News footage of Kieran Ansley during a court appearance at the Grand Rapids 61st District Court (WOOD).
A former neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) nurse at a Michigan hospital is free on bond following accusations of abusing a premature infant.
Kieran Ansley, 43, faces four counts of child abuse. Authorities report that a four-month-old infant girl sustained numerous severe injuries while receiving care in the NICU at Helen DeVos Children’s Hospital in Grand Rapids, Michigan. Court records obtained by local NBC affiliate WOOD indicate that the infant was born four months premature in November 2025 and was scheduled for discharge in April 2026. Police state that when the infant’s parents visited the NICU that month, the mother discovered multiple bruises on the child’s body and observed that the infant’s tongue had turned “blue and almost black.”
According to the court records, the parents arrived for the visit at 6:30 a.m. on April 3. Ansley, who was on duty as the NICU nurse at the time, “got up from his seat and ‘jogged’ to cut them off before getting to the room.”
Police report that the parents had visited their daughter the previous evening and did not observe the bruises they later discovered. When the parents questioned Ansley about the injuries, the former nurse informed them that the baby “slept through the night” and dismissed the discoloration of her tongue as “not a big deal.”
Medical staff informed police that an examination of the infant revealed multiple fractures in both legs and bruising across nearly every part of her body. Court documents state that medical evaluations concluded the injuries resulted from physical abuse, with all other potential medical causes ruled out.
The infant’s grandfather, Robert Steavens, told WOOD that the child was scheduled to be released from the hospital two days before the discovery of her injuries. On the day medical staff identified the injuries, the infant was being prepared for surgery.
According to court documents, police interviewed other medical personnel who had treated the infant and worked alongside Ansley. These colleagues described Ansley as “scatterbrained,” “overwhelmed,” and “in over his head.” One staff member told police that on the night Ansley was assigned to care for the infant, he “seemed flustered and a little bit frustrated with his assignment for the night.”
Police report that Ansley had not previously been assigned to the infant’s care. According to coverage of the court documents by local ABC affiliate WZZM, Ansley declined assistance from other staff members while caring for the infant. Several nurses who worked with Ansley stated that he handled infants with greater physical force than they considered appropriate.
Corewell Health confirmed in separate statements to WOOD and WZZM that Ansley is no longer employed at the hospital and that the organization is cooperating with the investigation.
Ansley was arrested earlier this month and is currently free on bond. The court ordered him to wear an electronic tether and scheduled his next court appearance for Nov. 3. WOOD interviewed Ansley’s defense attorney, Damian Nunzio, who characterized Ansley as a “good person” with “many years” of experience as a nurse. Nunzio stated that Ansley is cooperating fully with police.
Steavens told WOOD that his granddaughter, now ten months old, has made a full recovery and is “doing wonderful” at home with her family.
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