No parent should ever have to attend their child’s funeral, especially an infant.
When Dexy Leigh put her daughter, Connie, to bed one night, she had no idea that it would be the last time she would see her alive.
The baby would pass away in her sleep that night after smothering under a teddy bear that her mother had placed in her crib to protect her.
Dexy blames herself for the death of her daughter and recently shared her story in hopes of warning other parents about the dangers of stuffed animals in the crib. She posted,
“On the 6th of March at 8:01 a.m. my life changed. I woke up to get my oldest ready for school to find my youngest baby had passed away. I have been blaming myself, as she passed away due to suffocation. I had packed down the side of her bed with teddy bears and placed a big one on top of the smaller teddy’s to stop her from falling down the side of her bed. She did exactly that but went under the massive teddy and fell asleep with the angels. All I think about now is what if I just left it empty? She would still be here maybe with just a small bump on her head.
“It’s all what ifs now. But I want every parent to see and be aware of this. Let them fall; don’t try to stuff small places up with soft things; just leave it empty. She had a bed guard at one side and the smallest gap from her wall to her bed and that’s where I had put all her teddy’s; my biggest regret in life. Please move everything off your kid’s bed and away from the sides. My oldest daughter used to have her bed covered in cushions, teddy’s, and princess drapes. They don’t need anything extra on their bed.
“I really hope my little princesses’ tragic story can save someone else’s baby’s life. I miss you Connie so much. I’m so glad and proud you were my little girl. You made me who I am today and now I’m even stronger for your big sister. Thank you for being the most perfect and lovable baby. Your smile can make anyone come from a really dull place to happy in seconds.
“Mum Murray and Dior love you lots and miss you so much baby! Everyone in the family is broken. I hope you are having fun princess. Sleep tight baby.”
Doctors stress the importance of proper sleeping arrangements for babies and warn parents not to put blankets or stuffed animals in bed with the baby.
Babies can easily suffocate, because they don’t have the reaction to wake up and move when they can’t breathe. According to the Eunice Shriver National Institute of Health:
“SIDS is the leading cause of death among babies between 1 month and 1 year of age. More than 2,000 babies died of SIDS in 2010, the last year for which such statistics are available. Most SIDS deaths occur when in babies between 1 month and 4 months of age, and the majority (90%) of SIDS deaths occur before a baby reaches 6 months of age. However, SIDS deaths can occur anytime during a baby’s first year.
“SIDS is a sudden and silent medical disorder that can happen to an infant who seems healthy. SIDS is sometimes called ‘crib death’ or ‘cot death’ because it is associated with the timeframe when the baby is sleeping. Cribs themselves don’t cause SIDS, but the baby’s sleep environment can influence sleep-related causes of death. Slightly more boys die of SIDS than do girls.
“In the past, the number of SIDS deaths seemed to increase during the colder months of the year. But today, the numbers are more evenly spread throughout the calendar year. SIDS rates for the United States have dropped steadily since 1994 in all racial and ethnic groups. Thousands of infant lives have been saved, but some ethnic groups are still at higher risk for SIDS.”
While Dexy’s story is heartbreaking, it might be able to save many other babies from the same fate as her child.
Hopefully, it will help raise awareness and more parents will pay attention to how their own babies sleep at night
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Source: Love What Matters, Eunice Shriver National Institute of Health, Facebook/Connie Rose Awareness
