An Indiana mother faces felony charges after she contaminated her son's central line with his own feces while he underwent leukemia treatment at Riley Hospital for Children in Indianapolis, according to a report from CNN citing Marion Superior Court documents.
The 15-year-old boy was treated for leukemia in August at the children's hospital and was then forced to return to the hospital a few days later in September with a fever, vomiting and diarrhea. Blood tests revealed organisms typically found in feces in the boy's blood and a thorough evaluation revealed no medical reasons for the infection. Hospital staff began monitoring the patient's room with video surveillance during the second hospitalization. The boy's mother, Tiffany Alberts, a 41-year-old teacher, was seen injecting something into the boy's central line.
According to court documents cited by CNN, the substance was the boy's own fecal matter, which his mother stored in the hospital bathroom.
Ms. Ackerman reportedly admitted to her actions and said she was motivated by her desire to have her son transferred to another unit at Riley where she believed the care to be better, according to Fox 59.
Ms. Alberts is charged with six counts of aggravated battery and one count of neglect of a dependent, resulting in serious bodily injury.
The boy spent 18 days in the intensive care unit due to complications resulting from the contamination, including septic shock.
According to CNN, Veda Ackerman, MD, associate professor of pediatrics at IU School of Medicine in Indianapolis, who is treating the patient, said she is concerned the window to keep the boy's cancer in remission may have been missed. Dr. Ackerman said the boy "could have died from any of the episodes of septic shock and may well from his leukemia due to the prolonged delay in therapy."
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