In less than one year, Kaila Nix and Drew Schock have lost two of their children. Her daughter died in a hot car. Her son drowned in a backyard pool. Both were under their grandmother’s care at the time.
Now, Kaila is speaking out about the absolute horror of finding out that two of her babies had died while her own mother was meant to be watching them.
How did this happen? Twice?
The horror deaths both took place in Florida, USA at Tracey Nix’s home. 16-month-old Ezra died in December 2021. Seven-month-old Uriel died on November 22, 2022.
It is alleged that when Ezra drowned, Tracey was asleep. When Uriel died in the back of a hot car, Tracey was inside the house practicing the piano.
Kaila and her husband Drew never imagined this could happen to them. Twice.
To lose two babies, both while under the care of Kaila’s mum. The couple sat down with ABC Action New I-Team to share their tragic story and spark justice for their children.
“Something’s happened to Ezra”
Ezra drowned in a pond while he was meant to be supervised by Tracey. Kaila remembers getting the call from her husband Drew that something had happened to their son.
She was six months pregnant at the time (with Uri) and, on the way to the house, she got into a head-on collision.
“I could see the helicopter landing,” Kaila said. “I didn’t look when there was a stop sign All of my airbags went off, I don’t remember how I got out, but I got out and started running to my parent’s house and at this point, I don’t have shoes. I’m just running. That was my desperation to get to my son.”
When Kaila arrived, she was told her son, her second-born child, had drowned. As she was heavily pregnant at the time, she requested that some of the details of Ezra’s death be withheld.
“They withheld information from me, per my request, per my doctor’s advice, that any information that would work me up or make me emotionally distressful would be harmful to my unborn child,” Kaila said.
Fell asleep
What really happened to Ezra isn’t 100% clear. There is an alleged incident report detailing how Tracey fell asleep when Ezra drowned but Kaila and Drew haven’t seen this report.
Through the unimaginable grief of losing their second-born, Ezra, Kaila and Drew welcomed Uriel, their third child. Their firstborn was four at the time.
Kaila and Drew distanced themselves from Tracey and didn’t fully trust her with either of their children.
“We were anxious, but I loved my mother and I am a daughter that wanted her mom in her life in some capacity, and in that moment, I thought that I could believe in second chances,” Kaila said.
“When I was told that Ezra’s death was an accident, some sliver child part of me, thought, ‘Ok good, I get to keep this mom. This grandmother. This person.’”
Infant dies in car just months after her brother’s drowning death
On the day Kaila dropped Uri at Tracey’s house, she knew the plan. Tracey was going out for lunch with Uri and a group of friends, people Kaila trusted.
“Uri was at a restaurant with other people that I knew and trusted. They were in the friend group and were keeping her safe, and I had supervised many, many, many interactions at this point at my house,” Kaila said.
Kaila received a knock on the door from the police that same day, informing her about what had happened to baby Uriel.
“He said, “‘Your baby is dead.’ And I said, ‘I’m sorry, what? I know Ezra’s dead. Why are you here, like what — what is this?’ ‘No Kaila, your baby is dead.’”
“Just forgot”
According to the Hardee County Sheriff’s Office, Tracey, 65, told a detective that after she drove home from lunch with friends she “just forgot” about Uriel.
It wasn’t until another one of Tracey’s grandkids arrived that Tracey suddenly remembered Uriel in the car, parked in the yard with the window rolled up.
When they arrived at the SUV, they found the baby unconscious. Tracey’s husband, Nun Ney Nix, immediately began CPR but Uriel was already gone.
For Kaila and her husband Drew, it was like replaying their worst nightmare over again.
“I want justice”
Tracey and her husband will not be making any public statements. However, Tracey has since been charged with aggravated manslaughter after leaving her seven-month-old daughter, Uriel, in the car. If found guilty over Uriel’s death, Tracey faces 12 to 30 years in prison.
If I’m objective, she needs to go to prison. As her daughter, it kills me to say it. As their mother, I demand it. I will fight for them.”
Drew said the whole reason they’re sharing their story is that they want justice.
“I want justice for my son. I want justice because he didn’t get that. And now I got to sit here and expose this. That way, I don’t let what happened to my son happen with my daughter. And just get off scot-free because I couldn’t live with that as a parent,” Drew said.
Kaila added that she hopes her babies know how much they were loved.
“[And ]that we’re sorry. Because they were beautiful children and they were taken by someone that we believed was worthy of trust.”
What to read next
- QLD Mum Who Admitted to Letting her Toddlers Die in Hot Car is Jailed
- Mum Discovers how her 7-Month-Old Really Died at Daycare
- Twin Toddlers Drown in Backyard Pool in Tragic Accident
