‘Miracle!’ Tennessee Baby Released From Hospital After Nearly Being Killed by Parents

Zachary Stieber
By Zachary Stieber
March 15, 2019US News
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‘Miracle!’ Tennessee Baby Released From Hospital After Nearly Being Killed by Parents
Addilyn, now five months old, seen in the hospital in January 2019 after being placed in a medically-induced coma due to brain swelling. She was released and is doing well, it was announced on March 14, 2019. (Hope for Addilyn/GoFundMe)

A Tennessee baby who was nearly killed by her parents and was placed in a medically induced coma was released from the hospital.

Addilyn, just 5 months old, suffered numerous broken bones in addition to internal bleeding.

She has recovered after being rushed to the hospital in January, according to the Addilyn Strong Facebook page, which has updates.

“This sweet angel is home safe and doing good!!! Please continue to pray for the long road ahead. Thank you to everyone for the love support and prayers and most of all to God for this miracle!!!!” a post on the page announced on March 14.

Update!!! This sweet angel is home safe and doing good!!! Please continue to pray for the long road ahead. Thank you to…

AddilynStrong 发布于 2019年3月14日周四

“Plz no negative comments as we are looking to a bright and loving future Thanks everyone,” was added to the post.

A photograph showed the baby, clothed in a pink one-piece with strawberries imprinted on it, sleeping.

Addilyn’s parents, Michael Fisher, 30, and Brooklyn Tidwell, 27, were taken into custody after the baby was taken to a hospital.

Fisher was charged with aggravated child abuse and first-degree attempted murder and is facing up to 60 years in prison if convicted of both counts while Tidwell is facing aggravated neglect charges.

NTD Photo
Brooklyn Tidwell, 27, and Michael Fisher, 30, were arrested in January 2019; Tidwell was charged with aggravated neglect while Fisher was charged with aggravated child abuse and first-degree attempted murder. (Lawrenceburg Police Department)

According to an affidavit obtained by WTVF, Fisher abused Addilyn to the “brink of death.”

Family members told the authorities that Addilyn sustained broken ribs, a broken arm, and fractures in her chest, with the abuse also triggering seizures and bleeding in the brain. Because of brain swelling, she was placed in a coma.

District Attorney Brent Cooper told WZTV that the case was one of the worst he’s ever seen.

“These are the worst cases that you see as a prosecutor,” Cooper said. “I’ve been prosecuting for almost 20 years and these are the cases that you can’t erase from your mind and they just give you a sick feeling in the pit of your stomach.”

Custody of Addilyn was given to an aunt while Cooper said that Tidwell has other children who had not been in her custody for some time at the time of arrest. Family members said the children had been given to the state.

While many questioned why Addilyn also hadn’t been removed from Tidwell’s care, attorney Shae Forgety said that the Department of Child Services (DCS) couldn’t do so until the abuse was discovered.

“Under the United States Constitution, your parental rights are protected rights,” Forgety told WZTV, noting that the department typically doesn’t follow up on cases if they’re closed.

The feet of a newborn baby
A baby in an undated file photo. (Fred Dufour/AFP/Getty Images)

“You would think that they’d be able to keep track of every family and every child, but that’s the reality, there’s just not enough resources for that to happen,” Forgety said.

“DCS does not work to oversee adults. That’s why it is called the Department of Children’s Services,” legal analyst Jim Todd, a former prosecutor in juvenile court, told News 5. “I think it is a question of ‘should and could.'”

He also pointed out that while government workers took Tidwell’s other two children, they closed the case and wouldn’t have known about Addilyn unless someone filed a new report about the baby.

“It’s possible DCS could have followed this woman, but given the resources they have and the workload they have it’s extremely unlikely,” said Todd.

 

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