Carter placed 10-day-old Keana into a car seat and dropped her out the second-story window as their house caught fire.
The infant was discovered safely on the ground by paramedics and firefighters, according to captain Jake Plumer of the Wyoming-Speer Fire Department.
The mother, 21, was locked in the house and was not rescued in time by the crews who tried to reach her.
When firefighters discovered her in the home’s upstairs bedroom, she was declared dead. Her autopsy revealed that she had inhaled smoke.
The fire crew expressed their sympathies and requested money for Carter’s family in a Facebook post.
Words cannot express the depth of what has transpired in our community today, according to the post. We’ve had a sensation that no department want to experience. We can’t really put into words how we feel.
Carter’s cousin Shawna Burwell says, “Her 21st birthday was yesterday. She posted on Facebook about what a great birthday and this morning I saw ‘loving these mommy moments’ on Snapchat, where she had the baby laying on her chest.”
According to Carter’s obituary, “Every child she encountered loved her, and she loved them back.” Being a mother was her proudest accomplishment.
As of Saturday night, a GoFundMe campaign established to assist Carter’s baby and her family had amassed over $30,000.
The amount of love our community has shown to the family and everyone else affected in this horrible occurrence has been astounding. Being a part of this community fills us with great pride and honor,” Plumer said.
