baby Deacon you’re missed.”
Ughhhh! Please reconsider leaving your child alone with these amber teething necklaces! I just took August’s… https://t.co/yHJ0fSphJE
— Nicole Taylor (@NicoleLinTaylor) October 11, 2016
According to the Daily Mail , Malroie Michelle Gonzales – who is a family friend – created a Go Fund Me account in hopes of raising $50k for medical and funeral expenses.
According to the site, the mother of the child has decided to “donate her son’s organs so another family’s prayers can be answered. This is about a 24-48 hour process in finding a match recipient.”
“She will be staying at the hospital while they keep his organs functioning during the donation process. We ask for you to continue to pray that his organs stay strong throughout the transport and implant process for these sick children and their families. We can’t thank you enough for your love, prayers, and donations.”
Fontana police officials are investigating the circumstances leading up to the toddler’s choking death.
[Featured Image By Dani Elaine /Facebook]