Mom charged after toddler swallows drugs

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (FOX 35 Orlando) - A mother is charged with child neglect after police said her two-year-old son swallowed her drugs and nearly died.

Investigators said Jacqueline Donnelly admitted to bringing the drugs into the home and not keeping them out of the child’s reach.  Narcan, a medication used to block the effects of opioids, was used to save the child’s life, authorities said.

“It’s going to be a two-year-old turning blue, eyes rolled back in his head,” a dispatcher is heard saying in a 911 call, relaying information to the ambulance crew as seconds counted.

Police said on Sunday night Donnelly called 911 from her home on Arthur Drive. Her little one was experiencing a medical emergency. When the child arrived at the hospital, doctors determined he had ingested methadone. 

Donnelly is now charged with child neglect without great bodily harm. At her bond hearing, a judge said that, given her history, he would follow the state’s recommendation and set her bond at $25,000.  He also ordered no contact with the child.

The Florida Department of Children and Families is involved in the case. The Brevard County Sheriff's Office said the boy is doing all right.