'It Wasn't SIDS': Mum Discovers how her 7-Month-Old Really Died at Daycare

“I’m sorry there was nothing we could do. She was too far gone.”

Three years ago, these 13 words broke Anna Lobisch. And today, they still haunt her.

In February 2019, Anna was told the heartbreaking news that her seven-month-old daughter Abi, had died at daycare. She was being cared for by her babysitter or alleged daycare provider, Dixie Denise Villa on an Army base in Hawaii, USA.

At first, she was told her baby girl died of SIDS.

In July 2019, Anna learned the truth.

Fatal overdose of cold medication

It wasn’t SIDS, but an overdose of cold medication, given to her by her babysitter, that killed Abigail. The cold medication- Benadryl – is used regularly in America but is not recommended for children under 6.

The 18-page autopsy report shows Abigail had no significant past medical history, was well-developed, and was well-nourished.

At the time of her autopsy, Abigail had 2400 ng/mL of diphenhydramine (commonly called Benadryl) in the heart blood and more than 5,000 ng/mL in the urine specimen that was also tested, indicating some had already passed through her system.

The report notes concentrations reported in fatal overdoses for infants were 1400 ng/mL.

‘We just relive it every day’

Anna admits that when she first discovered it wasn’t SIDS, but Abi’s babysitter who gave her the medication, she was broken.

Shocked and hurt and confused. The one thing I learned from Abi’s death is that there’s no closure on something like this. You don’t ever get closure, we just relive it every day.”

It’s been over three years now and Anna is still reliving the horror of losing her daughter every single day.

‘Illegal daycare’

According to Anna, Dixie ran an “illegal daycare” setup on an Army base in Hawaii, something Anna didn’t know at the time of her daughter’s death. Abi’s father is part of the Army National Guard.

It’s unclear if Dixie was responsible for just Abigail or if there were other children in her care too but there has since been an investigation launched by the Army over the death.

While Dixie has been arrested and charged with manslaughter, she has pleaded not guilty and is still awaiting trial, something that was meant to take place late last year.

According to Anna, Dixie is still walking free today.

‘Are you serious?’

Anna shares Abi’s story on her TikTok account as well as emotional videos of how this tragedy has impacted her world and clips of her sweet Abigail before her death.

A clip of her receiving the news that her daughter’s death wasn’t SIDS related, but was due to an overdose of medication, has reached over 40 million people.

In the video, you can see Anna’s absolute shock and heartbreak as the police explain that her daughter’s toxicology reports confirm she died of a Benadryl overdose. Anna answers them with an, “Oh my god, are you serious” before putting the phone down and crying.

@justiceforabi “She” killed her without any remorse or admittance. #justiceforabi #fyp #foryou #momsoftiktok #fypシ ♬ The one that got away – Kim 🎲🍒

To lose a baby is indescribable. To lose a baby due to someone else’s neglect is unfathomable.

As Anna explains in one of her TikTok videos,

I don’t get any money out of this… the only reason I’m sharing my daughter’s story is because number one: I want justice for her and number two: I don’t want this to happen to any other parent ever.”

This sort of thing should never have happened. However, it isn’t the first time something terrible has happened to a child while in the care of someone else.

We’ve shared a story in the past of a child who was repeatedly bitten at daycare. We don’t share these stories to shock, but to remind parents just how important it is to make sure your child’s daycare is up to the national standards. Another important thing to note here is that American daycare standards and Australian daycare standards vary greatly.

Accidents happen. But there is no excuse for fatally drugging a baby.