A grieving mother has spoken out about the reasons behind her seven-month-old son’s death to silence accusations from social media trolls.
American mum Jordan DeRosier shared the devastating news on Facebook that her little boy Sloan Valor Derosier had passed away.
She wrote a moving tribute to her “sweet rainbow warrior”, letting family and friends know that her little boy’s death had “left an emptiness felt by so many”. She had chosen not to share the details behind why her little boy had died, and neither did she have to.
But cruel comments from anti-vaxxers, suggesting her choice to vaccinate her wee boy had led to his death, forced her to defend herself and share a warning to other parents about what led to Sloan’s passing.
On Instagram she wrote: “To those who keep commenting and messaging trying to blame vaccines for our sons death – stop.
“Initially I had not wanted to explain the detailed circumstances of his death because of my guilt and the fear of condemnation from others.
“But I will not allow anyone to try and place blame where it does not belong.”
DeRosier shared the details of how her son died: Sloan had become tangled in a blanket while he was sleeping.
When she went to wake her son at 9:48am, she noticed he was on his stomach with his blanket around his head. When she pulled it off, she realised her little boy was not breathing.
“He was last laid down to bed with this blanket made by his great-great grandmother, and one other blanket, a grey one he had been attached to since birth. They took the grey one he had been found with his head in.
“He had pulled [the blanket] through the crib rails somehow and gotten himself stuck in it,” she wrote.
“You never think it will happen to you. You never think it will be your baby.
“Please do not put your babies to bed with a blanket. Please. He was 7 months old, I thought because he was crawling, standing on his own, and climbing, that he would be fine with a blanket.”
DeRosier shared a heartbreaking image of herself clutching a blanket, telling readers, “This is the face of immense, unfathomable grief, the face of longing, of heartbreak, of self inflicted GUILT”.
The post has been shared more than 11,000 times with many people offering words of support in response.
One person commented: “I have a 3-month-old son who is attached to his blanket and this is my greatest fear. I pray for your strength and healing. I’m so incredibly sorry for your loss.”
Another mother simply replied: “My heart is literally aching for you.”
In New Zealand, baby sleep experts recommend swaddling a newborn but only until they are able to roll over. After that the use of sleeping bags is recommended. Parents are advised to otherwise keep the cot bare.
DeRosier said this in her heartfelt message to her son online: “Our sweet rainbow warrior, your short time on this earth blessed so many. You were a gift to all who knew you, and an inspiration to all who didn’t.
“Your death has impacted this world, it has left an emptiness felt by so many. Proof that you held with you so much light and grace. You were not able to live out our dreams for you, yet our dreams are where we will find you forever.”
Via Closer
