‘Literal hell’: Mum calls for inquest after baby’s mystery death

An Australian mum says she has waited six years to find out how her eight-month-old daughter died. She will no longer be silent.

A mother says she has been living in “hell” since the unexplained death of her baby daughter in 2019, and will no longer be silent while waiting for answers.

Six years later, Kayla Hehir has still not even received a death certificate for eight-month-old Talon.

There has been no coronial inquest held or any outcome to an ongoing homicide investigation.

After staying patient so long, Ms Hehir has decided to finally speak out to say she feels that “no one cares” how the little girl came to be found unresponsive in their Melbourne home.

“I felt like I had to be quiet so justice can take its course,” she told news.com.au.

“But justice isn’t taking its course at all.

“It’s (the case) sitting there and it’s just ridiculous.”

Talon Hehir died in unexplained circumstances in June, 2019. Picture: Supplied

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Ms Hehir said she had breastfed Talon overnight on June 20, 2019.

When she woke in the morning at their Frankston home, Ms Hehir knew something was wrong.

She came into the loungeroom and saw Talon on the lounge: “She just didn’t look right.

“I don’t even know how to explain it. She just did not look right.

“And I picked her up and she wasn’t right. It was like kind of limp, but stiff.

“And I started panicking. I started screaming.”

Talon in hospital. Picture: Supplied

Her mother wants action. Picture: Supplied

The girl was rushed to Monash Children’s Hospital where doctors were unable to save Talon’s life.

Ms Hehir described the shock of how that day unfolded and the devastating news doctors relayed to her: “It happened so quick and so slow at the same time.

“And even when we were taking her off life support, for some stupid reason, I still thought she was going to be okay.”

Victoria Police have confirmed homicide detectives were still investigating the circumstances around Talon’s death, which recently past its sixth anniversary.

Ms Hehir said she was in contact with police but there had largely been “silence” from the authorities, robbing her and Talon’s siblings of closure or justice.

“People don’t realise that, they will say, ‘oh, it was six years ago’. But it’s every day,” Ms Hehir said.

“I see those moments all the time, like they just happened.

“We can’t just keep sitting here like this, it’s been a literal hell.”

Kayla Hehir is pushing for a coronial investigation. Picture: Josie Hayden

She has now reached out to Sherele Moody, who runs the Australian Femicide Watch and the Red Heart Campaign, to petition authorities and state government ministers to push the case forward.

They are calling for a coroner to be appointed and for a reward to be offered for information about the case.

Ms Moody told news.com.au she did not understand how Talon’s death was allowed to have “flown under the radar” for so many years.

“Obviously, for a mum losing her baby, that is really one of the worst things that can happen to a human being,” she said.

Talon’s mum is hopeful the petition can create momentum. Picture: Supplied

Ms Moody’s petition for an inquest and reward for information about Talon’s death has gained more than 2500 signatures.

In a statement, Victoria Police said detectives from the Homicide Squad were investigating the death of a baby girl in Frankston in 2019.

“Emergency services were called to a residential property on 20 June after the eight-month-old was found unconscious.

“She was conveyed to hospital where she subsequently passed away.

“The circumstances surrounding the death are still to be determined and the investigation remains ongoing.”

Ms Hehir said that since going public she had been dealing with the pain of seeing pictures of her little girl popping up on social media – but she hoped it would be worth it.

“I’m feeling hopefully that maybe people will listen.”

Anyone with information should contact Crime Stoppers or submit a confidential report online.

Originally published as ‘Literal hell’: Mum calls for inquest after baby’s mystery death