16-Month-Old Boy Chews on Heroin Baggies Discovered In Trash, Both Parents Charged In Incident

A 16-month-old boy in Pennslyvania is recovering in a local hospital after ingesting enough opioids to stop his breathing and render him unconscious on Monday evening.

According to local media reports, the child reportedly chewed on two baggies containing residue of heroin and possibly fentanyl while his mother was passed out. The mother, 35-year-old Nora Boyle, was home alone with the toddler at the time.

The boy's father, 42-year-old Greg Searl, discovered the child shortly after he arrived home and the parents then drove him to a local hospital where a doctor administered narcan. Narcan is a drug frequently used to counter the effects of an opioid overdose.

"The child started breathing and regained consciousness," Upper Darby Township Police Superintendent Michael Chitwood told the Delaware County Times. "If it wasn't for the quick actions of the doctor, and the boy's father for bringing him to the hospital, that little boy would be dead … He wasn't breathing, he was pretty close."

Boyle told police that the child had gotten into the trash and found the heroin baggies, however, Searl told police that he had injected himself with five bags of fentanyl on Sunday evening and thrown them into the trash, the Times reports.

"In my opinion, when children get into mom and dad or guardian's habits, and those habits are drug addiction, then why should the poor child suffer? They are putting that baby in harm's way, they are putting that baby at great human danger and they deserve to be punished the way the law can punish them," Chitwood said reports WPHT TV.

Chitwood told local media that a search of the home found 12 empty packages that police believe contain residue of either heroin or fentanyl.

"I'm all for treating opioid addicts. But when children are involved, it's a different ballgame. We will do whatever the law allows us to do," Chitwood told the Times.

Boyle and Searl turned themselves in to authorities on Wednesday. They have each been charged with endangering the welfare of a child, drug possession, possession of drug paraphernalia and other related charges.

Boyle's brother, Brendan Boyle, told WPVI TV that those responsible for his nephew's overdose should be held accountable. Nora Boyle and Searl live with the siblings' parents who Brendan said have "the biggest hearts in the world."

"For those who are responsible should be held accountable. Not my mother and father who have the biggest hearts in the world who cannot throw out people because of their children and then them people make decisions in the house that now reflect on everybody which shouldn't," Brendan Boyle said.

As of Tuesday night, the toddler remained at the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia in guarded condition.