Xander's Story - By Sheila Daly

At 24 weeks pregnant, I went to Labor & Delivery with cramping, vaginal bleeding, and mucus, all classic signs of preterm labor. I was evaluated for less than an hour, told I was constipated, and sent home without meaningful monitoring or intervention. Six hours later, I returned in active labor. My son, Xander, was born alive and died 36 hours later. 
 
What followed were years of trying to understand how this happened and why no one acted. I requested my medical records and encountered delays, missing documents, and resistance. When I finally obtained them, I discovered critical information had been omitted, including evidence of an untreated infection known to increase the risk of preterm labor. I had to piece together the truth myself. 
 
For four years, I documented everything and remained in contact with the Illinois State Medical Board. Most complaints never move forward, but I refused to stop advocating, not just for my son, but for other families who might one day walk into a hospital trusting they will be heard. 
 
Recently, I was informed that my case has entered formal prosecution and that the physician involved will be held accountable. This outcome did not come from a system designed to support families in crisis; it came from persistence. 
 
This experience showed me how Early Childhood systems can fail families at the very beginning. I share this so other families won’t have to fight so hard just to be believed.