16-month-old dies after choking on watermelon at child care facility
BRUNSWICK, Ga. (WJXT) – Parents are speaking out on the death of their 16-month-old son who died after choking on a watermelon at a Georgia child care facility.
“Sometimes I don’t feel anything, and then the next minute, I’m breaking down again,” Taylor Hicks, the child’s mother, said.
Hicks and her partner, Jamal Bryant, have been going through a roller coaster of emotions since Tuesday.
That’s when they found out one of their children, 16-month-old Jamal Allen Bryant Jr., died.
“He was full of energy. He was full of life,” Jamal Bryant described.
“He loved his family. His mom, dad, grandmas. He cried a lot, loved to dance,” Hicks added.
According to the parents, they received a call on Tuesday afternoon from staff at the Kids Nest Learning Center in Brunswick.
They were asked to rush to the hospital. The young boy was there after choking on watermelon he was eating.
According to police, staff at the facility tried to assist the child before he was taken to the hospital.
That is something the family wonders about because, according to Georgia Department of Early Care and Learning Inspection reports, the facility has had several problems with not meeting first aid and CPR requirements previously.
An explanation from the state agency stated, in part, “First aid and CPR was deferred because during the follow-up visits, we do not evaluate all rules. It would be evaluated at the next unannounced regulatory visit.”
The family said they haven’t heard from the owners of the child care facility since the boy’s death.
“That’s what we want going forward, like, just make sure this doesn’t happen to another child again,” Jamal Bryant said.
The father added that he didn’t know about the problems at the learning center, so he wants other parents to do their research before they sign their kids up for a facility.
According to the Georgia Division of Family & Children Services website, parents should know if the facility is licensed, ensure all teachers if they are up to date on training requirements and ask if facility meets all staff-to-child ratios.
Jamal Bryant Jr.’s parents said that will help prevent potential heartache.
“Don’t take life for granted,” Jamal Bryant said.
“And hug your babies every day,” Hicks added.
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