Mom in Hot Water When 3-Month-Old Baby Found with Hardcore Drugs in System
Not all babies begin life in the best possible conditions. New born infants don’t come with a handbook, after all. For many mothers, becoming a mother can begin with a rocky start.
Nothing could be more true for 27-year old Crystal Cumberland. Three months after bringing her daughter into the world, she was almost the cause of her death.
Emergency officials responded to a call in North Union Township, when a 3-month-old infant was having breathing difficulties.
The child was in such danger that she had to be airlifted to Children’s Hospital in Pittsburgh.
Authorities believed, at the time, that the infant had been exposed to heroin. She was given many doses of Narcan, a drug that blocks the effects of opioids.
A manhunt went underway to find the baby’s mother.
Cumberland was soon found and arrested with charges of aggravated assault, endangering the welfare of children and other related charges.
But it was not heroin that made the infant so sick. It was another drug, a near-fatal dose of fentanyl, a different opioid that was typically used as a pain killer.
Fentanyl is much stronger than heroin. It is sometimes used to mix with drugs like heroin and together make a deadly combination.
“It is sold through illegal drug markets for its heroin-like effect,” said the CDC.
Cumberland is being held on a $25,000 bond but she stated that she didn’t know the drug was Fentanyl.
She did admit to snorting heroin while the baby was with her. It was clear that some of the white powder was ingested by the baby.
The baby girl is still being treated in the hospital. Its’s a sad story but not completely unheard of these days.
There were many concerned and angry posts on social media about this terrible situation.
It is easy to be outraged when an innocent child is put at such great risk.
But there is hope for mothers like Cumberland. Many mothers like her want to do the right thing but need better support systems and help for their addictions.
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