How ‘dumbfounded’ dad was kept in the dark by day care bosses after his toddler daughter was abandoned in a minibus – and the ONE reason he believes she survived
- Nevaeh Austin, 3, found unconscious after she was left on bus for six hours
- Toddler rushed to hospital but her condition has improved in the 48 hours since
- Her angry father Shane said he still has not received a call from daycare involved
- Bianca Reynolds is ‘going through a tough time’ after the mini bus incident
- It’s understood she was one of two staff to forget about Nevaeh on Wednesday
The furious father of the toddler, Nevaeh Ausin, who almost died after she was abandoned on her daycare bus for six hours said the centre involved has still not called him.
A ‘dumbfounded’ Shane Austin still cannot understand how his daughter, who was strapped into her seat by his partner, Sheridan, at 9am was missed by Le Smileys Early Learning Centre staff until 3pm on Wednesday.
He said it was ‘a miracle’ Nevaeh is alive and admitted she ‘wouldn’t be here today’ if the heart-breaking incident happened in a Queensland summer instead of autumn.
A furious Shane Austin remains ‘dumbfounded’ how Le Smileys Childcare Centre staff missed finding his daughter Nevaeh in the daycare bus for six hours
Mr Austin said the childcare centre has not phoned him over the horrific incident, which he said would have cost his daughter her life had it happened in summer
Mr Austin told A Current Affair the centre’s staff have still not phoned him to explain what happened.
‘[I’ve heard] nothing. I didn’t even get a phone call. I want to know why.’
I want to know why they never saw [her], these people were walking past [the bus],’ he said, admitted she was probably calling out.
‘She’s her fathers child so she’s loud too.’
‘I’m dumfounded.’
Mr Austin said when he flew to his daughter’s side at Rockhampton Hospital late on Wednesday he was ‘expecting the worst’ but said Nevaeh proved how ‘strong’ she is.
‘But she wouldn’t be here today if this happened in summer, not in Rockhampton conditions.’
Three-year-old Nevaeh Austin (pictured) was unresponsive when found on the bus at a childcare centre
The first photo of the toddler in recovery (pictured) has emerged as her father made a visit to her in the Queensland Children’s Hospital
The three-year-old has improved significantly since she was transferred to Brisbane Children’s hospital and has been ‘giggling, squealing and eating ice cream’ in hospital.
Nevaeh Austin (pictured) is now awake but remains in a critical condition in hospital
Ms Reynolds was reportedly on the mini bus which picked up three-year-old Nevaeh Austin from her home about 9am on Wednesday morning for the school pick-up
Earlier, a childcare worker who was one of two staff on the bus where Nevaeh almost died after she was left for six hours is beside herself and ‘going through a tough time’.
Le Smileys Early Learning Centre director Bianca Reynolds is hunkering down with her mother and sister at her home in Gracemere, in Queensland’s Rockhampton region.
‘This is a horrible situation for anybody,’ her protective sister Emily told Daily Mail Australia. ‘She’s going through a really tough time.’
Ms Reynolds was reportedly on the mini bus which picked up three-year-old Nevaeh Austin from her home about 9am on Wednesday morning for the school pick-up.
Police are now investigating how both Ms Reynolds and her colleague came to forget about Nevaeh, who was the only child on the bus at the time.
One of Ms Reynold’s colleagues found Nevaeh unconscious beside her belongings on the bus when they returned about 3pm to begin drop offs.
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Read more at DailyMail.co.uk