McKinley Hernandez: 2-year-old Colorado boy allegedly beaten by drunk nanny requires multiple surgeries
LAKEWOOD, COLORADO: What began as a regular overnight babysitting job has turned into a parent's worst nightmare for Stefanie Reichert of Lakewood, Colorado.
On September 1, Reichert left her happy and energetic two-year-old son, Giovanni, with a woman she considered a friend - 25-year-old McKinley Slone Hernandez.
Later that evening, Reichert received a chilling text from Hernandez urging her to rush to the hospital because Giovanni had "gone lifeless" after a bath, as per Daily Mail.
Stefanie Reichert discovered her boy was fighting for his life
What Reichert discovered when she arrived was the stuff of nightmares - her little boy had suffered severe blunt force trauma injuries and was fighting for his life.
Doctors had to remove part of Giovanni's skull to relieve swelling and bleeding in his brain.
He was placed in a medically induced coma and has since undergone multiple life-saving surgeries over the past few months. His eventual prognosis is still unclear.
While the family continues to maintain a hopeful vigil at Giovanni's bedside, Reichert still has no answers as to what happened to her son that night. All Hernandez has admitted is that she had been drinking and that the boy was injured while in her care.
“She won't admit to anything else. I make up scenarios in my head all the time for the injuries he sustained, so I wish I knew,” said Reichert.
With Giovanni unable to say what happened and Hernandez not talking, Reichert feels haunted by the unknown. “You never would think it would happen to you, especially by someone who you consider a friend,” she said.
Baby Giovanni faces an uphill battle to recover from injuries
While the arrest of Hernandez brings some relief, Giovanni still faces an uphill battle to recover from his extensive injuries.
Still swollen, bandaged and attached to medical equipment, he remains in a Denver hospital more than two months later.
Reichert said her once energetic boy has changed dramatically since the incident.
“He doesn't like strangers. Now he doesn't like the nurses and the doctors. He doesn't let anybody touch him. We have to do everything for him in there,” she told reporters.
Doctors say Giovanni will require additional surgeries and a lengthy rehabilitation.
A family friend established a GoFundMe campaign to raise money for the crushing medical bills Reichert now faces in order to save her son.
While the family still faces profound uncertainty about Giovanni’s future, Reichert maintains hope that her little fighter will pull through.
“He’s pretty resilient and so strong, keep fighting baby boy,” she wrote on the fundraising page.
Police charge babysitter McKinley Slone Hernandez with felony child abuse
Authorities finally issued an arrest warrant last week, charging Hernandez with felony child abuse resulting in serious bodily injury to a child.
The Lakewood Police Department announced the charges on social media, stating that bond would be set at $100,000 once the suspect was apprehended.
Hours later, Hernandez turned herself in without incident and was taken into police custody.
Reichert expressed relief but frustration over what she feels is an inadequate charge. “I feel like it’s attempted murder, she almost killed my child,” said the distraught mother.
With the suspect now off the streets, the family hopes the justice system will hold Hernandez fully accountable for Giovanni’s horrific injuries as the little boy slowly recovers under his mother's devoted care.
