LAFAYETTE, Colo.
A 10-week-old Lafayette infant who was rushed to Children's Hospital in Aurora two weeks ago with life-threatening injuries from alleged abuse has been moved out of the intensive care unit and is breathing on his own, according to Lafayette police.
When Jack Koller arrived at the hospital July 21, he was placed on machines to help him breathe, according to authorities. A week later, his condition was upgraded from critical to fair, and this week Jack was taken off life support, said Lafayette police Cmdr. Mark Battersby.
"It's a good sign that he's breathing on his own," Battersby said.
Jack's father, Benjamin Koller, 26, of Lafayette, was arrested July 24 on suspicion of abusing his son by dropping, shaking, suffocating and biting him. He was formally charged a week ago with child abuse resulting in serious injury, and he's being held on a $1 million bond in the Boulder County Jail.
Koller's common-law wife, Jennifer Schmidt, 20, has not been arrested in connection with her son's injuries, but detectives are continuing to talk with her.
Battersby said authorities are working with the Boulder County Department of Housing and Human Services in regards to custody of baby Jack.
I'm holding my 1 1/2 month old boy in my arms and after lightly jiggling him to sleep simulating conditions in the womb. He just wanted to be comforted, helpless, and placed in my arms completely dependent on his parents. Understanding this first hand, reading this stabbed me to the very center of my being. Shame on the wife and the grandmother and other family memberss for not wanting to stab their eyes out and drown themselves after learning about this and "trying to make his last days as nice as possible." I can't imagine not wanting anything other than to die along with his little, innocent, helpless, bruised heart. I'll cry many useless tears in vain for the little boy until I forget reading this.
ReplyDeleteAnd hold my bright-eyed, healthy little boy a little tighter, a little longer...
ReplyDelete