MARYVILLE, Tenn. — A Tennessee toddler is recovering in the hospital after surviving for several days alone after her grandmother died suddenly.
The 15-month-old was living with her grandmother because her mother, Tracy Ineichen, is currently in jail at the Blount County Detention Center, according to WATE.
Tracy Ineichen became concerned when she hadn’t heard from her mother, Annette Ineichen, in about a week.
On Saturday, Tracy called her boyfriend, Anthony Waldo, because she still couldn’t get her mother on the phone. Tracy told Waldo to go check on her mother and the toddler.
When Waldo went to the house, he found the front glass door locked but the wooden door inside was open. Through the window, he saw the child reaching her arms out and crying.
Waldo called police and the child’s mother immediately. That’s when Tracy told him to force his way into the home and check on the child.
Waldo told WATE that the child smelled of urine and had swollen lips when he entered the home. He went through the home looking for the grandmother until he found her body on the bathroom floor.
The toddler was rushed to the hospital and treated for dehydration and lack of food. According to WATE, the Department of Children’s Services is working to find a home for the child.
