Queens Nurse Charged With Scalding Death Of Special Needs Toddler
The scalding death of a special needs toddler has prompted a wrongful death lawsuit against the child’s caregiver, a licensed practical nurse from Queens. Oluyemisi Adebayo has been charged with killing 23-month-old Naomi Mondesire by placing the little girl into 130 degrees bath water, causing the child to suffer fatal second and third-degree burns over her lower body. Despite medical treatment, Naomi died of her burn-related injuries several days later.
The civil claim also lists Harry’s Nurses Registry as defendant, based on claims that the company failed to investigate a previous complaint regarding the nurse. Adebayo was arrested at the JFK terminal just before boarding a flight to Nigeria, her native country. She is currently awaiting trial on charges of second-degree murder. If she is convicted, she may face up to 25 years to life in prison.
Toddler suffers burns to more than 50% of her body
Officials say that little Naomi, who was born prematurely and needed round-the-clock care due to a tracheotomy and developmental delays, was placed in the scalding bathwater for at least 30 seconds. Naomi died from her painful thermal injuries on April 27 after having surgery at Nassau University Medical Center.
Adebayo, who was been a health care worker for over 15 years, was hired by the family just one day before the tragic incident. Naomi’s grandmother, Gardite Mondesire, said that when she returned to her Queens apartment that fateful night, she found her tenant running around picking up pieces of her granddaughter’s skin. When she finally reached Adebayo by phone, the woman purportedly claimed she didn’t know how the child got burned.
“She said “It’s bad. I did something bad. The baby got burned,”’ Mondesire told the NY Daily News.
In her own defense, Adebayo allegedly told police that she had tested the bath water with her hand before placing Naomi waist-deep in the tub. After noticing pieces of skin peeling off the girl’s legs, she took Naomi out of the bath. But doctors say this account just doesn’t add up given the nature of her burns. Naomi’s father also doesn’t believe this story, and questions why an innocent person would try to flee the country.
Nurse’s story isn’t consistent with injuries
Mondesire says it’s unbearable to think about the horrific suffering her granddaughter endured before she died and doesn’t believe that the nurse tested the water before placing Naomi in the tub.
‘The tiny victim suffered extraordinarily painful injuries for several days before she died. This is a terribly sad and tragic case that could have been prevented,’ said the District Attorney in a press release.
If you or a loved one has suffered harm due to the negligence of a health care provider in a hospital or home setting, The Sanders Firm offers seasoned legal advice about your rights to compensation. To schedule a free consultation with leading medical malpractice attorneys in New York, please call 1-800-FAIR-PLAY. Resources
- NBC news New York, Nurse Charged With Murder After Baby Girl Burned Over Half Her Body in Bath: Officials http://www.nbcnewyork.com/news/local/Nurse-Practitioner-Queens-Arrest-Baby-Scalding-Death-New-York-Police-301743651.html
- NY Daily News, EXCLUSIVE: Mom suing nurse and staffing company over the death of her baby http://www.nydailynews.com/new-york/queens/mom-suing-killer-nurse-earlier-alarm-tot-cited-article-1.2327898
- Daily Mail UK, Licensed nurse charged in scalding death of special-needs toddler as it’s revealed she was submerged in 130-degree water for 30 seconds http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3062361/Nurse-practitioner-charged-scalding-death-toddler.html
