Humpty Doo Children’s Center death: Toddler, 2, dies two days after serious medical incident
A two-year-old girl died two days ago after being rushed to hospital following an accident at a children’s center.
The toddler was immediately rushed to Royal Darwin Hospital on Thursday after the incident, where doctors tried unsuccessfully to save her.
Since her death on Saturday, there is now an investigation into what went wrong at the Humpty Doo Community and Child Care Centre, 40 km outside Darwin.
St. John’s emergency services were the first to respond to the incident, confirming they had transported one patient to hospital in critical condition.
NT police launched their investigation into the “unexpected death of a toddler” on Sunday and the children’s center has since released two statements about the incident.
A two-year-old girl has died after an accident at the Humpty Doo Community and Child Care Center (pictured), 40 km outside Darwin
After she was rushed to Royal Darwin Hospital (pictured) on Thursday, doctors failed to save her and she died on Saturday
In messages sent to parents, the Humpty Doo Community and Child Care Center Inc confirmed that a child “needed medical attention” at their premises late last week.
“We can assure families that there is no identifiable risk to children in the service,” the statement read. according to NT News.
“We want to reassure families that the safety of their children is always our top priority.”
In a separate statement released Monday, the center elaborated on the death of the two-year-old girl who “had tragically passed away this weekend.”
“Our hearts are heavy and our thoughts are with the family and friends at this time,” the children’s center wrote.
“We are still limited in what we can share and appreciate the stress and worry this can cause.”
Despite an active investigation into the incident, Humpty Doo daycare center will remain open from Tuesday.
A mother who wished to remain anonymous told NT News that she now wondered if it was safe to leave her child there.
“I can’t imagine what that family is going through,” the Humpty Doo mom said.
“When you transfer your child to a daycare, you entrust his or her life.
“The last thing you can imagine is getting a call that your baby isn’t coming home.”
The mother said she was “disappointed” with the lack of information provided, and that she knew others who stopped sending their children there until further notice.
The children’s center has released two statements since the incident, the first assuring parents that their children were safe and the second expressing grief for the deceased child.
Humpty Doo is a small rural community and the child care center is community operated and can accommodate up to 116 children
The Humpty Doo community-run childcare center is operated by volunteer local parents.
According to the website, the center cares for up to 116 children between the ages of four months and five years old.
‘The PMC (Parent Management Committee) works together with the director to maintain the quality of care and education. They also ensure that the center remains viable and complies with national laws and regulations.