3-year-old's dialysis required after mom and boyfriend blame 'sleepwalking' for severe injuries

A mother and her partner in Indiana face accusations of nearly taking the life of her 3-year-old daughter at an Airbnb, allegedly assaulting the child so severely that nearly her entire body was covered in bruises.

Kami Nelson, 23, and Lee E. O'Donnell Jr., 25, are facing charges of neglect of a dependent that led to a catastrophic injury, along with charges for neglect causing serious bodily harm, according to court documents.

The incident began with a frightening early morning call on March 25, when authorities were alerted to a rental house on Broad Street in New Castle due to a report of a child who was unresponsive, as reported by The Star Press stated.

Upon arrival, emergency responders discovered the toddler in critical condition, lying unclothed on the floor and not breathing.

According to investigators at the scene, the girl was "covered in bruises nearly all over her body and appeared to have been struck," The Star Press reported, referencing a probable cause statement.

Paramedics began lifesaving efforts before transporting the child to a nearby hospital.

She was subsequently transported via air to Riley Hospital for Children in Indianapolis, where doctors quickly realized the injuries were much more severe than initially assumed.

Medical personnel remarked that the child was "critically ill" and "in shock" as a result of intense abdominal trauma necessitating emergency surgery, The Courier-Times reported.

Hospital evaluations revealed the girl had lacerations and tears in her intestines, internal bleeding, and an acute kidney injury requiring dialysis.

"The findings indicated there were no signs of a medical issue contributing to these conditions nor is there an illness that would naturally cause such intestinal injuries as seen in the victim," investigators detailed in their affidavit.

"Had medical intervention not occurred, these injuries would likely have been fatal, and the young victim remains in a critical state with an uncertain prognosis. The only accidental explanation offered by caregivers was that the child sleepwalks, which is inconsistent with these abdominal injuries," the document went on. "To date, the overall pattern of injuries, including pervasive bruising, soft tissue damage, and abdominal injuries, suggest non-accidental/inflicted trauma (child physical abuse)."

As detectives worked to determine what led to the injuries, Nelson supposedly initially informed police that her daughter might have been sleepwalking and could have been "bumping into door handles and such things."

She also mentioned that the child had been unwell and vomiting in the days before the event and delayed seeking medical attention because she had just started a new job and did not have insurance.

O'Donnell, who had been caring for the children while Nelson was at work, reportedly provided a very different story, displaying "little to no emotion" during his talk with investigators.

He informed the authorities that Nelson had a fiery temper and described her as a "manipulative deceiver," asserting she would physically discipline the child "once a day, sometimes multiple times." He also claimed he saw her hit the child and seize her face while she was eating.

Investigators shared that O'Donnell confessed he was hesitant to report the claimed abuse "because I don't want to become homeless."