A 15-month-old baby was found trapped alone with her mom's corpse in a New York City Shelter for five days. The boy's father, Quraan Laboy, 31, plans to sue the City of New York and the Department of Homeless Services for $5 million in damages.
Baby in Bad condition
The baby, Lyric Laboy, was found by East River Family Center workers huddled by her mother's corpse, Shelbi Westlake, 26 last July 25.
In a Manhattan Supreme Court petition, the baby was "covered in human feces" and was severely dehydrated. She was later rushed to the hospital for treatment.
According to Seth Harris, Laboy's lawyer, Shelbi Westlake, the mother, and her 15-month-old-baby lived in an apartment-like unit at the East River Family Center at 325 East 104th Street in East Harlem for three or four months.
Court documents report that no one checked on the mother and daughter until a neighbor said a 'foul odor" coming from the apartment.
Westlake signed in at the shelter on July 19, six days before workers found Lyric. The City Medical Examiner's office said that Westlake died of an accidental drug overdose.
Allison Keenan, Laboy's other lawyer, said that "allowing an infant to remain with her dead mother for five days unnoticed not only highlights the indifference and lack of humanity shown to those most in need." She added that the incident also shows "complete malfeasance" by the Department of Homeless Services and New York City.
The young Laboy lost seven pounds and had a "horrific diaper rash" due to the tragic incident.
The baby's father also said that baby Lyric wakes up in the middle of the night kicking, fighting, and calling "mommy." Laboy said, 'I look at her, and I just start tearing up sometimes.'
Harris also reports that she has still been "routinely slapping her dad while sleeping to make sure he's alive."
Although baby Lyric has gained weight six months after the incident, the father said that the baby has not fully recovered yet, and has a lot of separation anxiety.
"I don't know how long she will suffer from this," Laboy said.
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Law Suit on Department of Homeless Services Underway
Meanwhile, the agency denied that Lyric was left alone for five days. It also did not disclose how long it was.
The Department of Homeless Services says that the incident is under investigation. The shelter now requires a same-night wellness check for any resident who has not signed the roster that evening.
Laboy plans to sue to Department of Homeless Services and the City of New York for $5 million in damages over the incident.
He said he had to leave his job at the New York City Housing Authority to devote his time to taking care of his daughter full-time.
"I had to drop everything. She's my number one priority right now," Quraan said. "My daughter's gotta deal with this mentally for the rest of her life," the father of the 15-month-old baby found in her mother's corpse said.
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