Baby survives mother’s eight-storey suicide leap

A Jewish lawyer from New York jumped out of an eight-storey building in Harlem with her 10-month-old son strapped to her body last Wednesday afternoon.

Ms Wachenheim, a law graduate from Columbia University, who was on maternity leave, mistakenly believed her son had a developmental disability for which she was responsible.

The 44-year-old, who was seeking to commit suicide and simultaneously end the life of her son, died when she hit the ground but her son survived because she landed on her back, shielding him from the impact. He escaped with a bruised cheek according to a report in the New York Times.

According to the report, Ms Wachenheim left behind a 13-page suicide note, saying she believed that her son was brain damaged after two falls, which she reportedly described as “two shameful incidents”. She reportedly said family members and the paediatrician did not believe her but she believed Keston was crying and sleeping more often.