A Connecticut mother is demanding answers after her 2-year-old son died from choking on a meatball while at daycare, with state officials now investigating the tragedy. According to the Department of Children and Families (DCF), the incident occurred on Tuesday at the YWCA New Britain daycare. The boy’s mother, Shamyra Cooke, said she dropped off her son, Saunti Reynolds, at 8:55 a.m.
Less than three hours later, she received a call from the daycare director saying Saunti had choked but was “OK” and that she should come in. When Cooke arrived, the scene was far different. Staff were “crying and running around,” she recalled, and Saunti was on the floor, intubated, with CPR in progress. “When they’re closing the door like that, I just know something’s wrong,” she said.
“There’s no way my son is breathing if they’re closing the door and the blinds are down.” Cooke, who lives just minutes away and works in a hospital, believes she could have saved her son if she had been called sooner. “Even if they didn’t know how to do the Heimlich, I could do it… They let 15 minutes go by, and my son is gone before anybody even got him to the hospital,” she said through tears.
The Office of the Chief Medical Examiner has not yet determined Saunti’s cause of death. In a statement, YWCA New Britain said staff “responded immediately” and followed emergency procedures, administering “age-appropriate first aid” and calling 911.
“We grieve this immeasurable loss… We extend our deepest, most heartfelt condolences,” the statement read. However, Cooke disputes claims she was kept informed throughout the emergency. “For them to even have the audacity to say they talked to me the whole process through… is a slap to my face,” she said.
The facility has a history of violations, including past citations for improper supervision and discipline. The most recent inspection in October resulted in a corrective action plan for safety issues such as blocked exits and unsafe cribs. Cooke created a GoFundMe to help with Saunti’s final expenses.
Cooke, who is pregnant with her third child, said she is haunted by memories of Saunti’s final days. “Two days into daycare, he’s gone. I just don’t get it,” she said. “All they had to do was give me a chance to get to him.” The YWCA closed Wednesday and Thursday, offering grief counseling for staff, families, and children.
DCF confirmed it is conducting a joint investigation with other state and local agencies. Attorneys for the family said they will pursue a full investigation to uncover what happened in the critical minutes before Saunti’s death.