'It's a pain I never knew before,' father says after losing son to meningitis

Mincey family says Miami day care didn't reach out to them after son's death

MIAMI – A South Florida family is heartbroken after their 22-month-old son died early this month after being diagnosed with pneumococcal meningitis.

Donald and Doreen Mincey held a news conference Thursday, saying they are still working to come to terms with the death of Connor.

"It's a pain I never knew before," Donald Mincey said.  

The Minceys are now wondering who is to blame for their son's death, as they said the meningitis festered unchecked although he had been taken to a doctor's office and given a note that he was OK to return to day care.

"I think if that doctor didn't send my child home with that fever, my child would be with me today," Doreen Mincey said.  

The Minceys said the doctor's note clearing their son to return to school was given to the parents Nov. 21. 

For the next week, Connor was back and forth between day care and doctors' visits.

The parents said he was then taken to Nicklaus Children's Hospital on Nov. 28. 

"Antibiotics should have been able and would have been able to treat the condition that Connor had," attorney Judd Rosen said. 

The Florida Department of Children and Families conducted a routine inspection Dec. 1 at Connor's day care, the YWCA Carol Glassman Donaldson Child Care Center, at 112 NW Third St. in Miami.

Among the multiple violations noted in DCF's report were that the day care had no quarantine room for sick children.

Connor died two days later at the hospital. Yet, it was four more days until the health department sent a letter to parents about the meningitis case at the day care.

A 2-year-old boy who attended the same day care died about a week later, possibly from the same illness.

"The worst insult to us (is) they love Connor so much at the day care, and not one of those people from the day care called and expressed their condolences," Donald Mincey said.

The Mincey family has not yet taken legal action after their son's death. A GoFundMe page was created to help pay for the family's funeral expenses.


About the Author:

Glenna Milberg joined Local 10 News in September 1999 to report on South Florida's top stories and community issues. She also serves as co-host on Local 10's public affairs broadcast, "This Week in South Florida."