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A nurse is accused of beating a prematurely born 4-month-old baby girl at a Michigan hospital, leaving the infant with broken bones and bruises, including injuries to her tongue, according to reports.
Kieran Ansley, 43, who was fired from Helen DeVos Children’s Hospital in Grand Rapids, is charged with multiple counts of child abuse.
The child was born four months premature but was making progress after spending months in the ICU and was expected to go home in April, WOOD-TV reported.
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Kieran Ansley, a former nurse, allegedly abused a 4-month-olf girl born prematurely while the infant was recovering in the hospital. (Kent County jail; Google Maps)
“She was born at 23 weeks: 1 pound, 1 ounce,” her grandfather, Robert Steavens, told WOOD-TV. “And she made it through her due date, ready to go home. And then two days before she was ready to go home, this happened.”
The girl’s mother visited her on April 2. As she approached the room, Ansley “‘jogged’ to cut them off before getting to the room, telling them that the infant had ‘slept through the night,’” court records show.
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The mother also noticed that the infant’s tongue was “blue and black” and that several bruises were on the child that weren’t there the night before.
Court records show Ansley claimed to have “seen this in the past and it was not a big deal,” court records show.
During an investigation, one hospital staffer said Ansley “seemed flustered” and “a little bit frustrated” that night. Ansley was also described as being “scatterbrained.”
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Others recalled Ansley being “heated” and “overwhelmed,” court records show.
A staff log from the night the infant was allegedly abused showed 32 instances in which someone entered the baby’s room. Ansley accounted for 27 of those visits, the records show, the news station reported.
Fox News Digital reached out to Ansley’s attorney and the hospital for comment.
Defense attorney Damian Nunzio told the news outlet that Ansley has been cooperative during the investigation, spent “many years” working with ICU patients, and is a “very good person.”
“And we are confident that our investigation will let the truth come to light,” Nunzio added.
Ansley, who was released on bond and is expected to appear in court on Nov. 10, was fired after the allegations came to light.
The child, now 10 months old, is at home and “doing wonderful,” Steavens said.
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“We’ve been blessed, and we’ve watched the baby grow,” he continued. “We’re trusting in God and healing as a family and trusting the process will move forward.”