When Marla Demita picked up her 9-month-old son, Dean, from Little Blessings Daycare in Yazoo City, Mississippi, on May 20, 2025, she immediately knew something was wrong. Instead of smiling at his mother, Dean was screaming — and the cries didn’t stop.
Back home, the baby remained inconsolable, prompting Marla and her husband to rush him to Children’s of Mississippi Hospital in Jackson. There, doctors ran a drug test and made a shocking discovery: Dean had ingested methamphetamines.
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“It’s like he looked straight through me, like he didn’t know who I was,” Marla told Mississippi Today.
“I’m not talking about fussy crying. I’m talking about blood-curdling screams. It was one of the worst things I’ve ever seen.”
Doctors believe Dean ingested the meth sometime between noon and 4 p.m. — while he was at the day care. Both parents tested negative for drugs. After 12 hours in the hospital, the family was discharged.
Day Care’s Response: Denial and a $50 Fine
Following the hospital visit, the Demitas went straight to the daycare to confront the director, Lisa Martin. Instead of concern or explanation, Marla said they were told:
“If we were blaming the daycare, we can pack his items and remove him.”
On Facebook, Marla expressed her disbelief at the lack of accountability.
“Not once has the director reached out or offered any explanation,” she wrote. “Instead, she claimed Dean may have gotten meth through breast milk — even though he hasn’t been breastfed in over a month.”
Mississippi child welfare and police agencies were notified, but Demita says their response has been dismal. The Department of Health ultimately fined Little Blessings just $50, citing insufficient proof the meth came from the center.
In interviews, Martin told police the drug might have entered the facility on someone’s shoes and said she planned to buy shoe coverings.
Health department records show the daycare had prior abuse complaints in 2023 and 2024, including claims that staff hit and roughly grabbed children.
‘I Pray Justice Is Served for My Child’
Marla now worries about the long-term effects meth exposure may have on her son, who is now 10 months old.
“No parent or family should ever have to experience the heartbreak and pain that we have experienced,” she wrote. “I pray justice is served for my child.”
So far, authorities have not announced further action.
