Dennis Eckersley’s family statement after daughter gives birth in woods

The family of Alexandra Eckersley is talking out as she faces a number of expenses after allegedly deceptive Manchester, New Hampshire police in a seek for her new child child boy in the woods early Monday. 

Alexandra, who stays hospitalized after giving birth a tent in the woods in 18-degree climate, is the adopted daughter of MLB Hall of Fame pitcher Dennis Eckersley and his ex-wife Nancy.

In a statement to WCVB on Thursday, the Eckerley family mentioned they’re “still in complete shock” after studying concerning the tragedy from information reviews, with no prior information of their daughter’s being pregnant.

“We are utterly devastated by the events that unfolded on Christmas night when our daughter Allie delivered a baby while living in a tent. It is heartbreaking that a child was born under such unthinkable conditions and in such tragic circumstances,” the Eckersley family mentioned in the statement. “We learned with everyone else from news reports what happened and are still in complete shock. We had no prior knowledge of Allie’s pregnancy.”

The Eckersley family then thanked first responders and hospital workers in Manchester “for saving this innocent newborn boy.” They went on to clarify their family historical past with Alexandra, in addition to her expertise with psychological sickness and homelessness.

“Allie is our beloved daughter who we adopted at birth,” the statement continued. “Though it’s painful to share, we really feel it obligatory to supply larger context of Allie’s circumstances and background. Allie has suffered from extreme psychological sickness her whole life. Allie was hospitalized quite a few occasions for her sickness and lived in a number of residential packages. We did our absolute best to get Allie the entire assist and assist humanly attainable. 

“Once Allie turned an grownup there was even much less we might do as a result of she was legally free to make her personal selections so long as she was not a hazard to herself or others. Under current legal guidelines, there was merely no approach to pressure her to obtain therapy. Nonetheless, we continued to assist her as greatest we might. 

“Since she was twenty, Allie selected to reside on the streets in New Hampshire. As in many states, the psychological well being system in New Hampshire is damaged. The state hospital used to have 2500 psychiatric beds. Now there are lower than 200 for greater than 1.2 million residents and the state was pressured to get rid of one other 48 beds this fall due to workers shortages. Without enough inpatient beds for disaster, therapy and stabilization, a state psychological system fails. 

“We have always offered Allie a path home but she has made other choices. We hope Allie now accepts the treatment she desperately needs for her mental health issues. We also hope that all those who have heard this tragic story withhold judgment about our daughter until all the facts come out.”

According to WCVB, the Eckersley family said they had been in the method of submitting a guardianship petition to be concerned in making selections for the toddler. 

In a May 2019 interview, Alexandra – who was mentioned to be coping with bipolar dysfunction, despair and anxiousness – informed the Concord Monitor that she had been in and out of varied therapy services for psychological well being and behavioral hassle for the reason that age of 6. At the time, her family mentioned in a statement to the outlet that Alexandra had been identified with psychological sickness on the age of two.

Alexandra, 26, faces expenses of felony reckless conduct, endangering the welfare of a kid, second-degree assault with excessive indifference and falsifying bodily proof. She was arraigned over the telephone on Tuesday.

At the time, prosecutors mentioned Alexandra’s mom, Nancy, informed them that she and Dennis, her ex-husband, supplied their daughter drug therapy for years, which she refused and selected to be homeless.

According to an affidavit cited by WCVB, Eckersley informed police she didn’t know she was pregnant and admitted to utilizing cocaine and marijuana in the times earlier than the newborn’s birth.

Officials mentioned they found the unclothed, uncovered child boy who was struggling to breathe in a tent in 18-degree climate close to the Piscataquog River.

When requested why she left her child in that situation, Alexandra informed officers that she was attempting to avoid wasting herself, in response to a police affidavit cited by the Boston Herald on Wednesday.

“What do they tell you when a plane goes down? Save yourself first,” Alexandra informed officers whereas ready for an ambulance early Monday.

Eckersley’s boyfriend — recognized in court docket papers as 45-year-old George Theberge — was additionally current, in response to the police affidavit.

Alexandra’s public defender, Jordan Strand, mentioned in New Hampshire’s Hillsborough County Superior Court that his consumer was affected by blood loss and attainable hypothermia after giving birth.

“She did what she had to do to get help. Childbirth is incredibly dangerous even under the best of circumstances,” Strand mentioned.

EMS carried out emergency respiration on the newborn, who was initially taken to Catholic Medical Center after which transferred to Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center, the place he stays intubated, Assistant County Attorney Carl Olson mentioned. The child reportedly weighed 4.4 kilos after being born about three months early.