The former foster mother of a 2-year-old boy who was starved to death by his biological parents questioned why nobody got involved and tried to help the boy.

Melissa Piaseczny spoke at the recent sentencing of Sierra P. Zaitona, 29, in Macomb County Circuit Court for the March 2023 death of Zaiden at the couple’s Clinton Township home. Zaitona was ordered to serve 24 to 50 years in prison after pleading no contest in February to second-degree murder and second-degree child abuse, for which she also was sentenced 43 months to 10 years. The terms will be served simultaneously.

The boy’s father, Matthew Jonathan Cheek, 27, received the identical sentence for second-degree murder and a slightly longer term for second-degree child abuse at his sentencing last December.

Piaseczny, who was Zaiden’s foster mother the first eight months of his life, during her courtroom statement wondered why no one who knew the couple intervened to help Zaiden receive proper care.

“Zaiden’s death was preventable,” Piaseczny said. “He suffered needlessly for months while so many people turned a blind eye. I ask myself every day why no one stepped up for him. Why didn’t someone report the signs of neglect, why didn’t they bring him back to me if they couldn’t care for him?

“Zaiden deserved so much more. He deserved to be loved, to be safe, to grow and to thrive.”

She told Judge Anthony Servitto once she handed him over to his parents in November 2021, Zaitona and Cheek “severed every connection” and ignored her attempts to contact them. They never retrieved his belongings, she said.

“I did everything I could to ensure a smooth transition,” Piaseczny said. “I opened my home to his parents, tried to include them in his appointments, shared details about his life to help them care for him. I gave them my phone number and my address, offering to be a source of support if they ever needed help. But they never reached out. To them, Zaiden was property and nothing more. That day, they never looked back.”

Zaiden is survived by two brothers, now 5 and 8, and Zaiden and the younger brother shared a special bond.

“Zaiden was a beautiful, joyful baby, a little light who could brighten any room,” she said. “From the moment he came to our home, he was wrapped in love. My family adored him, and his big brother (the 5-year-old) … absolutely cherished him.

“His smile could life anyone’s spirits and the bond he shared with (his brother) was something truly special. They were inseparable, too little souls bound together by brotherhood.”

Piaseczny said his brother still asks about him.

“The trauma his brothers experienced will be something they have to deal with their entire lives but together we are learning to carry the sorrow and heal,” she said, adding she was satisfied with the outcome of the criminal cases so the way Zaiden died is acknowledged.

Zaitona declined to make a statement on the advice of her attorney, county Assistant Public Defender Marissa Kulcsar, who said in court: “Ms. Zaitona deeply regrets the tragic loss of her son and mourns him every day. She endured a severe and prolonged domestic violence situation, which tragically delayed her ability to secure safety for herself and her children. Ms. Zaitona has fully accepted responsibility for her role in these events and is prepared to serve the sentence imposed by the court.”

Servitto called it “the ultimate tragedy, the loss of a child. There were people out there who loved this little boy and wanted to take care of him. His cries were not heard. The slow pain and suffering that this child must have went through is unimaginable.”

He commended Piaseczny for her efforts in caring for Zaiden and his brothers, and speaking in court.

Assistant Macomb Prosecutor Stephanie Stager said Zaiden’s death impacted everyone who was involved. First responders were provided counseling to deal with their anguish over their contact with the situation, she added.

Zaiden was 28 inches tall but only weighed 12 pounds, she said.

Stager said the first two witnesses at the preliminary examination in 41B District Court had to stop their testimony “because they were crying on the stand,” the first time she has seen that happen in her career.

“It was very emotional, to see that picture (of Zaiden), you wonder what in the world the parents were thinking,” she said.