Virginia Child Protective Services found child was abused in Henrico Neonatal Intensive Care Unit in 2023
CHESTERFIELD COUNTY, Va. (WRIC) — A Chesterfield County father is speaking out about his son's experience after an investigation was announced into Henrico Doctors' Hospital's Neonatal Intensive Care Unit. 8News received word Wednesday, Dec. 26, after an alert was posted to the hospital's website stating, "Out of an abundance of caution, we are not admitting any additional babies into our NICU at this time." PREVIOUSLY: Henrico Doctors’ Hospital stops NICU admissions after babies found with ‘unexplainable fractures’ The hospital added it had discovered three babies with "unexplainable fractures" from late November through December of this year -- also adding the findings were similar to an incident in 2023 involving four babies. Dominque Hackey of Chesterfield County reached out to 8News after seeing our report and shared his and his wife's personal encounter with the hospital. Hackey said his wife gave birth to twins, Noah and Micah, at the hospital in August 2023 and they were admitted into the NICU for respiratory and digestive issues. Noah stayed for 81 days and Micah for 87, according to Hackey. Hackey and his wife made a routine visit and noticed something different with Noah. "A nurse was swaddling Noah and didn't fully turn around, just kind of looked back and said, 'Hey, you know, I noticed that his foot was discolored.' He wasn't moving it. I alerted the doctor on staff. We went and got an x-ray, determined that he did have a fracture to his tibia," Hackey explained. Hackey told 8News he declined to hold Noah when asked because he didn't want to be blamed for the fracture if that is truly what had occurred. He then made a phone call to his mother who has experience in the medical field both as a nurse and in administration. "She was the one who told us, 'This is not right, this is not supposed to happen. I've worked at many NICUs and no baby has ever had a fracture. You need to call CPS,'" he said. Hackey said his mother's report to CPS was the first one and didn't learn the hospital had given a report until 20 days after the incident. Along with Child Protective Services, Henrico Police also opened an investigation. Hackey received a call from Henrico Police detectives in January. "They weren't able to find anybody criminally liable for his fracture. Therefore, the case would be closed," he said. Hackey adds Child Protective Services echoed the same wording in a call to follow in March. He later had it in writing with a letter in September, reading in part: "Following a thorough Child Protective Services investigation, this agency has determined the disposition of this report to be FOUNDED, LEVEL ONE for Physical Abuse of Noah by an employee in the Henrico Doctor's Hospital NICU. A founded disposition means that a review of the facts shows by a preponderance of the evidence that child abuse/neglect occurred. A level one finding indicates the injuries/conditions, real or threatened, did or were likely to have resulted in serious harm to the child." The news of this confirmation sent shockwaves to the Hackeys. "As a father, hearing that your child was abused in a place where they were supposed to be the safest," Hackey said. "Where we felt like they were the safest because they had pretty much brought our other child back to life but harmed our other child ... it was a very confusing point, having to leave our kids there and knowing that somebody intentionally did that and there was nothing that we could do about it." 8News reached out to Henrico Police on the matter and received the following statement: "We are unable to confirm any additional details pertaining to this open investigation. Again, given the medical nature and age of those individuals involved, we are strictly limited on the information we can provide. We continue to work with local and regional partners to conduct a thorough investigation." 8News is also waiting on a response from HCA Virginia Health System, the network that runs the hospital.
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CHESTERFIELD COUNTY, Va. (WRIC) — A Chesterfield County father is speaking out about his son's experience after an investigation was announced into Henrico Doctors' Hospital's Neonatal Intensive Care Unit.
8News received word Wednesday, Dec. 26, after an alert was posted to the hospital's website stating, "Out of an abundance of caution, we are not admitting any additional babies into our NICU at this time."
The hospital added it had discovered three babies with "unexplainable fractures" from late November through December of this year -- also adding the findings were similar to an incident in 2023 involving four babies.
Dominque Hackey of Chesterfield County reached out to 8News after seeing our report and shared his and his wife's personal encounter with the hospital.
Hackey said his wife gave birth to twins, Noah and Micah, at the hospital in August 2023 and they were admitted into the NICU for respiratory and digestive issues.
Noah stayed for 81 days and Micah for 87, according to Hackey.
Hackey and his wife made a routine visit and noticed something different with Noah.
"A nurse was swaddling Noah and didn't fully turn around, just kind of looked back and said, 'Hey, you know, I noticed that his foot was discolored.' He wasn't moving it. I alerted the doctor on staff. We went and got an x-ray, determined that he did have a fracture to his tibia," Hackey explained.
Hackey told 8News he declined to hold Noah when asked because he didn't want to be blamed for the fracture if that is truly what had occurred. He then made a phone call to his mother who has experience in the medical field both as a nurse and in administration.
"She was the one who told us, 'This is not right, this is not supposed to happen. I've worked at many NICUs and no baby has ever had a fracture. You need to call CPS,'" he said.
Hackey said his mother's report to CPS was the first one and didn't learn the hospital had given a report until 20 days after the incident.
Along with Child Protective Services, Henrico Police also opened an investigation.
Hackey received a call from Henrico Police detectives in January.
"They weren't able to find anybody criminally liable for his fracture. Therefore, the case would be closed," he said.
Hackey adds Child Protective Services echoed the same wording in a call to follow in March. He later had it in writing with a letter in September, reading in part:
"Following a thorough Child Protective Services investigation, this agency has determined the disposition of this report to be FOUNDED, LEVEL ONE for Physical Abuse of Noah by an employee in the Henrico Doctor's Hospital NICU. A founded disposition means that a review of the facts shows by a preponderance of the evidence that child abuse/neglect occurred. A level one finding indicates the injuries/conditions, real or threatened, did or were likely to have resulted in serious harm to the child."
The news of this confirmation sent shockwaves to the Hackeys.
"As a father, hearing that your child was abused in a place where they were supposed to be the safest," Hackey said. "Where we felt like they were the safest because they had pretty much brought our other child back to life but harmed our other child ... it was a very confusing point, having to leave our kids there and knowing that somebody intentionally did that and there was nothing that we could do about it."
8News reached out to Henrico Police on the matter and received the following statement:
"We are unable to confirm any additional details pertaining to this open investigation. Again, given the medical nature and age of those individuals involved, we are strictly limited on the information we can provide. We continue to work with local and regional partners to conduct a thorough investigation."
8News is also waiting on a response from HCA Virginia Health System, the network that runs the hospital.
