1-year-old dead, 3 other toddlers hospitalized after possibly consuming fentanyl at Bronx day care
The children had gone down for naps and were supposed to wake up at 2:30 p.m. and all eaten something about 90 minutes earlier.
The tragedy of life is often not in our failure, but rather in our complacency; not in our doing too much, but rather in our doing too little; not in our living above our ability, but rather in our living below our capacities.
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On Friday afternoon, a devastating event occurred at Divino Nino Day Care in the Kingsbridge neighborhood of the Bronx. According to the NY Post story, four children were found unresponsive in the daycare's basement around 2:40 p.m., shortly after they were supposed to wake up from their naps. The children involved were a 1-year-old boy, two 2-year-old boys, and an 8-month-old girl.
All four children were rushed to local hospitals. Tragically, the 1-year-old boy was declared dead, suspected to have ingested fentanyl. The other three children are in stable condition; the 8-month-old girl was also treated for dehydration.
The New York City Police Department has initiated an active criminal investigation. During a search of the daycare, a device known as a "kilo press" was found. This device is commonly used by drug dealers for packaging large quantities of drugs. The discovery raises alarming questions about the safety protocols at daycares and the broader issue of drug exposure in places considered safe for children.
Anna Ortiz-Irving, a neighbor of the daycare, described the owners as decent people who had worked hard to meet city and state codes. The daycare had even passed two inspections and was licensed by the state's Office of Children and Family Services. This incident has left the community in shock, questioning how something so tragic could happen in a place meant to be a sanctuary for children.
This tragedy is a microcosm of the larger opioid crisis gripping the United States. Fentanyl, a powerful synthetic narcotic, is increasingly turning up in the illicit drug supply. And it's not just adults who are affected. Young children have not been spared, with several cases of opioid-related deaths reported across the country.
The Bronx daycare tragedy is a stark reminder that the opioid crisis is far from over and that its tentacles reach even the youngest members of our society. It's a call to action for parents, daycare providers, policymakers, and communities to come together to ensure the safety of our children. We owe it to Nicholas Dominici and countless others to make sure this never happens again.
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