How did this toddler survive, alone, after Grandma's death?

A young toddler is recovering from severe dehydration after she was discovered living alone with her dead grandmother .

Authorities say they are unsure when the grandmother died, but that young Brier Ineichen, 15 months, could have been trapped alone for up to seven days without food or water in the Tennessee home.

A family friend found the little girl on Saturday afternoon when Tracy Ineichen, the girls mother, called him to ask if he would check on them. Tracy is in jail for failing to appear for a court date and violating the terms of community correction and left Brier in the care of her mother.

“I got a phone call from Tracy saying something’s wrong…something’s very wrong,” Waldo told WVLT.

“Brier was in her crib and she stood up heard my voice and kind of reached out to me. I told Tracy, ‘I see Brier’ and she said ‘Break that door down,’ ” Waldo recalled. “When I grabbed her, she just couldn’t hold her head up. She was just hugging on me and collapsed on me.”

Grandma was found dead on the floor in the bathroom. Police believe she died because of a medical issue, but authorities have yet to rule on an official cause and manner of death.

I hope the little girl won’t be too traumatised. So sad!

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21 Comments

- - meedee said
  - 03 Jan 2022
    11:54 am
I know this article is from 2015 so im sure that little Brier is ok now.
Just wanted to say that this is the first time that I have seen an article with a child that has the same name as one of my daughters. I wonder if she has people mispronouncing her name all the time like my daughter does.

- - ella12 said
  - 16 Feb 2016
    12:44 pm
This is such a sad story. Hope Brier will be ok.

- - BellaB said
  - 05 Jan 2016
    1:44 pm
At least she wouldn’t have seen anything to scare her.

- - june11 said
  - 02 Jan 2016
    6:43 pm
Not only is it a tragedy that the toddler’s Grandma passed away, but becuase the child had been alone for so long it is possible her organs were starting to shut down. Hopefully Brier been too badly traumatised. She wouldn’t have seen her collapse and die, and wouldn’t understand why her Grandma didn’t pick her up when she woke up and give her any drinks or food.

- - rupa said
  - 01 Jan 2016
    12:35 pm
Wow that’s terrible what a strong little girl to have survived so long alone I hope she’s alright.

- - Mummytoabeautifulprincess said
  - 16 Dec 2015
    5:58 pm
Gosh, how scary

- - Nas01 said
  - 09 Dec 2015
    1:27 pm
I got goosebumps when I read this story. So tragic and traumatic for little bubs. So glad the friend found her when he did.

- - mom94125 said
  - 01 Dec 2015
    8:40 pm
oh wow! that poor family. seems like things are tough already without suffering a loss like that. that poor little girl!

- - nikkiema said
  - 30 Nov 2015
    4:39 pm
These stories make me so sad. My daughter is 15mths and i couldn’t even begin to understand how she would survive 7 days on her own. Poor child must have been so frightened.

- - rovermum said
  - 23 Nov 2015
    9:49 am
This is so sad and so tragic. Thank God this little bub was found. I do hope she does not remember the experience over time.

- - mum4107 said
  - 20 Nov 2015
    6:26 am
So so sad. That poor little girl

- - mom101628 said
  - 19 Nov 2015
    10:24 pm
How terrible, I do hope the little girl will somehow never remember this part of her life.

- - cherz said
  - 19 Nov 2015
    8:48 pm
Oh my that’s so terrible..my thoughts and prayers to this little one for healing and recovery.

- - Dee said
  - 19 Nov 2015
    8:21 pm
How tragic, so glad the little girl is ok

- - mom94378 said
  - 19 Nov 2015
    7:16 pm
Sad state of affairs thats for sure, hope the little girl can recover fully.

- - mom165081 said
  - 19 Nov 2015
    2:39 pm
What a tragic story – how horrible for the other and child. Heres hoping she makes a full recovery and stays with close family or friends for a reunion with the mother in the near future.

- - mom90758 said
  - 19 Nov 2015
    12:40 pm
That’s so terrible! Luckily they found her on time!

- - mom81879 said
  - 19 Nov 2015
    11:48 am
That is so sad. It could have been sadder though, the little girl could have died too. So lucky someone went round to investigate.

- - andygc said
  - 19 Nov 2015
    11:47 am
Being an older single mum of one child this has always been my fear. At 7 my son would know what to do in an emergency but then what? No mother at such a young age is frightening.

- - mom74640 said
  - 19 Nov 2015
    11:26 am
Lie ga