The parents of a baby who died at a family daycare have revealed the only toy they bought him in the hope he would play with it when he grew up.
One-year-old Riley Ma was found unconscious at the Wakerley facility in Brisbane’s east at around 3.30pm on September 2 and was rushed to hospital.
The one-year-old boy is believed to have suffered a medical episode and tragically could not be resuscitated.
Riley’s mother, Ying Song, and father, Ning Ma, have revealed their anguish just days after he turned 13 months old.
Ms Song said the entire family was devastated after the sudden death of their “healthy, adorable and intelligent” son.
The parents had bought toys for the little one when he started to stand up and walk on his own.
“I’d heard that all little kids love digging in the sand at the beach, so we bought him a whole set of sand toys right from the start thinking that once he could walk, we could take him to the beach,” Ms Song said. 7News.
“Unfortunately, that opportunity will never come.”
The parents of a one-year-old boy who died at daycare on September 2, Riley Ma (pictured), had bought him sand toys to play with when he could walk on his own.
Riley had just begun to learn to walk and was leaning on the coffee table, a sight that filled her parents with joy.
The one-year-old boy appeared to be in good spirits when he was dropped off at nursery at around 7.30am on the day of his death.
Just hours later, Riley’s father received the devastating phone call that the boy could not be saved, despite the best efforts of paramedics.
The couple had been ready to have a child since 2015, but waited until they were granted permanent residency in Australia to achieve stability.
After waiting for nearly a decade, Ms Song said Riley was born with “love and hope and raised in a loving environment”.
She said he had just started smiling and interacting with strangers, believing Riley would “grow up to have a bright, cheerful personality.”
Mr Ma recalled his son’s “joy” at finding Ms Song in their many games of hide-and-seek.
“These are memories we want to keep in our hearts forever,” he said.
Riley (pictured) is believed to have suffered a suspected medical episode at Wakerley Nursery and tragically could not be resuscitated.
Generous Australians have raised more than $22,000 in a GoFundMe Started by a close friend and neighbor, Yang Zhao.
“I can’t thank you enough for your kindness and generosity,” Ms. Zhao wrote in an update to the fundraising page on Sept. 7.
‘Riley’s grandparents have arrived in Australia and are caring for Riley’s parents.
“They were able to get some sleep with all the love from all of you. They want me to convey their deep gratitude to you.”