'I may never get over leaving my baby in a hot car where he died after 7 hours'

30 June 2024 , 19:26

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'I may never get over leaving my baby in a hot car where he died after 7 hours'

A heartbroken mum relayed that she may never recover from the untimely death of her baby boy who tragically died after being left inside a car for several hours. Upon concluding her work day, Raelyn Balfour noticed she missed a call from her child's caregiver. Concerned that her nine-month-old son Bryce might be fussy, Raelyn promptly returned the call.

Grateful for the callback, the sitter said, "Thanks so much for returning the call, I just wanted to check how little Bryce is recovering from his cold? " Caught off guard, Raelyn responded with, "What do you mean? Bryce is with you." Then, realization dawned upon hearing the nanny's revelation that Bryce was not dropped off that day and had perhaps been kept home due to an illness.

The 52-year-old mum was gripped with panic, racing towards her car while struggling to remember the particulars of her morning routine. Coming face to face with a heart-shattering sight, Raelyn's world changed forever, reports the Mirror US.

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Raelyn believes she may never forgive herself (nbcwashington.com)

n an exclusive chat with Fabulous, she shared, "I got to the car and my nine-month-old son was still strapped into his car seat," "He had been there all day. He wasn't moving or breathing. "Completely losing myself, I screamed out loud for help, calling for an ambulance.

"I immediately started administering CPR until paramedics arrived and rushed my baby to the hospital. I was consumed by sheer terror, as if living out the worst nightmare."

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In a heart-wrenching incident, Bryce's mother was met with the unimaginable as she could not revive her baby, who was later declared dead at the hospital. Chief Executive Raelyn is currently based in San Antonio, Texas, where she lives with her four children: Christopher, 31, Braiden, 16, Isabella, 15, and Chase, 14.

Her husband, Jarrett, aged 45, is a high-flying business executive.

Back in March 2007, when the family was living in Charlottesville, Virginia, 36 year old Raelyn drove to work, tragically forgetting to drop her son Bryce at the babysitter's, which was part of her morning routine. It took seven and a half hours before Bryce succumbed to the heat inside the car.

Raelyn said she is still haunted 17 years after her child's death (nbcwashington.com)

Despite the day being relatively cool at 18 degrees outside, Bryce perished due to overheating. Police reports suggest that within just 40 minutes, the car's interior could have soared to a lethal 36.6 degrees, a temperature high enough to claim an infant's life.

Raelyn has spoken about the unbearable guilt she carries, a burden that remains heavy even after 17 years. "I go through that memory of seeing my son not breathing every day," she shared.

"No parent should have to deal with that. No one should have to try to save their child's life from their own terrible mistake. I live in hell every day. I live in pain everyday remembering the horror of what happened - the grief and the loss and the knowledge of what I had forgotten. It's a nightmare you never escape from."

Mataeo Smith