Kieran Ansley, a former Michigan children’s-hospital nurse identified in published reporting as transgender, faces two felony child-abuse counts after a 4-month-old girl was found bruised and fractured.
Kieran Ansley, 43, is a transgender former NICU nurse charged after a premature baby girl was found with fractures in both legs, a blue-black tongue, and bruising across her body at Michigan’s Helen DeVos Children’s Hospital.
Michigan News Source identified Ansley as a biological woman who identifies as a transgender man. The hospital and local court reporting identify him as the nurse who had cared for the infant overnight.
Ansley faces two second-degree child-abuse felonies, each carrying up to 10 years, and two fourth-degree child-abuse misdemeanors. The girl had survived a 23-week birth at just 1 pound, 1 ounce and was close to going home, WOOD-TV reported.
Court records cited by MLive state the mother returned to the Grand Rapids NICU on April 3 and found injuries that were not there when she left. The affidavit says a doctor found fractures near the girl’s knees and ankles, plus bruising on her arms, leg, abdomen, buttock, and tongue. Testing ruled out medical conditions that could explain the injuries, the affidavit states.
Hospital logs recorded 32 entries into the infant’s room during the overnight shift. The affidavit attributes 27 to Ansley, WZZM reported.
Corewell Health fired Ansley and said it acted immediately after receiving the allegation. Ansley is out on bond with an electronic tether. His attorney said the defense will investigate and that the truth will emerge.