A Family’s Nightmare: Baby Ellieana’s Tragic Death in NICU

Just as a young Ohio couple was preparing to bring their newborn home, they faced every parent’s worst fear. Baby Ellieana Peyton, born on March 4, was diagnosed with cardiomyopathy—a rare heart condition in which the left side of the heart is slightly smaller than normal.

Despite her condition, Ellieana was thriving in the NICU at Nationwide Children’s Hospital. Monitored closely by doctors, she spent her first few weeks growing stronger. Her family remained hopeful.

But everything changed when Ellieana’s parents briefly left the hospital to shower. They received a call no parent should ever hear: their daughter had been dropped.

According to a family friend, the nurse had kept Ellieana’s monitor cords in her pocket. As she walked away from the crib, the baby was accidentally dragged and fell.

The Franklin County coroner confirmed that Ellieana suffered a fractured skull and brain bleeds from the fall. Despite the hospital’s efforts, she didn’t survive. Her death was ruled accidental.

“She made this world a better place for 29 days,” wrote Stella Dunlap on a GoFundMe page supporting the family.

In her obituary, Ellieana was remembered as a radiant soul with “a contagious smile” and deep brown eyes that “could hold anyone’s gaze for hours.”

Her favorite place, her parents said, was “in the loving arms of her mommy, daddy, and family.”

Though her life was heartbreakingly short, Ellieana’s memory lives on. The community continues to rally around her grieving parents, honoring the love she gave in her brief but beautiful time on Earth.