Photo credit – University Hospitals and Rainbow Babies, Westlake

Elyria, OH – Following the controversial police raid on Parmely Avenue Courtney Paige Price, mother to baby Waylon, and his aunt Redia Jennings, told several media outlets that Price brought Waylon to the Elyria area to prepare for an upcoming open heart surgery. The surgery was scheduled next month at Rainbow Babies hospital in Cleveland, they said. 

Price and Jennings have stated in multiple interviews, and on social media, that the surgery has now been postponed due to the injuries Waylon suffered during the raid (more on this later).

However, after last week’s release of bodycam footage captured during the raid, many area residents began to question the story. Now, several of Waylon’s family members and friends are also speaking out with their own concerns.

In one of the bodycam videos released last week, Courtney is heard discussing her visit to Elyria for Christmas. At the 10:48 timestamp, an officer asks Courtney how long she has been staying at the residence. “I’ve only been here a few days. We came for Christmas and then we just stayed an extra week or so. We were supposed to leave today and then he (Waylon) got sick,” Price says. 

In the minutes prior to this exchange, Price discusses with officers and medics Waylon’s recent illnesses. “He’s had Rinovirus three times in the last two months. And bronchitis,” she says. She states he has been sick again in the last few days with a peak temperature of 105. While the baby’s fever has since gone down, she is concerned his breathing still appears to be labored. Officers state paramedics are already on their way to further assess Waylon.

Price repeats similar information when paramedics arrive. They continue to discuss Waylon’s health history in more detail, as well as his recent and current illnesses, and the paramedics recommend Waylon be taken to an area hospital. At no time does Price mention Waylon’s upcoming heart surgery, nor that the surgery is the reason for their visit to Elyria. 

At 20:34, a paramedic asks where Waylon’s healthcare team is located. “At UK, University of Kentucky,” she says. Price again mentions Waylon has been sick and that, “He has an appointment tomorrow when we go home.”

A paramedic suggests Waylon be taken to a nearby hospital specializing in pediatric care, saying, “I would do University (hospital) in Westlake.” Price responds, “Well, we were talking about moving here and our doctor down there (in Kentucky) told us Cleveland Clinic or Rainbow Babies.” The paramedic clarifies that University Hospital in Westlake is “affiliated with Rainbow Babies” and would be the closest option. “Once we get there,” the paramedic says, “they can contact his specialist and doctor and go from there.

Price does not mention familiarity with Rainbow Babies, nor that an open-heart surgery is scheduled for Waylon next month. The paramedic again assures Price the hospital is the closest option and describes the location as being roughly 20 minutes away. 

The day after the bodycam footage was recorded, Redia Jennings, Waylon’s Aunt and resident of the Parmely Ave address where Price and Waylon are visiting, posted to Facebook that Waylon was due to have heart surgery next month at Rainbow Babies. However, due to injuries suffered in the raid the surgery would have to be delayed. That evening Price repeated the story for the first time to a local reporter.

Soon, Price began including the story in her interviews with several media outlets including WKYC, WOIO, and WBTV, as well as regional and national outlets.

As reports of Waylon’s delayed heart surgery went national, I began receiving messages and phone calls from several of Price’s associates, two family members in Kentucky and three friends or romantic interests. They all claim to be in regular contact with both the baby and Price, and all were aware Waylon’s doctors were located at the University of Kentucky Hospital. All expressed surprised when first seeing media reports that Waylon was in Ohio preparing for open-heart surgery. Two family members told me they frantically tried to contact Price out of fear the surgery must have been suddenly scheduled due to an emergency. 

Three of the individuals told me Price responded and told them there is no surgery scheduled at Rainbow Babies, and that the media must have made a mistake. 

While Price continued to share the heart surgery story with reporters across the area (and by then, the nation), she also remained active on social media. In response to a Facebook user’s question about Price’s gofundme efforts to raise $50,000, Price replied that Waylon has “no established doctors here. We were going to Kentucky the next day for an appointment.”

I was unable to reach Price for comment on this article. 

More on this, the raid, and the gofundme will be published here at http://www.kjcmedia.net/blog.