Matthew and Michelle Seagull said their son Adam was finally coming into his own personality at just four months old.
"We started to see the personality that Adam was going to have as an older child," Michelle said. "We were really looking forward to all the things we had seen coming."
But, according to police, Adam died from acute diphenhydramine intoxication, after a daycare provider, Carol Cardillo, allegedly gave the infant Benadryl.
Antihistamine drugs are not supposed to be given to chilren under the age of 2 years old.
"She violated our trust and the trust of so many parents," the infant's father, Matthew, said. "The idea that she was so lazy and thoughtless to use medication to put children to sleep is horrifying."
On March 22, police responded to investigate the report of an unresponsive infant at a Fairfield daycare. The baby, Adam, was transported and pronounced dead at St. Vincent's Medical Center. Fairfield Police found Cardillo, 53, lived in the home and was operating an unlicensed daycare facility.
"I don’t even know if I have the words," Michelle said. "I think I permanently have a hole in my heart and I don’t think I will ever feel whole again."
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Matthew said the day in March was like any other day he got Adam ready for daycare.
"I just sort of looked at him and decided to take a picture I don’t know why, something came over me," Matthew said. "I took a picture and it was the last moment we spent together."
Later that day, Matthew and Michelle got a call about their son being transported to the hospital for being found unresponsive.
"You put a child in the care of someone expecting to have that child, to see that child at the end of the day," Matthew said. "That day we didn’t get to."
The parents said they feel betrayed by Cardillo and hope that justice is served.
"I trusted Carol (Cardillo) to watch my son and I thought my son was in the best care when I went to work," Michelle said. "She betrayed that trust and nothing that will ever happen from this day forward will bring my son back but we are just looking forward to finding justice for him."
Initially the investigators found no wrongdoing and the parents thought Adam had died of SIDS, before getting the toxicology report about a month later.
"A month later, still processing that our son was no longer with us," Matthew said. "Hearing the news that night it was like he died all over again."
Michelle said she had one question: "Why did you think that would be okay?"
For now, the bereaved family hopes to get justice for their baby boy by working with the Fairfield Police Department.
Cardillo has been charged with manslaughter and risk of injury to a minor.
The parents hope the unfortunate death of their son will stop other babies from being harmed in the future. They think their son is a hero.
"We just live each day for our son Adam," Michelle said.
