GUILTY IL - Giselle Gomez, 1, dies in hot car, Belleville, 5 Aug 2009

[Lanie]

In this case, I think the children were intentionally left in the car, but I also think it is a little unrealistic to label parents as horrible if they forget their child. People are human, and they are not perfect, and sometimes things happen.
My first child, the car seat was in front. My second, they said car seats need to be in the back. I was in college for a year and a half with my second and always took her to the sitter and picked her up. After that, I didn't go back to work until after my youngest was in school. I never forgot one of my kids was in the car, but once I forgot my baby at the sitters. I was only a few blocks down the road when I realized I had the diaper bag and not the baby, but still, it happens. Once I left my purse on top of my car and didn't realize it until 10 miles later I stopped to get gas.
My second child did not sleep throught the night until she was over 3 years old. I got a brief respite, and then she started having night terrors, so I was back up. As a stay at home mother, I was not in a situation where I was dropping my kids off all the time, but under the conditions of having very little sleep, I consider myself very lucky this never happened to me.
The car companies could install alarms that would go off if a child is in the car. The downside, and why they are not doing it, is if an alarm were to malfunction, they would be sued for millions of dollars. They don't want to be held liable for children left in cars, and frankly, I don't blame them.
I don't know what the answer is.
Lanie

 

[Vegas Bride]

Imo it would help if more parents put a higher value on their children.

If they had a million dollars in cash on the car seat, would they then willingly leave it sitting there while they went into a store?

Would they leave it sitting on a park bench and walk away from it to go talk to a friend, turning their back to it?

I'm thinking that they would be unwilling to take their eyes off of it, it's so sad that they don't feel this way about a child who is worth so much more.

VB

 

[ScubaTwinn]

Not having children myself, I didn't forget my niece but accidentally locked her inside the car with the keys in there. I had borrowed my sister's car (her mother) and that was what put me outside of my normal zone. We're in Florida, it was in the summer, the first thing I did was check my watch for the time before I bolted back into the fast food restaurant to call 911. They had to break a window to get her out but they said it was the best thing I ever could have done, known exactly how long she had been in there. I was so freaked out and people were actually laughing at me inside the restaurant while I was on their phone with 911.
Praying for this small child.

 

[AmandaReckonwith]

Police tested the vehicle and the temp got to 172 degrees.

My only suggestion would be:
Put Mom in the car before the test.

That is my suggestion for any of these cases of burnupcarbaby.

 

[wonders]

Imo it would help if more parents put a higher value on their children.

If they had a million dollars in cash on the car seat, would they then willingly leave it sitting there while they went into a store?

Would they leave it sitting on a park bench and walk away from it to go talk to a friend, turning their back to it?

I'm thinking that they would be unwilling to take their eyes off of it, it's so sad that they don't feel this way about a child who is worth so much more.

VB

WOW...I like your post. :woohoo:

 

[Lanie]

Imo it would help if more parents put a higher value on their children.

If they had a million dollars in cash on the car seat, would they then willingly leave it sitting there while they went into a store?

Would they leave it sitting on a park bench and walk away from it to go talk to a friend, turning their back to it?

I'm thinking that they would be unwilling to take their eyes off of it, it's so sad that they don't feel this way about a child who is worth so much more.

VB

Bolded by me.

Actually, I think a lot of people would, if they had this million dollars with them 24/7 for an extended period of time.
Like it or not, it's human nature.
No matter how precious, extraordinary, etc. something may be, if you are constantly exposed to it, it eventually becomes commonplace. I remember when my children were born, how amazing and wonderous they were. A lot of sleepless nights and dirty diapers later, not so much. I still love my children, but I have NEVER, and I also do not know anyone who has, completely lost every thought in my head except for my children from the time they were born.
Lanie

 

[Kat]

http://www.bnd.com/homepage/story/876995.html

Monday, Aug. 10, 2009

Hearing today for Collinsville woman whose baby died in hot car

...Jennifer Gomez, 22, of Collinsville is expected to be arraigned. She is free after posting $7,500 as bond...

...Jennifer Gomez was charged with endangering the life or health of a child...

...That child was taken into protective custody by the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services. (note: the previous sentence is about the surviving sibling ~ the two year old.)

 

[yanknrebel]

That's something I didn't understand either jntexas. You and I know what Texas weather is like, and I'm pretty sure IL doesn't have it like we do.

I have never heard of blisters all over the body like that before have you?

Which leads me to the following questions in my mind:

1. Was this child in direct sunlight for an hour and half and very fair skinned?

2. Did this child have some kind of reaction due to medication?

3. Were the blisters due to an allergic reaction?

Don't get me wrong. Never ever should that woman have left her children unattended for an hour an half. Ever. Especially in a car in the summer.

But the blisters puzzle me.

The article says the HEAT was on. Now what I beleive happened was the kids were sleeping in the car with the A/C on so mom in her infinite wisdom (Stupidity) decided to leave them alone in the car while she went visiting for over an hour. It also says the 2 1/2 year old got out of the car, and went into the agency. Just think of more tragedy that could have happened with a 2 1/2 year old getting out of the car and going in. In this case it was a blessing but My goodness, she could have been hit by car or stolen, or a number of things. I think the 2 1/2 year old probably woke up, played with the a/c and heat, turning the heat on, then got out and went inside to see mommy dearest. What a parent. Geez.

 

[OkieGranny]

From January 2010:

http://www.sj-r.com/article/20100103/News/301039974

A southwestern Illinois woman has been ordered to spend 2 1/2 years on probation after pleading guilty in her baby daughter’s heat-related death last summer.

Twenty-two-year-old Jennifer Gomez of Collinsville was sentenced last week, after pleading guilty to felony child endangerment.