An adorable 16-month-old baby choked to death on a piece of watermelon at a daycare in Georgia.
Jamal Allen Bryant, Jr. was rushed to the hospital Tuesday after choking on a watermelon seed at the Kids Nest Learning Center in Brunswick.
The baby’s mother, Taylor Hicks, and father, Jamal Bryant, Sr., have suffered unimaginable pain since losing their son.
“Sometimes I don’t feel anything and the next minute I collapse again,” Hicks said. WJXT.
The Georgia Department of Early Care and Learning quickly closed the facility following the tragic incident. The parents have not heard from the daycare since the tragedy.
Jamal Allen Bryant, Jr. died Tuesday after choking on a watermelon seed at the Kids Nest Learning Center in Brunswick, Georgia.
Her distraught parents, Taylor Hicks (left) and Jamal Bryant Sr. (right) have not heard from the daycare since the tragedy.
At the time of the incident, the agency found that three employees were in the classroom, but they were not sitting with the children and were talking to each other. WJCL reported.
Further investigation found that Jamal Jr. approached staff and informed them that he was choking.
They then tried to remove the watermelon from his throat, but they had to call an ambulance to assist them.
The boy’s father said the school called him and told him ‘it would be better’ to go directly to the emergency room where paramedics were taking Jamal Jr.
Once his parents arrived at Southeast Georgia Health System, they discovered their son had coded twice and died less than three hours after it happened.
The heartbroken parents said they have not heard a word from the nursery since they lost their son.
‘I trusted all of you to do your job. And now I blame myself and I wish I had never left him that day,” Hicks said as she cried.
The Georgia Department of Early Care and Learning discovered that three employees were in the classroom, but they were not sitting with the children and were talking to each other. Jamal Jr. was the one who informed them that he was drowning
And I don’t want anything to do with them because they should have called. “Nothing is going to fix this except getting it done,” he added.
The Georgia Department of Early Care and Learning closed the Kids Nest Learning Center for the health, safety and well-being of the children in its care, who would be in “imminent danger” if it remained open.
Jamal Sr. said he was not aware of problems at the facility and wants other parents to be cautious about where they send their children.
The agency discovered that the daycare had been previously flagged during an inspection that showed the facility was not in compliance with CPR requirements.
‘First aid and CPR are postponed because during follow-up visits we do not evaluate all the rules. It would be evaluated at the next unannounced regulatory visit,’ the agency said in a statement.
The daycare has until May 28 to appeal the agency’s decision. DailyMail.com contacted Kids Nest Learning Center.
TO Change.org Petition was created for the ‘Immediate and Permanent Closure’ of the learning center. As of Saturday afternoon there were 234 signatures.
The petition cites other cases that took place at the daycare, including when Manjeet Grant, director of Kid’s Nest Learning Center, was arrested and charged with first-degree cruelty to children following an incident that took place in March 2022.
Glynn County police arrested Grant after she “slapped (a girl) in the face, knocking her to the ground,” according to an arrest report.
The Brunswick News reported that the boy’s mother filed a civil order application against Grant on May 16, the day after the alleged incident.
On March 17, the Georgia Department of Early Care and Learning announced that they were investigating the alleged slap.
‘We had so many plans for him. We were talking about his first haircut and all that. We won’t be able to do that,” Hicks said.
A petition was created on Change.org for the ‘Immediate and Permanent Closure’ of the learning center. As of Saturday afternoon there were 234 signatures.
According to the petition, the facility had 22 inspection reports submitted by the agency since January 2022.
Jamal Sr. said he was not aware of problems at the facility and wants other parents to be cautious about where they send their children.
“That’s what we want in the future, just to make sure this doesn’t happen to another child again,” he said.
Hicks remembered her son for loving his family and being “full of energy.”
‘We had so many plans for him. We were talking about his first haircut and all that. We won’t be able to do that,” Hicks said as Jamal Sr. hugged her.
Darien Funeral Home is expected to announce services for the baby, according to its obituary.
“Don’t take life for granted,” the baby’s father said.
“And hug your babies every day,” Hicks added.
