Distraught family demands answers over toddler's death after being picked up from preschool

  • 08/05/2018
Beaudene Wi and Ricardo Miranda say their son was found distressed and to have suffered a suspected brain bleed.
Beaudene Wi and Ricardo Miranda say their son was found distressed and to have suffered a suspected brain bleed. Photo credit: Maori Television

A family whose 20-month-old toddler died of a brain bleed after he was picked up from childcare is demanding answers over his death.

Beaudene Wi and Ricardo Miranda told Maori Television's Native Affairs they had not been told their son Lorenzo had fallen when they picked him up in November from Little Monkeys Preschool in Palmerston North.

He was found lying on his back in a distressed state suspected to have suffered a brain bleed.

The parents said the preschool told them they thought Lorenzo had a fever but on the way home they became suspicious after he stopped breathing, Native Affairs reports. 

"Two streets after leaving the (preschool) driveway, I looked in the rear vision mirror and he wasn't breathing," Ms Wi said.

"He was a horrible green colour."

 The couple then rushed Lorenzo to Palmerston North Hospital, where he underwent surgery to relieve pressure off his brain but later died. 

"We went to the hospital with no clue of what could be wrong with him when we could've gone in with some sort of answer that he had fallen," Mr Miranda says.

The Ministry of Education says the preschool teachers responded appropriately however Lorenzo's parents aren't satisfied, Native Affairs reports. 

A Facebook page has since been set up in Lorenzo's memory.

"We know it's an accident.  We know there is no justice for Lorenzo- nothing's ever going to bring him back or fix our hurt. 

"We just want answers for why there were decisions made that resulted in this and we don't want anyone to dodge that responsibility," Ms Wi told Native Affairs.

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