It's interesting how we the finite try to understand and explain the action of the "Almighty Infinite One".  I am a Christian, and I myself even asked the question, "Why Lord?"  But, what I do know is true, is that God has a Perfect Will and a Permissive Will.  His Perfect Will is that the outcome will occur no matter what happens on this earth or in the entire universe.  His Permissive Will is that He allows some things to occur even though it's not what He would want.  Yes, we don't understand, and yes a lot of it hurts deeply.  But, God in His Infinite Wisdom, and He being a God of Love, Grace and Mercy, and He knowing the end from the beginning, makes the final decision on life and death.  There are evil forces in this world, but even in that, God has the last Word.  My prayers are with the Balwin and Coffey families.          

I don't think her weight is a factor; other than it perhaps being the reason she died... but wouldn't a 5'4 120 pound woman still smother a baby if she fell on top of it? 

Here are my problems with this. Though how overweight she was may or may not have been an issue alone, coupled with a medical condition, whatever it may be is a red flag that makes my daddy senses tingle and say 'not babysitting' material. I have also noticed that the few people I have come across that have offered to watch my kids because they 'love children so much' are also never anyone I would leave mine with and generally not qualified, in my opinion to care for a kid.

Teresa Coffey was not 'huge'. From the couple of photos I have seen, she looked overweight, but not in a way that seemed particularly significant or uncommon. I am not saying she was the picture of health- I am just saying that I would never think twice about leaving my kid with someone because they wore plus size jeans. It means nothing.
I've weighed around 200 lbs. in the past. I was a size 16. I was actually working out several times per week at that time and was in very good cardiovascular shape. I eventually changed my eating habits and lost the excess weight. But, looking back at the way I was then, my overall condition, and the punishing workouts I endured with my trainer, I find it laughable that the term, "obese", and all of the stigma attached to it, would have been applied to me.

Again, I don't mean to say that Ms. Coffey was in good shape, or necessarily the ideal person to babysit. How are we to know this? It just means that none of the facts I have heard thus far about her appearance or her age or her marital status have convinced me that she was an unfit or irresponsible babysitter.
This makes me wonder why there is such a lack of compassion for the woman. Perhaps we just like to villify people who are overweight? Assume that they are irresponsible, or maybe a little bit stupid? Maybe we are looking to blame a 'loser' who was unmarried and desperate to spend time with a baby? That's the general tone I am picking up on, both in the article and comments on this page and on other sites. And I think it's despicable.

I also read something about prescription meds found near her body. If, indeed, she did suffer a serious health condition or took something that she shouldn't have taken while caring for the baby, then that is another story. It is said that she left him a frantic message. Maybe she was trying to let them know that she wasn't feeling well? If so, the parents' roles in these events shouldn't be ignored. I feel terribly sorry for them, but I cannot understand going all of those hours without any contact while their baby is with someone whom they do not know very well. Are we allowed to call that irresponsible? What about Ms. Coffey's loved ones? Do they deserve to read these headlines?

Exactly. According to her height and weight, she was fat, but not SO horridly obese that she could not move freely or do a good job at anything she chose to do. I wonder what caused her to collapse? That poor little baby though... horrible.

This is a terrible tragedy for all involved. I especially feel for the parents of the infant. But I wonder, why the backlash against a woman who wanted so badly to help and spend time with a baby that she babysat for free? Assuming the facts are what they have been reported to be, how come people aren't sad about a young woman collapsing and dying in the house of a stranger where no one could help?
People seem more outraged that the babysitter was overweight (though I fail to see how it is even relevant here, as the full weight of a collapsed 100 lb. adult could cause the same damage to an infant) than the fact that two new parents left a fragile newborn in the care of an acquaintance and then were unreachable for hours the very first time they 'hired' her.
Is her life worth less because she is 39 and unmarried? Or because she weighs 200 lbs? Or because she likes to babysit? Or what?

"Is her life worth less because she is 39 and unmarried? Or because she weighs 200 lbs? "

Excellent questions.

most of what you say is absolutely true... however, a 100 lb. adult would be much less likely to have a condition that would cause him/her to collapse onto a baby.

I am not trying to judge anything here. I just find this whole story very strange. This man's son was only home from the hospital for a couple of weeks and he's leaving him with a woman he doesn't know well, he knew she had vision problems. Does anyone know where the mother of this baby was? No maternity leave? If my baby was just home from the hospital for only a week or two no way would I leave him but I guess he had no choice? Also I wonder why the sitter callled and needed to talk at 6 and the baby was crying? The dad didn't seem too sad in the interview either. Maybe it's just shock or denial but the whole situation is odd. Very sad for that poor baby.

I wonder, since the baby was in the hospital for weeks and had a medical condition,  if the babysitter found the child unresponsive and panicked causing her to have a heart attack as she tried to revive him.  I'm so sorry for all involved. 

That would make sense of the urgent phone call she made to the father. But why wouldn't she have called 911 first? The whole thing is just a horror story.

I know this woman is dead already and its unfortunate, but I have to say that this obese spinster pisses me off.

Spinster? Is that still a thing? What's a 39-year old single dude called?

Smart

Single dudes are smart. Single gals are smarter.

harsh, dude.

triple tragedy when you have to breath in smelly ass farts from a corpulent dead body undergoing rigor mortis.

A double tragedy if there was ever one.

What a nightmare. I can't imagine the torment the parents are going through.

God bless that family.

Couldn't God sort of just make that not happen in the first place, thereby saving Himself the work of later blessing?