A couple in their late 30s were plunged into despair after their only baby daughter recently drowned while under the care of the babysitter. This incident happened on 27 January 2018 in Malaysia.
According to Oriental Daily, the mother surnamed Lau had to return to work after her two-month maternity leave was over. As such, the 37-year-old clerk hired a babysitter to care for the infant and the new parents would only bring the baby back during the weekends.
Apparently, the babysitter would let the baby play in the basin while bathing her. However, on the day of the incident, she left the bathroom for just one minute to take a towel and that’s when the tragedy happened.
At the hospital, the baby was successfully resuscitated but her condition wasn’t looking good. The babysitter also fainted at the scene upon receiving the bad news. It was later confirmed that the baby was brain dead as her oxygen supply had been cut off after she drowned.
Lau said she didn’t get much explanation from the babysitter because she wasn’t emotionally stable, but both parties agreed that it was an accident.
“When my family asked her (babysitter), she only said that she went out to take some stuff. When she came back, the baby had drowned in the basin,” the mother said.
However, the babysitter was sincere and willing to foot the medical bill and funeral expenses – that accumulated to a whopping RM21,000 – as compensation to the couple. The huge sum of money was supposed to be paid in installment but she suddenly disappeared without a trace after giving the first amount of RM8,000.
As such, the grieving couple has since urged the babysitter to step forward and give them an explanation.
“Ever since the incident, she didn’t give us a proper explanation. On the day of the funeral, she said a few words and fainted again,” the father said.
The mother was so traumatised that she’s now afraid to go home as the baby’s belongings would remind her of the tragedy.
They’ve held a press conference together with the Kepong DAP assemblyman and tried to get in touch with the babysitter. However, their calls were sent straight to voicemail.
We hope the babysitter would step forward soon and provide a thorough explanation to the couple, as they desperately need closure after losing their only baby. RIP baby.
Also read: Newborn Baby Bleeds to Death After Stubborn Grandma Insists on Feeding Him Solid Food