Dad of little girl given a five per cent chance of survival after she was left on a daycare bus for six hours demands the center be shut down: ‘What the hell were they doing?’
- Nevaeh Austin walks free from hospital and enjoys fast food with her family
- The little girl, three, was left on a bus at her daycare center after being forgotten
- She almost died from kidney failure after being found unresponsive by staff
- Her family are now demanding the daycare center be shut down permanently
A little girl who was locked on a bus for six hours in sweltering heat was given less than a five per cent chance of surviving before her miraculous recovery.
Nevaeh Austin, three, walked out of Queensland Children’s Hospital in Brisbane on Monday. She had been airlifted there in a critical condition last week, suffering kidney failure.
The toddler was found unresponsive on a minivan outside Le Smileys Early Learning Center at Gracemere, near Rockhampton last Wednesday. Temperatures on the day were about 29C outside.
Her father Shane said his ‘heart sunk’ when he received the call that his daughter was unconscious and it was a moment ‘no parent wants to ever go through’.
Her family is now demanding the center be shut down.
‘What the hell were they doing? That’s what I want to know,’ he told the Today show on Tuesday.
Shane Austin is demanding answers over why his daughter Neveah (pictured together) was left on a hot daycare center bus in Gracemere last week
Neveah was the only bus passenger that morning before she was allegedly forgotten by the driver and another staff member who picked her up.
Her grandmother Pam said it was horrific Neveah was the second child to be left on a daycare bus after Maliq ‘Meeky’ Nicholas Floyd Namok-Malamoo, 3, died in similar circumstances in February 2020.
‘The Department of Education should close it [the centre] down,’ she said.
‘One life lost is a tragedy, to almost lose another is almost incomprehensible.’
Pam said the centre’s ratings have plummeted from five stars to one, with many reviews demanding the business permanently close.
Estimates suggest the interior of a car could have reached 56C after just 2 hours in direct sunlight.
Just hours after being discharged, Nevaeh, her mother and father sat down with big smiles as they dined at Red Rooster at Brisbane Airport on the way back to Rockhampton.
Neveah Austin’s family are calling for her former daycare center to be shutdown after she was left fighting for life (pictured together)
Nevaeh Austin is now safe in her father Shane’s arms (pictured) after being released from hospital
The family were all smiles (pictured) after Nevaeh’s harrowing ordeal last week
A police officer is seen photographing the minivan in which a toddler was left for six hours
Nevaeh was the only passenger when the mini-van was parked at the centre’s front door, but the two staff left the toddler in the vehicle.
As temperatures climbed the girl remained trapped before and had passed out when finally discovered as staff prepared for the after-school pick-up.
Police and the Department of Education continue to investigate the incident but no charges have been laid.
Detective Inspector Darrin Shadlow said the daycare and staff have sought legal advice after police announced they would be ‘looking at everyone involved in this matter’.
Nevaeh and her mother wander through Brisbane Airport after the toddler was checked out of hospital
Nevaeh (pictured with family) was found unresponsive on a minivan outside Le Smileys Early Learning Center at Gracemere, near Rockhampton on May 4
The furious father recently said he’s ‘dumbfounded’ how Nevaeh survived and cannot understand how his daughter – who was strapped into her seat at 9am – was missed by staff and not seen until 3pm.
A sign out the front of the school boasts of having a pick-up and drop-off service, which center owner Michelle O’Rourke revealed on Thursday would be permanently suspended in the wake of this latest tragedy.
Just steps away from where the van was parked there are more signs warning of the dangers of leaving children in hot cars.
‘Never leave children alone in a car,’ one sign reads.
‘Four-and-a-half minutes inside of a car could be as high as 70 degrees.’
The warning also outlines health risks, including heat stress, dehydration, brain injury, serious kidney damage, and death.
‘Always check your back seat is free of passengers before leaving your car,’ the sign reads.
The furious family are continuing to seek answers as to how the near-tragedy was allowed to happen
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