Baby born on Ottawa jail cell floor in 2012 dies
A newborn baby who’s mother is HIV positive is checked by a nurse before being given antiretroviral drugs.
A baby boy born on the cement floor of a jail cell at the Ottawa-Carleton Detention Centre in September 2012 died in hospital on Sunday.
The baby's mother, Julie Bilotta, was "absolutely devastated" by the death of her son, Gionni Lee Garlow, according to her lawyer, Lawrence Greenspon.
"How could this happen to us life will never be the same! We love you Gionni mommy will be with you soon <\3," Bilotta wrote on her Facebook page, where she identifies herself as Julie Dakota Garlow.
More from GlobalPost: Full Frame: Born behind bars
Cornwall police said they were called to a home around 5 a.m. on Sunday when a 13-month-old was found without vital signs.
He was rushed to the hospital, where he was pronounced dead.
Bilotta, 26 at the time of Gionni's birth, was on the cement floor of her jail cell when she went into labor last year and guards allegedly ignored her cries for help until it was too late to go to hospital.
When the baby was born, he suffered respiratory problems and his mother required a blood transfusion.
Bilotta was granted bail in October under the condition that she live with Gionni at a halfway house and not use illegal drugs or associate with anyone with a criminal record or who uses drugs or alcohol.
She had been serving time in the Ottawa detention centre for allegedly breaking conditions of her bail and fraud charges relating to forged checks. The allegations were not proved in court.
Every day, reporters and producers at The World are hard at work bringing you human-centered news from across the globe. But we can’t do it without you. We need your support to ensure we can continue this work for another year.
Make a gift today, and you’ll help us unlock a matching gift of $67,000!