Toddler’s skull fractured after near-fatal fall at Chatsworth crèche
The operation was close to four hours and she has been in high care since.
A Chatsworth father is calling for the immediate shut-down of a daycare centre, based in Arena Park, after his two-year-old daughter plummeted from the second-floor balcony, fracturing her skull along with other injuries which required urgent surgery.
Atholl Sewnarain and his wife have been living a nightmare since Thursday when they received the call that their only daughter, Aariya, had been critically injured at the crèche.
“We received a call from the school, informing us that Aariya had fallen down a few flights of stairs and that it happened in a split second. Children fall. She is two-years-old, she is fast and likes to move around – that is what two-year-olds do. They cleaned her up and offered to take her to the doctor, but we insisted on doing so instead. Luckily, my wife took a day’s leave from her work as she had to take her mother to the hospital for tests as she was diagnosed with stage four cancer. Aariya was taken to our general practitioner, who told us to monitor her. The doctor told us to watch if she vomits blood as that would be a bad symptom, and we would need to take her to the hospital,” said Atholl.
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Once at the RK Khan Hospital, doctors and staff ran a battery of tests on Aariya, including x-rays and CT scans.
“We then discovered that there was quite a big fracture on the right side of her skull and there were big blood clots. After finding this, they immediately made contact with Albert Luthuli Hospital and stated that Aariya was in a serious condition and needed treatment urgently. On Friday morning, the hospital staff were waiting for us because of the seriousness of the injuries. Here, they conducted another CT scan, to determine if the wound had worsened. There was bleeding in between the brain and the skull, as well as blood clots, so they had to operate. They showed us that they had to cut a piece of her skull out and remove the clots. The operation was close to four hours and she has been in high care since. The hospital staff conducted another CT scan, and there was another blood clot there, but the doctor said that it was natural, as she was healing. Now, she is recovering,” the father added.
The 32-year-old man explained that on Friday, he and his family had conducted investigations into the matter, and found out that the story given to them by the owner of the crèche was false.
“The school has cameras. In the footage, you can see the child running around, unsupervised. The footage also shows the inside of the home and the upstairs room. The child never exited the doors again. As a result of the footage not making sense, there is speculation that the owners of the crèche did have cameras in the area. There was even one which would have given a clear view of the incident, but we believe that the owners removed these cameras with the clear footage. They are trying to sweep this under the carpet. The husband of the woman who runs the place told us that he viewed the footage, but there was nothing there. But we have retrieved footage which shows her falling from the balcony. They are denying that the child fell from the second-floor balcony, and claim that the incident took place on the bottom floor. They are telling different stories to different people,” he said.
Chatsworth SAPS communications officer, Cpt Cheryl Pillay, said they are aware of the incident involving a two-year-old child who allegedly fell off the balcony at a crèche in Arena Park.
“The management at the police station has expedited this inquiry to establish if a crime was committed. Should it be deemed necessary, the police will act accordingly. The management has offered support to the parents and we will continue to keep the baby in prayer,” she said. The chairman of the Spiritual Crime Prevention Forum, Rev Cyril Pillay, also commented.
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He said, “We are upholding the family in prayer. May God’s healing hands be upon the child. We will continue to offer support to the family during this difficult time.”
On Monday morning, parents of the 70-plus children who are under the care of the crèche arrived with the police, the local CPF, and other supporters at the premises. One parent told the Rising Sun, “The teachers held zero accountability. They have tampered with the footage and cameras. There are cut wires where cameras once were. Up until now, the woman who runs the institution has denied that the child fell from the balcony. However, now, when faced with police and dozens of parents requesting answers, she admitted that the child was probably upstairs and does not know how it happened. They gave us a very half-hearted apology, and said that this could have happened to the kids at home as well.” Atholl concluded, “I would never wish for any other parent to go through a nightmare like this. My wife has been with Aariya throughout her journey over the past few days. I just want justice for my baby. Those responsible for such negligence must be held accountable.”
