Pantagraph.com | News | Police: Woman left kids in van while donating plasma

Note: All views and opinions expressed in reader comments are solely those of the individual submitting the comment, and not those of the Pantagraph or its staff.

To: hmm wrote on Aug 18, 2007 8:21 AM:

" The way you phrase your post, you sound a bit biased (aren't people "disturbed that NFD is already bailing out Bloomington"?), but, giving you the benefit of the doubt, here’s how I see it (I do live in Bloomington). Bloomington has 4 fire stations and Normal has 2, each with an ambulance. Assuming that there are no conditions, other than the obvious population difference, that make one place far more dangerous than the other, there would statistically be a greater chance that Normal would need to call on Bloomington for "mutual aid" more times than Bloomington would call on Normal. And that's OK, because it's inefficient to staff up to meet rare peak needs when resources are right across the border. I think that Bloomington is now building two more stations for future growth, and Normal has talked about one more. That would give us 8 or 9 ambulances spread around the community, all staffed by paramedics. To make it even better, I sometimes wonder if boundaries should be ignored and the closest ambulance should respond. "

Attorney wrote on Aug 18, 2007 6:20 AM:

" I think of myself as a responsible parent but have left my children "alone" in a vehicle in a driveway for a minute or two while going up to a door of a house 20-30 feet away from the car, and with the car in full sight. Like most decisions, there are factors to consider: 1)vulnerability of vehicle to other cars and passerby in its parked location, 2)time away from vehicle, 3)distance away from vehicle and is vehicle still visible, 4)weather conditions, 5)engine running, doors locked/unlocked, keys in ignition, 6)age of children and position in vehicle, etc. Similar factors could apply to places other than vehicles, including a back yard. I was riding with some adults when the driver ran out of gas on I-74, and people thought it was odd that I suggested that we wait away from the car. It was getting dark, and although the flashers were on, I was aware that there is some risk that a fatigued driver could plow the disabled car. If there had been lightning or wild animals nearby, then I probably wouldn’t have suggested that. Just a judgment call, and I think the mother in this case made a bad decision. "

totally agree wrote on Aug 17, 2007 7:37 PM:

" I totally agree with "nonfollower" She was probably donating (and it says plasma by the way) to help pay her bills. Again I don't think it's right to leave your kids in the car for saftey reason such as abduction or another vehicle accident, however, when I was a kid we didn't even wear seatbelt. Now you'd be lined up and shot if your child was found without a seatbelt. Seriously, people, who cares? "

me wrote on Aug 17, 2007 7:22 PM:

" afew years back a mother left her kids in a van i think it was in heyworth. the older child put the van in gear when the younger kid had his head out the window. the van hit a tree where the little man's head was at. That is one little boy that never had the chance to grow up to be a daddy, a doctor or anything else because the mother left them in the car to talk to someone in a house. For God sakes think about what you are doing. Iwould never ever leave my kid in a car. not worth it. he is my world. "

nonfollower wrote on Aug 17, 2007 7:12 PM:

" my question is .......have any of you EVER stepped out of your home while your child(ren) were sleeping? Even going to the garage or the clothesline could have resulted in something tragic happening. Would that make you a criminal? I'm guessing that the comments would be "it was just for an instant" or " such a tragic accident" in your cases. I'm not saying what she did was right, as I don't know all the circumstances (none of us do), but I do know that many places don't allow you to take children with you to appointments, and she may not have had someone or been able to afford to have her children watched. When I was a kid, we didn't have A/C. No one called the police because we were sitting in a hot house. Most of the time we were out running and playing in the heat oblivious to the "health threat" in 90 dregree plus weather. We've become a nation of whistle-blowers run amok. How ever DID we all survive childhood so long ago? "

To: Hmmh wrote on Aug 17, 2007 3:35 PM:

" What is it your business what she was going to spend the money on?? Do YOU have to report to the public if you want to get a pack of cigarettes or a cheeseburger? One should always be careful when they make a habit out of judging others...as you will be the next to be judged. Better make sure you are spending YOUR hard earned dollars only on soy milk and celery...anything else is bad for your health. Use some common sense and decency. "

crazy wrote on Aug 17, 2007 3:14 PM:

" and they gave her kids back go her with no investigation! These poor little kids may be dead next time she ignores them. Sounds like a busy day and the cops didn't want to mess with it. "

hmmh wrote on Aug 17, 2007 2:43 PM:

" I would like to know the honest truth about what she was going to spend the money she got from plasma on. Cigarettes, pop, beer, McDonalds? l "

Indian Joe wrote on Aug 17, 2007 2:39 PM:

" This lady had no evil intent. Most people are not too smart. She is just one of them. She was giving blood. Trying to do a good deed. NO GOOD DEED SHALL GO UNPURNISHED. I would never leave children in a vehicle, but I believe this lady just did't think. "

DJ wrote on Aug 17, 2007 2:30 PM:

" When I was little we didn't have all this fancy air conditioning, we didn't even have a fan. Gosh I'm still here and I spent a lot of time sitting in cars with my 3 sisters and 2 brothers. It didn't stop any of us. I remember hotter days than these also, but it didn't stop us from playing 8--? hours a day, and we'd look like little roasted lobsters. How soon we forget what we did, or had to do. "

Perhaps the woman.... wrote on Aug 17, 2007 1:48 PM:

" doesn't hear or read any news? Give me a break!! Anyone with HALF a brain knows YOU DO NOT LEAVE CHILDREN IN A CAR!! Thank God these children were rescued and are safe. "

Not Disturbed wrote on Aug 17, 2007 1:22 PM:

" The Normal Fire Department was NOT 'bailing out Bloomington" on this call. There is a mutual aid agreement in place for situations like this one. Unless you work for either of these agencies, you may not know the specifics of what transpired during this incident. "

to: Bob wrote on Aug 17, 2007 1:09 PM:

" You don't see anything wrong with leaving a 3-year-old (not to mention a slightly older 8-year-old) child in a vehicle for over an hour, WITH THE KEYS IN THE IGNITION?!! I hope you don't have any kids of your own. You say they do this in Farmer City? Let us all say a quick prayer for the young people over there. "

donating? wrote on Aug 17, 2007 1:05 PM:

" My intuition tells me the woman was selling blood. I wouldn't go to the West Washington location to donate blood. "

Mom Too wrote on Aug 17, 2007 12:25 PM:

" I do believe that leaving your child in the car in the heat or the cold is wrong. I did read that it is punishable up $1000.00 for doing so in Illinois. I did read this in the Pantagraph awhile back. This came into affect because of a child left in a vehicle in Missouri and the vehicle was hit by another vehicle and the child died. "

To Bob... wrote on Aug 17, 2007 12:00 PM:

" That doesn't make it right. "

it's not okay wrote on Aug 17, 2007 11:49 AM:

" if you all think it's okay for kids to be left in the car alone then you guys better be talking to DCFS because they will be telling you something else. It's not okay. I think it wouldn't be a problem if it was only a sec or so to run into the gas station. But it takes longer to give plasma. Plus she left the keys in. What would have happen if one of the kids turned the keys and was playing around in the car. Plus if something happen to the 3 year would the 8 year know what to do. I think the law is your kid needs to be at lease 12 years old to be left alone. It still isn't right. "

normal mom wrote on Aug 17, 2007 11:29 AM:

" She must be out of her mind. I never leave my kids in the car unattended. Not even to run in a gas station. Has she not heard about all the attempted abductions around here lately? And for her to say she didn't know she couldn't leave them alone like that, come on now, she did. We do have a place called the crisis nursury in Bloomington she could have taken them to. It is our job to protect our kids, not to put them in harms way! "

Bob wrote on Aug 17, 2007 10:54 AM:

" I still don't see what she did that was so wrong. Heck, I know of this happening occaisonally at the Farmer City race track during the races. I love those races!! I have seen the kids in cars when I step out for a "smoke". "

To:hmm wrote on Aug 17, 2007 10:52 AM:

" No, I'm not disturbed. Bloomington and Normal have a mutual aid agreement which means that Bloomington also covers Normal when all of their ambulances are busy. Bloomington and Normal have covered each other for years. I would be more disturbed if the mutual aid agreement wasn't in place. "

FYI wrote on Aug 17, 2007 10:21 AM:

" There's nothing wrong with the kids being in the vehicle alone. You just have to use some sense. First they've got to be old enough to make the decision to get out if something is wrong(breakdown etc). Second, if it's cold, turn on the heat(or a/c if it's hot). The doors must be locked until you return. My kids travel with me to various worksites during the summer and spend the odd hour or so in relative comfort...compared to me being out in the heat. What some morons don't get is you can't just do this anywhere. Crowded, crime ridden areas are not acceptable. Chances are that if you need to sell your internal fluids, you're not too bright. "

OMG! wrote on Aug 17, 2007 9:37 AM:

" OMG! what was she thinking. Thanks Heaven the kids are okay. Doesn't she know we have sickos out there. Last night my child was amost abucted and she's 11 years old and was only a few house down. So how many other times has she left the kids in the car alone. This might have been the 1st but who's to say she wouldn't have done again. Hope she learned from this. Because I know we have my child is no longer allowed to walk the dog out front. "

are you serious? wrote on Aug 17, 2007 9:14 AM:

" in heat like this, you leave your children in a van with no a/c and just the window's down? "

To: Bad Mommy wrote on Aug 17, 2007 9:01 AM:

" Most likely she was selling plasma-not many people donate it anymore since they know they can get money from it. "

Scared wrote on Aug 17, 2007 8:24 AM:

" Perhaps the girl vomited afterward, because she was scared to death by what was going on and perhaps by seeing her mother being arrested. Yes, it is now the law that anybody cannot leave their children alone in a car. "

All of the facts.. wrote on Aug 17, 2007 8:20 AM:

" Just because someone is a parent does not mean that they always have the same thought processes that we would have. As someone who has worked in shelters, I have seen parents that should not have children because to me, mentally, they may not be able to handle certain aspects of parenting. Yet these were the same people that were taken advantage of, now have these children and love them. Mentally they just don't always know what's best to make the right decisions. She really may not have known. Step outside of your own box and look at the situation from a different perspective. "

Bob wrote on Aug 17, 2007 8:17 AM:

" I didn't know it was wrong to leave the kids alone in a vehicle. Is this something that is new? "

Bad mommy wrote on Aug 17, 2007 7:20 AM:

" Was she donating plasma or selling plasma? "

mother of 3 wrote on Aug 17, 2007 6:52 AM:

" Whatever ... Anyone in their right mind would NOT leave their children in any van, car or truck. Dont she read the paper or listen to the news on children dying in hot cars?? What is the prob with this people? "

I find it strange wrote on Aug 17, 2007 6:00 AM:

" she left the keys in the car as well. Was she hoping someone would steal the car and kids, and she didn't know she couldn't leave the kids in the car? I don't understand people like this. "

hmm wrote on Aug 17, 2007 5:51 AM:

" anyone else disturbed that NFD is already bailing out Bloomington on a medical call RIGHT DOWN THE STREET FROM HEADQUARTERS?! "

Wow... wrote on Aug 17, 2007 1:58 AM:

" This shows that B/N are not alone with this national incident :-( "

omg wrote on Aug 17, 2007 12:42 AM:

" I wouldn't leave an animal out in this heat!!! Whats wrong with this picture??? Would she have wanted to be left in the van for an hour??At 26 she should have more sense than this!!!!! "

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