‘We’re struggling to survive’: Mum of toddler who ‘died in hot car’ speaks out

The mother of a toddler who died after allegedly becoming locked in a hot car has pleaded for help to give her son the send-off “that he deserves”.

Jone Rowlands, who was just 22 months old when he died, was found unresponsive after paramedics were called to a home in Chester Hill in Sydney’s west at around 3:30pm on Sunday.

NSW Police later confirmed they had received reports that he had been locked in a car outside the residence, as temperatures rose past 30℃.

Now, his devastated mother Samantha Rowlands, who has five other children, has remembered him as “a bright and adventurous little baby that would light up the room” in an exclusive chat with the Mail Online.

She told the news outlet that her family are “struggling to survive day to day” due to the “unfortunate tragedy”, and reportedly added: “We are finding it hard to give the service that Jone deserves.”

Samantha said the family are trying to come to terms with their grief – with their day to day struggles made worse as the family car has been taken away from them. A fundraiser has reportedly been set up, with $1,300 already donated towards Jone’s funeral.

It comes after Samantha shared a heartbreaking final photo with her son just days ago, simply captioning it: “My baby,” alongside a series of crying and broken heart emojis.

According to 7 News, she was seen running down the street by neighbours shouting “my baby” following the tragedy, having reportedly left Jone in the care of family members.

A family member told the Daily Mail Australia on Monday: “She’s broken – devastated. She doesn’t want to believe that this has happened to her baby. My family is angry. This shouldn’t have happened to that little boy.”

Read more: Baby, 1, dies after being ‘locked in hot car’ during sweltering Sydney heat

Shortly after paramedics attended the scene, an older woman was filmed being wheeled out of the house on a stretcher before being treated for shock.

Police have since confirmed to the news outlet that it’s unlikely anyone will be charged over the incident – calling it a “tragic accident”.

It comes after Ambulance Victoria released staggering figures last year showing the amount of children being rescued from hot cars across Victoria alone. According to their report, paramedics in the state responded to 1587 callouts for people locked in cars across Victoria between September 1, 2017 and August 31, 2018.

Meanwhile, they said as many as 5,000 children are rescued from unattended cars across the country every year.

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