A third tragic infant mortality has emerged from Belize’s Karl Heusner Memorial Hospital (KHMH), prompting serious concerns about neonatal care standards. Alicia Kuylen, a grieving mother, has publicly detailed the catastrophic final hours of her two-month-old son Damani, who passed away under distressing circumstances in the hospital’s Neonatal Intensive Care Unit earlier this January.
According to Kuylen’s account, the tragedy began when she brought her infant to KHMH on January 8th following a referral from a public clinic after the child stopped feeding. What followed was an agonizing multi-hour wait without medical attention, despite the visibly distressed infant’s condition. Kuylen reports that only after other mothers in the facility demanded intervention did medical staff finally attend to her son.
The treatment provided included a blood transfusion using donation material that was nearly a month old—29 days according to hospital staff. When Kuylen expressed concern about the safety of using blood of this age for her infant, she was assured that medical professionals had consulted and would administer injections to prevent adverse reactions to the transfusion.
Kuylen maintained a heartbreaking vigil throughout the procedure, documenting portions on video. She describes witnessing her son become unresponsive following the transfusion and multiple injections, including five sedatives. Despite attempts at resuscitation, the infant ceased breathing and died.
This case represents the third infant death reported from KHMH within a single week, all occurring during the same time period. Minister of Health and Wellness Kevin Bernard has acknowledged the situation and states he is investigating the matter. Neither hospital officials nor the Ministry of Health have provided formal comments despite repeated requests from news organizations.