GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — A former nurse at a renowned Michigan children’s hospital is facing multiple counts of child abuse after allegedly inflicting severe injuries on a 4-month-old infant in his care. Kieran Ansley, 43, was terminated from his position at Helen DeVos Children’s Hospital in Grand Rapids following the discovery of suspicious injuries sustained by the premature baby girl.
The infant, who was born at just 23 weeks and weighed only one pound and one ounce, had spent months in the hospital’s intensive care unit. After a grueling recovery, she was finally prepared to be discharged in April. However, just two days before she was scheduled to go home, her family discovered her covered in bruises and suffering from broken bones.
The girl’s grandfather, Robert Steavens, expressed the family’s devastation, noting that after surviving the initial fragility of her premature birth, the infant was on the verge of starting her life at home before the alleged abuse occurred.
Court records paint a disturbing picture of the timeline leading to the discovery of the injuries. On April 2, the infant’s mother arrived at the hospital for a visit. She reported that Ansley “jogged” to intercept her and her family before they reached the room, preemptively claiming that the baby had “slept through the night.” Upon entering the room, the mother discovered the child’s tongue was “blue and black” and observed numerous bruises on the infant’s body that had not been present the previous evening. When confronted, Ansley reportedly dismissed the concerning marks, claiming he had “seen this in the past and it was not a big deal.”
Internal hospital investigations and staff statements described Ansley as appearing “flustered,” “frustrated,” and “scatterbrained” during his shift. A review of the hospital’s electronic logs revealed that someone had entered the infant’s room 32 times throughout the night. Of those visits, Ansley accounted for 27.
Ansley, who has since been fired from the hospital, is currently out on bond. His defense attorney, Damian Nunzio, has publicly defended his client, characterizing Ansley as a “very good person” with years of experience in intensive care. “We are confident that our investigation will let the truth come to light,” Nunzio stated.
Despite the trauma of the incident, there is hope for the victim. Now 10 months old, the infant is currently at home and, according to her grandfather, is “doing wonderful.”
“We’ve been blessed, and we’ve watched the baby grow,” Steavens said. “We’re trusting in God and healing as a family and trusting the process will move forward.”
Ansley is scheduled to appear in court on November 10 to face the charges.
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