Mother charged after feces injected into cancer-stricken son’s IV

An Indiana mother is facing several charges after feces were injected into her cancer-stricken son’s intravenous bag while the teen was undergoing treatment in a hospital.

Citing court documents, Indiana CBS affiliate WLFI News reported the investigation started on Nov. 17 after police officers were called to a hospital to assist with a child abuse investigation. Medical staff told investigators that a 15-year-old was being treated for cancer when the teen began to suffer from several unexplained infections that subsequently delayed cancer treatments, the news channel reported.

According to Fox 59 News, the teen was being treated for leukemia and received his first round of chemotherapy in September before being sent home. The teen later returned to the hospital a few days later after falling ill with a fever and diarrhea where his symptoms did not improve. According to Fox News, staff said the young man required several surgeries to change his central venous line over concerns of infection. He spent 18 days in the intensive care unit.

Following the medical staff’s concern over the unexplained infections, video surveillance was placed in the teen’s room.

WLFI News reported medical staff saw the teen’s mother, Tiffany Alberts, inject something into her son’s IV bag with a syringe on multiple occasions. Doctors confirmed the 15-year-old tested positive for blood cultures with organisms that are normally found in stool.

Citing court document Fox News reported investigators questioned the mother and she originally stated she injected the IV bag with water to “flush the line” because the “medicine that was given to him burned.” Authorities say Alberts later told them that she injected fecal matter into her son’s IV bag to get her son moved to another unit in the hospital to receive better treatment.

Alberts, who works as teacher, was charged with six counts of aggravated battery and one count of neglect of a dependant resulting in serious bodily injury, WLFI reported.

Citing court documents, Fox News reported the boy’s health improved following the removal of his mother from hospital and subsequent arrest. However, the news station reported that the doctors’ biggest concern was whether they missed the best time to keep the teen’s leukemia in remission.

Doctors said the teen could have died from episodes of septic shock and because of the delay in treatment, he could still succumb to his cancer battle, the news station reported.