A nurse at Helen DeVos Children's Hospital in Grand Rapids, Michigan, has been charged with multiple counts of child abuse after allegedly injuring a prematurely born four-month-old infant.
The baby, born at 23 weeks weighing 1 pound, 1 ounce, was reportedly making progress in the ICU and was expected to be discharged in April, according to WOOD-TV.
The child's grandfather, Robert Steavens, said, "She was born at 23 weeks — 1 pound, 1 ounce. 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."
On April 2, the infant's mother noticed the baby's tongue was "blue and black" and saw several new bruises, prompting concern.
Court records indicate that nurse Kieran Ansley, 43, intercepted the mother before she reached the infant's room, stating the baby had "slept through the night."
Ansley reportedly dismissed the mother's concerns by saying, "I have seen this in the past, and it was not a big deal."
During the investigation, hospital staff described Ansley as "flustered," "a little bit frustrated," and "scatterbrained" on the night of the alleged abuse.
Others recalled her being "heated" and "overwhelmed."
A staff log showed 32 entries into the baby's room that night, with Ansley accounting for 27 visits, according to court records reported by WOOD-TV.
Defense attorney Damian Nunzio told Fox News Digital that Ansley has cooperated with the investigation and has "many years" of experience working with ICU patients.
He added, "We are confident that our investigation will let the truth come to light."
Ansley was fired after the allegations surfaced and has been released on bond.
She is expected to appear in court on November 10.
Steavens said the now 10-month-old child is at home and "doing wonderful."
He added, "We've been blessed, and we've watched the baby grow. We're trusting in God and healing as a family and trusting the process will move forward."
