Ellieana J. Peyton was born on March 4 at Nationwide Children’s Hospital in Columbus, Ohio, with a serious heart condition called cardiomyopathy. Monitored in the NICU, her parents, Mackenzie and Tyler Peyton, were thrilled to learn she might finally come home by the end of May.
But just days before, the unimaginable happened.
According to her mother, a nurse accidentally dragged Ellieana from her crib by cords still attached to the baby — causing a skull fracture and severe head bleeding. The incident occurred while the parents briefly left to shower.
“I left for an hour and got the worst call of my life,” Mackenzie wrote on Facebook.
Despite days of fighting, Ellieana passed away on March 31, just 27 days old. The coroner’s report listed her cause of death as “congenital dilated cardiomyopathy complicated by blunt force head injuries” — and ruled it an accident.
Ellieana was remembered as a joyful baby with bright eyes and a smile that lit up the room. A funeral was held on April 5, followed by cremation.
“Your bed is empty, your car seat was empty on the way home,” her mother wrote. “I just want you back.”
The hospital declined to comment, citing patient privacy. It’s unclear whether legal action will be taken.
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