A young couple in Ohio faced every parent’s worst nightmare just as they were about to bring their newborn baby girl home.
Ellieana Peyton was born on March 4 with a rare heart condition affecting the left side of her heart. Though she spent her first weeks in the NICU at Nationwide Children’s Hospital, her family said she was doing well.
But then tragedy struck.
While Ellieana’s parents stepped away to shower, they got a heartbreaking call: their baby had been dropped in the NICU. A nurse had accidentally dragged Ellieana when her monitor cords got caught in her pocket.
Ellieana suffered a fractured skull and brain bleeds from the fall. Despite the doctors’ best efforts, she passed away on March 31, just 29 days after she was born.
Her family described Ellieana as a bright little soul with a smile that could light up a room and deep brown eyes full of life. She loved nothing more than being in the arms of her parents and family.
Though her time was brief, Ellieana touched everyone she met. Her family is now coping with unbearable loss, grateful for the outpouring of support as they seek answers.
“She was so loved,” they said.
No parent should ever leave a hospital without their child. But Ellieana’s light and love will never be forgotten.
Rest in peace, sweet Ellieana.