This is a story that really stands out in my mind and this is something that we see increasing every day.

I was assigned to the next admission which happened to be a 10 month old infant. He was coming in due to head injuries. When he arrived to the unit he was on life support. His head was wrapped in bandages. With the bandages, his head was the size of a basketball. After checking his vital signs and getting his little cubicle in order, I let the parents in for their visit. They were both crying quietly especially the father. I saw no tears from the mother, even though she appeared to be crying.

Over the next couple of days I got acquainted with both parents. I found out from the father that the child was adopted. They had wanted children for so long, they just assumed that they would never have a child of their own. The father said that his wife called him at work and said the boy fell out of his crib and landed head first on the floor. On the third day after admission the doctor pulled me to one side and asked how the parents were taking their child's hospitalization. I told him that the father seemed to be the only one really concerned about the baby. He then told me that the child was supposed to have fallen from the crib. He said also that the floor was a thick carpet.

The injuries did not correspond with the injuries. We both got to checking things out. The child had been to other hospitals before this one and at a different one each time. We did full body xrays and it showed multiple injuries and broken bones. The police were called in. No arrests were ever made. On day four the child died, somehow he squirmed and pulled out the breathing tube. He went instantly. As I was carrying the child to the morgue, the mother came over to the elevators. She said she was sorry the boy died, but that was alright with her, she was 3 months pregnant with a child of their own. I just glared at her and turned around and walked down the stairs. I figured that in about 8 - 10 months we would have that child to take care of until death saved him.

I can still see the look in her eyes, so cold and uncaring. The father was the one parent you could see love in his eyes. But why did he not suspect his wife was the one who caused all of the injuries?? Why oh why???