Inquest begins into death of Iqaluit baby in protective care

A coroner's inquest into the death of four-month-old Amelia Keyookta began Monday with emotional testimony from her parents and the social worker assigned to her case.

Keyookta died after less than a day in child protective care in Iqaluit on July 29, 2015.

Six jurors will spend the week at the Nunavut Court of Justice in Iqaluit listening to testimony in order to determine the time, place and cause of baby Amelia's death.

Coroner's inquests do not find fault, but instead focus on delivering recommendations to avoid similar deaths in the future.

• Inquest into death of 4-month-old Iqaluit baby in care to take place in April

Both parents opted to testify in Inuktitut, while an interpreter translated for the courtroom.

They said that on July 28, 2015, when social services workers stopped by on an unannounced follow-up visit to where the family was staying, they thought the workers were there for another youth in the house, whose identity is protected under a publication ban.

Both children had previously been taken into care two weeks prior after a social worker followed up on a missed doctor's appointment for the other child and encountered the smell of marijuana.

Aleisha Wesley testified she found the apartment "foggy" with marijuana smoke, and Amelia alone on a mattress in the living room with a bottle propped up by a folded blanket.

"I'd never been in a home where the smoke was this much," Wesley testified. "I've never seen it get so smoky from smoking."

That first time, the other child was taken to public health and Amelia was taken to the social worker's office, while her parents aired out the house. She was returned a few hours later, Wesley said.

Neither parent remembered this incident, according to their testimonies. Her mother, Loanna Keyookta, did remember the social worker telling her to take Amelia to a doctor, who prescribed a puffer for her cough. 

Wesley said her case load as a social worker was high, so it took two weeks before she was able to check in with the family again. 

On July 28, 2015, Wesley and another social worker found the place in much the same smoky state and, with approval from their supervisor, decided to take Amelia into care overnight.

However, both parents testified they thought their baby was being taken away forever — so they tried to hide at another house. 

"I immediately started getting ready to leave because I didn't want them to take my child," Loanna Keyookta said. 

Wesley called police because she said the situation was "heated."

The next morning, July 29, family services met with Amelia's parents to draw up a plan to allow her to return.

In the afternoon, when they were due to sign off on the plan and pick up Amelia, they were instead directed to go to the hospital.

Found not breathing at day home

Wesley had gone to the unlicensed daycare, where Amelia had temporarily been placed, to pick her up.

Amelia had been napping and when the day home worker's partner passed Amelia to her, Wesley said she screamed that the baby was not breathing.

The day home worker administered CPR and emergency services were called. CPR continued once she reached the hospital, but the baby was pronounced dead shortly after arriving.

An autopsy did not determine the cause of death, but during the first day of testimony, questions from the coroner's counsel and lawyers for the government of Nunavut focused on Sudden Infant Death Syndrome and education on safe sleep practices.

Wesley testified the parents had been told about the risks of secondhand smoke.

Wesley went on sick leave the day after the death and later resigned. She testified that the department did not formally offer her mental health support.

The inquest continues Tuesday.