Lifeproof sent me their new Nuud waterproof iPhone case and I couldn't think of a more appropriate way to thank them than to republish this post from April 2011. The following is a true story. A very SAD story…

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New York City— On Friday night, something unthinkable happened to the mother of a 16 month-old baby girl named Mazzy. That baby girl, who neighbors describe as sweet, innocent and seemingly weapon-free murdered her own mother's most prized possession— her iPhone.

The victim is an iPhone 4S and though many would wonder if something so dated is even worth crying over, this particular mother would argue that it worked just fine and was supposed to be her ticket to an iPhone 6 when it becomes available later this year.

How could this horrific accident take place on the 12th floor of an otherwise quiet residential building in lower Manhattan? We talked to the mother to find out.

Ilana is an average mom with an admittedly closer than normal relationship with her mobile devices. She can often be spotted crossing busy intersections while texting and using every conversation lull as an opportunity to instagram a photo or update her status on facebook.

So how did 16 month-old Mazzy get her hands on the device? Ilana concedes that on occasion, while watching the baby, she has been known to shut her eyes for an inconsequential period of time. "It is not sleeping per say. It is more like a blink that turns into a lingering look at the back of my eyelids."

When pressed about this lapse in parenting, Ilana describes it as follows:

"Did you ever see the movie Jumper? If not, don't, it's horrible. But basically, the way they move through time is with staggered cuts into the not so distant future. That's what it's like when I close my eyes. One moment Mazzy and I are playing on the floor by the coffee table, the next moment Mazzy is playing over by the couch. She is not far from where she started. I just didn't see the two steps it took her to get there."

When asked how Mazzy got her hands on the iPhone, Ilana begrudgingly admits that she gave it to her. "Sometimes when Mazzy begs for the phone and I don't have the energy to introduce something more interesting, I give in and let her play with it."

Unfortunately for Ilana, this also happened to be one of those times where she took one of her lingering looks at the back of her eyelids.

"I shut my eyes for a second. When I opened them again, Mazzy had the phone in her mouth. I took it away immediately."

Ilana reports that directly after the incident, the phone started to act "all buggy". Apps were popping up at random, phone calls were being made inadvertently, and the volume indictator would not go away.

It was at this point that Ilana remembered Mazzy's secret weapon— DROOL. She removed the case and to her horror, found the inside entirely slicked with saliva.

Next, Ilana consulted numerous online articles with instructions on what to do if your iPhone gets wet. She wiped it down, used a blow dryer, tried to suck out the moisture with a vacuum and lastly, stuck the phone in a pot of uncooked rice.

When all attempts to return the phone back to it's normal state failed, Ilana hightailed it to the Apple store to get some resolution.

The man at the Genius Bar did not have good news.

"He asked me if there had been water damage. I said "no" because 'water damage' sounds like you dropped your phone in the ocean or you placed it on the edge of the sink and then knocked it into the toilet. 'Water damage' does not sound like something that can happen from a baby sticking the phone in her mouth for half a second."

Unfortunately for Ilana, the man at the Genius Bar was all too familiar with the telltale signs of water damage— condensation inside the screen, blue corrosion on the adapter— and pointed these out just so Ilana would know that he knew she was lying.

When asked what she thought about being exposed by the man at the Genius Bar, Ilana had this to say:

"Goddamn DROOL."

In the end, Ilana was forced to do two things.

1) Buy a new iPhone. The warranty did not cover water damage. And to add insult to injury, Ilana had to purchase another iPhone 4S because her contract isn't due for an upgrade until July.

2) Accept that she may have fallen asleep while watching her child.

"Looking back, I have to admit that in order for that much water damage to build-up in the device, I must have closed my eyes for longer than I imgained. At least enough time for Mazzy to steal my car, drive to the beach and take a dip with my iPhone in the ocean."

All is not lost because Ilana hopes this article will serve as a public service announcement for other parents who are into the habit of appeasing their children with their mobile devices.

"I already knew that by giving the baby my iPhone, I was taking the easy way out and risking potential developmental damage. What I didn't realize, is I was also risking the health of my phone."

Consider yourself warned.

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Below is a video from Lifeproof showcasing the indestructible nature of their cases. If only I owned one two years ago…