The toddler's devastated grandmother, Pamela Parker, said she had spoken to her brave granddaughter in hospital. Photo / 9 News
The toddler's devastated grandmother, Pamela Parker, said she had spoken to her brave granddaughter in hospital. Photo / 9 News
A 3-year-old girl who was left alone on a childcare bus on a scorching hot day before being found unconscious has spoken to her family but remains in a "stabilised" critical condition.
Nevaeh Austin was left on board the bus for close to seven hours on Wednesday as temperatures came close to 30C in Gracemere, near Rockhampton in central Queensland.
It's understood the toddler was the only child collected that morning and was sitting in the second row of the vehicle. The bus driver and another person were also present.
She was only found by the staff of Le Smileys Early Learning Centre at 3pm on Wednesday afternoon ahead of after-school pickup.
Nevaeh was still strapped into her seat when she was discovered.
Staff attempted to perform CPR and the child was taken to Rockhampton Hospital. She was later flown to Queensland Children's Hospital in South Brisbane in a critical condition.
Nevaeh remains in hospital today, with Capricornia Police District Detective Inspector Darrin Shadlow telling reporters that her condition had "stabilised a bit".
In a miracle twist, her family revealed she had since "spoken" to them and was breathing on her own.
"I spoke to Nevaeh, she's good," the girl's devastated grandmother, Pamela Parker, told 9 News.
"I'm thankful my granddaughter has pulled through but what this must be doing to her, I can't even imagine."
Parker said she was "numb, mortified, hysterical" when she discovered what had happened.
"How does this happen? Why? Why did this happen? Lost, hurt, angry, scared... We just need more answers. We need to be told why."
The three-year-old was transported by air to a children's hospital in Brisbane overnight but still faces an uphill battle.
Her father, Shane Austin, said doctors were carrying out a deep brain scan and checking for possible kidney failure.
Parents lash out at childcare centre
Parents of children enrolled at the Le Smileys Early Learning Centre have threatened to withdraw their attendance after the tragic incident.
Staff at the Gracemere childcare centre have disabled comments on their Facebook page, however, parents and angry individuals have attacked the childcare centre via their Google Reviews.
As of Thursday afternoon, the Le Smileys Early Learning Centre's rating has dropped to 1.3 stars and accumulated 31 reviews. Several comments asked "how?" the incident happened.
"How do you manage to leave a child on a bus … Do you not head check, do a final sweep and then check in the centre everyone is accounted for.." shared another.
Other parents who had children enrolled in the centre vowed to remove their children.
"Terrible place I have just withdrawn my child from that daycare Center 0 stars," read another review.
"I'd give this place zero stars but unfortunately that wasn't an option!!!! My daughter attends this daycare not for much longer though I'll make sure of it how can you leave a child on the bus for 6 hours and not even notice," another angry parent wrote.
"This place needs to be properly investigated because they have failed miserably."
Parents said they would be taking their children out of the childcare facility. Photo / Supplied
On Thursday, police confirmed they were investigating if staff had "forgotten" the 3-year-old on the childcare bus from around 9am to 3pm on Wednesday.
Capricornia Police District Detective Inspector Darrin Shadlow said authorities were investigating if staff had breached policy.
"When they returned to the centre, the driver and one other person who were in the bus at the time have forgotten that she was there," he said.
"It would appear there were some breaches of policy and a young child is fighting for her life in a Brisbane hospital."
In a statement shared by the Courier Mail, the owner of the Le Smileys confirmed the centre would remain closed for the remainder of this week. Michelle O'Rourke also apologised to parents and said they would be suspending their transportation services to and from the centre.
"I apologise to families for the inconvenience however, Le Smileys Early Learning Centre will no longer be providing transportation in any form, from this point forward," O'Rourke wrote in communication to parents.
Detective Inspector Shadlow confirmed the centre had sought legal counsel.
Since October 2020, the law for child transportation providers was tightened after a 3-year-old died in similar circumstances.
'I know this feeling all too well'
In February 2020, a similar situation occurred in Cairns when 3-year-old Malik 'Meeky' Namok-Malamoo died after being left on a minibus by childcare staff for more than six hours in hot temperatures.
The Edmonton Goodstart Early Learning Centre was fined $71,000 and the bus driver Michael Glen Lewis, who discovered the child, was sentenced to six years in jail over manslaughter charges.
On Thursday morning, his mother, Muriel Namok appeared on Sunrise where she shared her anger at the situation repeating itself, saying it made her "sick to her stomach".
"This is terrible," she said. "I know this feeling all too well."
Namok said that parents should be able to trust childcare centres to protect their children while in daycare, and said they needed to be "held accountable".
"It is important because we are trusting these people with our children. They are taking our children," she said.
"They are taking our children and we are trusting them to bring them back. For this to happen, they need to be held accountable."
Later speaking to Allison Langdon on Today, Malik's godmother, Rowena Bullio, said Wednesday's incident was "unbelievable".
"To hear what happened yesterday, just total disbelief," she said.
In October 2020, the law was also changed so that educators and child transportation providers must conduct risk assessments and put in place policies to protect children. This includes policies around embarking and disembarking the vehicle so all children are accounted for.
Keppel MP: 'Shouldn't have happened'
Assistant Minister for Education, and the local Labor MP of Keppel, Brittany Lauga also spoke about the incident, saying it "shouldn't have happened".
"Tonight a little girl in Gracemere is fighting for her life in hospital after being allegedly left on a bus at daycare.
"I know this little girl is very much in the thoughts of all of us tonight, wishing for a full recovery. My thoughts are with this little girl's family and friends.
"Families need to have peace of mind that when they send their children off to school, kindy or daycare, they will come home safe."
Speaking from the childcare centre on Wednesday, Queensland Ambulance Service Central Region operations manager Jason Thompson said the event was "traumatic".
"I get goosebumps just as I speak about it now.
"Police will investigate it thoroughly; it's a trying time no matter what the situation is. You could put yourself in their shoes [childcare centre staff]; they would be very distressed.
"When a child is sick, it is traumatic, and when one is critical and unconscious, your heart goes out to them, the [QAS] crews are travelling well but they are traumatised."
