Durban crèche shuts after toddler's fall which led to brain injury

A Durban crèche where a two-year-old girl suffered a brain injury when she allegedly fell off a balcony this month will close on Friday.

Honey Bunch Day Care told parents via its WhatsApp group that the crèche, which was well known in Chatsworth, south of Durban, will officially close due to “unforeseen circumstances”.

“Regretfully, with much sadness and a very heavy heart I have to officially close Honey Bunch Day Care as of March 28 at 5pm due to unforeseen circumstances. The decrease in number of children attending crèche is not feasible to keep it open. You are all good parents and so are our lovely children who I will miss dearly,” the administrator of the group said.

The crèche is being investigated for violating section 32 of the Child Care Act after Aariya Sewnarain suffered an extradural hematoma — an accumulation of blood between the skull and the outer membrane protecting the brain.

Her mother, Shivana Sewnarain, told TimesLIVE on Tuesday her daughter was improving gradually.

“She is trying to play and do things she normally used to,” she said.

CCTV footage obtained from a neighbour showed the unattended toddler falling off the balcony. The child’s parents demanded answers as the crèche owner’s versions of what transpired changed several times.

“As I was on the way to fetch my baby from crèche, I get a call from the school principal notifying me Aariya had had an accident at school and I should come fetch her. When I asked how it happened, I was told she was playing outside with the other children and she fell. I asked the principal about her injuries. I was just told there was blood. The principal asked me if she should take the baby to the doctor.

“I said no as I was on my way and from the information they had provided to me it didn’t seem serious. When I arrived to fetch my baby, I saw the right side of her face was heavily gashed, her nose and head were bleeding and she struggled to stay conscious. I took her to my GP, who advised she should be rushed to the hospital as she was vomiting profusely. After the hospital completed tests, it was confirmed my sweet innocent baby had severe head injuries,” she said.

Sewnarain said that when she contacted the principal a second time, while on her way to assess the injury, she was informed there was blood but received no clear indication of the severity of her daughter's condition.

“When asked how the incident occurred, I was first told my baby was playing outside with the children and she fell on the concrete, but still there was no proper indication on how she fell or the details of the injury.”

She said after she received the medical results she called the principal again to find out what happened as the injuries were so extensive.

“She handed the phone to the teacher, who was supposed to be responsible for caring for my baby. The teacher advised me she was taking all the children outside to play when two other children started to fight with each other.”

“She went to separate them and at that time my baby went back inside [the way they came] and up the stairs. This wasn't mentioned to me in the first instance. As I was talking to the teacher, the principal took back the phone and told me she was sorry and didn’t know what else to say.”

Sewnarain said her husband went to the crèche a day later to see where their daughter had fallen. “He was given a different answer, that she fell in the back of the building. On the way out, he asked the guard if he had seen the baby fall as he was stationed right at the entrance of the crèche, and he said he didn't.”

Sewnarain said their world fell apart “seeing our beautiful princess so severely hurt”.

“She was lying in a hospital helplessly, barely able to move. My heart shattered into a million pieces, seeing my beautiful baby in so much pain and trauma. We helplessly had to watch a baby suffer in so much pain and agony.

“As working parents, we put our faith in others to care for our children while we aren't there. And that's exactly what myself and my husband have done. We sent a happy, energetic, healthy baby with the intention they will maintain that and watch over her. We didn't expect that they would return her to us so critically injured, endangering her life.”

The mother said when they enrolled her daughter at the crèche, they were told the stairs were blocked and were therefore not accessible to the children.

Honey Bunch Day Care had not responded to TimesLIVE questions at the time of publication. The story will be updated with their comment as soon as it is received. 

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