Young Boy on Life Support after Being Left in Scorching Hot School Van

A  young boy is on life support after he was left alone in a scorching hot school van outside a childcare centre in Southern Thailand.  Thanakit “Nong Kongbin’’ Yodmanee was being treated in an intensive care unit at a Hospital in Nakhon Si Thammarat, southern Thailand.

He was rushed to the hospital on Aug 11th after he was found unconscious in the school van.

The boy’s mother, Suwaphat Chaiyatham, 26, said on Friday that the school van from Wat Srimaram childcare development centre in tambon Kathun. Furthermore the school van picked her son up at their home on Tuesday morning.

Normally, Thanakit sat in the front row of the van, but consequently that day he was asked to sit behind, she said.

That afternoon, his teacher sent photos to parents of the children inside the school classroom.

Ms Suwaphat said she did not see her son in those photos and asked the teacher where he was. The teacher replied that Thanakit did not arrive for class that day. Ms Suwaphat said he had left home in the school van.

Mother Rushed to the Daycare

She panicked and immediately rushed to the care centre, where she learned he had been forgotten and left locked in the school van throughout most of he hot day.

Nong Kongbin had already been rushed to hospital. She went to the hospital and found her son was having severe convulsions.

A doctor treating him said her son’s liver and kidneys were not functioning or responding. He was put on life support. She begged the doctor and hospital staff not to remove life support from him as she wanted her son to have a chance to recover.

The two-year-old had been left in the hot, closed school van, alone, from 7.30am to around 1.30pm on Tuesday.

A tearful Ms Suwaphat said when she kissed her son goodbye on Tuesday it never occurred to her it might be for the last time. She did not want school vans like that one used to transport children anymore.

A songtaew minibus might be better, as people could see whether there were any children still inside the vehicle.

Parent also file criminal complaint

The boy’s father, Thawatchai Yodmanee, has filed a complaint with Pol Capt Suparuek Chanyoo, deputy investigation chief at Phibun police station. Named in the complaint was Sunisa Phukpanit, acting head of the childcare centre.

Ms Sunisa has also provided financial assistance to the boy’s family, Thai media reported.

Even more police were waiting because the family will file another criminal complaint against the school van driver. Also the teacher tasked with caring for the children while they were in the school van.

They were also likely to face charges of carelessness causing serious injury.