Jacksonville, FL – A 37-year-old Florida caregiver, MikaeIa, was taken into custody and later charged with multiple charges, including child neglect with great bodily harm and child abuse after severely neglecting a special needs child in her care. The woman then rushed the child to the hospital only to leave her and never come back despite efforts from hospital staff to contact the woman.
The investigation process began in June after the woman brought the unidentified child in her care to the hospital. The child, who reportedly suffers from several health problems, including cerebraI palsy, brain injury, and seizure disorder, is reportedly bound to a wheelchair and needs constant care because she is also dependent on a feeding tube. The woman reportedly told doctors that the child vomited for several days and had a fever before leaving the hospital and never came back. The hospital staff told investigators that they attempted to contact the woman, but with no luck.
During the investigation process, authorities discovered that the child had sores all over her body, including her back, legs and arms. The doctors told investigators that the child should be seen by a medical professional every 2-3 months, but it hasn’t seen a doctor in more than a year. The doctors also determined that the special needs nonverbal child also lost more than 20 lbs in the last 8 months. According to the police officials, the child’s wheeIchair was broken for more than a year, but the caregiver never bothered to get a new one.
According to a Child Protective Team medical evaluation, the child was severely malnourished with less than 2% fat on her entire body and bones visibly showing through her skin. Per reports, when the child was first admitted into the hospital, hospital staff attempted to feed her through her feeding tube, but she was so malnourished that she developed refeeding syndrome, local news outlet New4Jax reported.
The 37-year-old caregiver was taken into custody last week and later charged. When officers arrived at the location to take the woman into custody, she initially hid in her bedroom only to later walk out and get arrested. Authorities haven’t released thew woman’s relationship with the victim. Local news outlets reportedly that the child, who is under the age of 13, is still receiving treatment at the local hospital. According to the court documents, MikaeIa is being held on $150,000 bond and her next court date is scheduled for December 26.