A Michigan nurse has been dismissed from his position at a children’s hospital and now faces child abuse charges after a 4-month-old infant under his care was discovered with numerous broken bones.
According to court records reviewed by MLive.com and WOOD, 43-year-old Kieran L. Ansley has been formally charged with four counts of child abuse stemming from an incident that occurred in Grand Rapids, Michigan, in April 2026.
Ansley was terminated from his role as a neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) nurse at Helen DeVos Children’s Hospital following the allegations, according to the outlets.
Investigators determined that the alleged abuse occurred during an overnight shift at the hospital between April 2 and April 3. The infant’s injuries,which included broken leg bones and bruising on her hands, arms, thigh, buttocks, abdomen, and tongue,were first observed by her mother during an early morning visit, according to investigators.
According to an affidavit obtained by the outlets, the baby’s mother departed the hospital at approximately 6 p.m. local time on April 2 after visiting while her daughter’s primary care nurse gave her a bath. The baby’s father remained at the hospital until Ansley assumed responsibility for the night shift.
When the mother arrived the following morning, she observed that her daughter’s tongue had turned blue and nearly black, and that multiple bruises had appeared that were not present the previous night, the affidavit alleges.
Medical professionals immediately initiated tests to determine whether the baby girl had any underlying diseases, disorders, or conditions that could account for the injuries aside from trauma. The infant had sustained fractures in both legs, including breaks in the knee, shin bones near the ankles, and a smaller bone in the lower leg, MLive reported.
“The totality of the findings resulted in a diagnosis of pediatric physical abuse,” the court documents state.
Corewell Health, the organization that oversees Helen DeVos Children’s Hospital, supplied police with a log documenting each entry into the baby’s room, including timestamps and duration of each visit.
Investigators identified 32 instances in which someone entered the room between 8:11 p.m. on April 2 and 6:54 a.m. on April 3. Ansley was recorded entering 27 of those times, while the remaining five entries were attributed to nurses who remained in the room for a combined total of four minutes, according to MLive.
Additional nurses informed police that Ansley had been observed acting “aggressive” or “frantic” with patients, MLive reported.
One of those nurses told investigators that Ansley “seemed flustered and a little bit frustrated with his assignment for the night,” and characterized him as “heated,” “overwhelmed” and “in over his head,” according to court documents obtained by WOOD.
“Our hearts go out to the patient and the patient’s family,” a spokesperson for Corewell Health told MLive. “The care and safety of our patients is our top priority, and we have zero tolerance for abuse.”
A warrant was issued against Ansley earlier this month, charging him with four counts of child abuse, including two counts of second-degree child abuse. He also faces two misdemeanor counts of fourth-degree child abuse.
During a court appearance on Sept. 22, Damian Nunzio, a defense attorney representing Ansley, stated that his client had been cooperating throughout the investigation.
“We intend on running a thorough investigation to get all the information in this case,” Nunzio said outside of the court.
“My client has had many years working with ICU patients, and he’s a very good person,” the attorney added. “And we are confident that our investigation will let the truth come to light.”
Speaking to WOOD, the baby’s grandfather, Robert Steavens, shared that the girl was born four months premature in November 2025 and had been scheduled for discharge in April.
“She was born at 23 weeks: 1 pound, 1 ounce,” Steavens told the outlet. “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.”
Steavens confirmed that, despite her injuries, his now 10-month-old granddaughter is at home in Caledonia, Mich., and “doing wonderful.”
“Absolutely amazing, right?” he said. “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.”
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