Mother Sentenced to 10 Years in Prison in Death of Girl Born on Plane

A former Ottawa woman convicted of manslaughter in the death of her five-year-old daughter has been sentenced to 10 years in prison, bringing a tragic and disturbing case to a close. Ada Guan, 33, was handed the sentence by Ontario Superior Court Justice Anne London-Weinstein, with credit for time already spent in custody.

The case dates back to May 2020, during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, when Guan failed to seek medical care for her daughter, Chloe Guan-Branch, despite the child suffering from severe and worsening symptoms. Court heard that Chloe’s bladder had ruptured inside their Ottawa apartment, causing toxic waste to leak into her bloodstream and ultimately leading to her death.

For six days, Guan and her then-boyfriend, Justin Cassie-Berube, did not take the child to a hospital. Instead, they searched online for information about her symptoms and consulted a pharmacist. During this time, Chloe’s condition deteriorated rapidly. She lost the ability to walk, became incontinent, vomited repeatedly and groaned in pain.

The court heard that the adults avoided seeking medical help out of fear that doctors would discover signs of physical abuse inflicted on Chloe by Cassie-Berube. Evidence presented showed the child had suffered ongoing abuse, including a blow to her mouth on her fifth birthday that split the skin under her lip.

Chloe died alone in her bedroom on May 15, 2020, lying in a soiled bed while Guan watched television in the living room. Cassie-Berube was not present at the time of her death. Chloe’s birth had drawn international attention years earlier after she was unexpectedly delivered aboard an Air Canada flight on Mother’s Day in 2015.

Guan pleaded guilty to manslaughter in 2024, nearly four years after her daughter’s death. She was initially released on bail but was later arrested and jailed after repeatedly failing to appear in court ahead of sentencing. She also pleaded guilty to failing to attend court, for which she received an additional one-month sentence.

During sentencing submissions, Crown prosecutors sought an 11-year sentence, citing the prolonged suffering Chloe endured and Guan’s repeated failure to act. The defence argued for a lesser sentence, claiming Guan had experienced emotional abuse and coercive control in past relationships, including with Cassie-Berube.

Justice London-Weinstein ultimately imposed a 10-year sentence, emphasizing the severity of the neglect and the child’s prolonged suffering. The judge noted that Guan’s moral responsibility increased with each passing day that Chloe was denied medical care.

Cassie-Berube was previously convicted in 2024 on multiple charges related to Chloe’s death, including manslaughter and criminal negligence causing death. He received a 14-year prison sentence, with the court describing his actions as a “shocking example of abuse.”

The case has been widely described as one of the most disturbing child neglect cases in recent Canadian history, highlighting the devastating consequences of prolonged abuse, fear of authorities and failure to seek lifesaving medical care.