Kimberly (Baby aged 13 months, USA)

Introduction

My name is Kimberly, and I was born and raised in Cincinnati, Ohio. I have three beautiful children: two on earth and one in heaven (Jr). From 2019 to 2023, I was falsely accused of “shaking” my one-year-old son. At the time, I worked at a warehouse and had a relationship with a deputy, which ended badly. After our breakup, I was granted custody of all three children, and life finally felt like it was coming together. My kids and I escaped the abuse from Jr’s father. A month later, we moved out and away from the area so that I could take my older children to and from school. I always took my children to their doctor’s appointments as required. The day Jr fell and sustained his TBI was on the same day I took my middle son and Jr for a check-up. Everything seemed fine until we got home, where he fell headfirst, sustaining a head injury. That’s when my world fell apart.

Pregnancy and Birth

Jr was born at 35 weeks and required a few days in the NICU due to low blood sugar and low oxygen levels post-delivery. He had a rough start to his life, and I believe there was a missed diagnosis at birth. The doctors at Children’s Hospital in Cincinnati disregarded my concerns, and we were sent home. Over time, I noticed some developmental delays, mostly in gross motor skills. His head circumference grew as he got older, making him top-heavy. There were no issues with Jr until his TBI accident.

The Day Everything Changed

Jr fell headfirst from a 4-foot-high bed. He cried for about 20 seconds before going completely lifeless in my arms. His breathing was labored, so I dialed 911 immediately and performed cardiac massage until EMS arrived. They quickly transported him to the closest hospital and then to Cincinnati Children’s Hospital. Jr received medical care over a year until he was discharged into his father’s care with round-the-clock assistance. Tragically, on Mother’s Day in 2022, while requiring constant oxygen and care, he passed away.

When the Diagnosis Was Made

Upon arrival at Children’s Hospital, Jr was sent straight to MRI/CT scans. A lady came out and yelled at me, saying “You did this; it wasn’t from a fall.” I was emotionally distraught, my world torn apart by these accusations. How could someone who wasn’t there accuse me of something so horrible? I received no answers. Instead, I was taken into a private room while my baby boy fought for his life in the ICU and I was questioned by deputies. After telling them what had happened, they didn’t believe me. The doctors, CPS workers, hospital social workers, and law enforcement treated me horribly. My emotional state was shock and excruciating pain; I was tearful, distraught, and numb because I couldn’t process what had happened. I did extensive research on short falls and the injuries they cause and brought this to the attention of many doctors throughout his care plan. They were also telling me to “let him go.” They wanted someone to blame, a conviction. They tore our lives apart.

Inside the Legal System

I was questioned by deputies at the hospital before anyone gave me answers. I had nothing to hide. I was allowed to see Jr until his father filed an order preventing it. I had to be supervised with my other children. My parents and ex-husband shared custody after a family court trial in December 2019, where Dr Makroff stated this was a “shaking” incident. During the trial from 2022 to 2023, the doctor’s narrative had changed; she could not give a mechanism of injury (although being sure it was a “shaking” incident in 2019 that removed my children from my custody). My relationship with CPS and social workers at Children’s Hospital was horrible towards my family. They treated Jr’s father (a deputy) and his family differently.

I did not receive a fair and speedy trial; instead, it dragged on for five excruciating years. I contacted Whitney with KIP, who helped change the narrative of the outcome. She truly believed in me—this was the first time any attorney or doctor had done so. Besides my family and children, they know who I truly am. In August 2023, after a bench trial where my daughter and I testified, I was acquitted.

Living Under Suspicion

I will NEVER get over how these “experts,” law enforcement, CPS, social workers treated me. My family and I remained close throughout this ordeal because they knew—and still know—I am innocent.

My mental health has been severely impacted; I suffer from severe PTSD, depression, anxiety, and grief. My children are now afraid of doctors, law enforcement, and social/CPS workers, just as I am. Financially, I have lost everything. While I’ve tried to rebuild, my mental health issues have led me to partial hospitalization programs, therapy sessions, and grief groups. Our lives are filled with triggers, trauma, anxiety, pain, and grief.

I can no longer work or attend school. To protect myself and my children from the corruption of Children’s Hospital Cincinnati, Dr. Makroff, law enforcement, and others involved, I have isolated us in safe spaces far away from them.

The feelings that remain are pure devastation, trauma, and distrust in a system that treated me and my family so poorly. I cry every single day over losing Jr., and I will grieve for the rest of my life. Our family is still suffering emotionally, mentally, and financially; grief has taken over our lives.

I HATE what the system has done to us. I HATE having these issues with nowhere to turn. While justice was served, I truly believe more could have been done. There should have been some light shed on Jr’s passing. I will never get those answers. I wasn’t allowed to say goodbye or attend his funeral, and I live with that pain every single day.

I pray our stories can make a difference. These things should NOT happen.

For consistency across testimonies, this text may have been slightly edited or translated by artificial intelligence. If you notice any error or inconsistency, please don’t hesitate to contact us.

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