Jalea,
The tragic story of Fran is a story that is in every parent’s greatest nightmare. Being a
working mother and having had the experience of leaving my son in the care of others while I
had to go to work, I had the same nagging concerns in my mind about the safety of my child
while under the care of other people. To witness a child die because of neglect and abuse is so
painful to imagine for a parent to go through. I agree that Hickson’s conviction for involuntary
manslaughter and child abuse are justified but deep inside, I wish the case had a different ending,
with Fran not having to pass away from the injuries.
This leads me to examine some of the important aspects of the case that I believe are very
significant in leading to Hickson’s conviction. First, I want to delve on the safety of daycare
services such as those provided by Hickson in her home. It is undeniable that millions of parents
across the country avail of child care services, especially for families with dual working parents.
According to Schochet (2017), keeping children safe and healthy in child care would entail
ensuring that care providers undergo background checks, provision of training for first aid and
basic life support, and maintaining certain care provider-child ratios. While there is no mention
in the case of Hickson’s background, it is evident that she did not have any training regarding
first aid or basic life support. There were several instances in her Hickson’s testimony where she
stated that Fran fell and just went limp or that Fran fell in several occasions and she did not
recognize the need to provide first aid or to seek medical assistance. It is notable that she only
called for the emergency responders when Fran was already unresponsive. Second, it is
important to note that Hickson was not keeping a constant eye on Fran, with her recounting not
witnessing how the child fell or having her back turned against Fran when the incident of falling
from the chair occurred. A child of Fran’s age who was already mobile and having the innate
curiosity to explore the environment should be watched closely and not be left alone without
constant supervision. This reflects an evidence of neglect on Hickson’s part as the child’s care
provider, and with Fran suffering from a fatal injury while under her care, led to the court’s
conviction of involuntary manslaughter for Hickson.
Hickson was also convicted by the court as being guilty of the felony child abuse.
According to Caneira & Myrick (2015), child abuse can be defined as any recent act or the
failure to act on the part of a parent or a care provider which results in death, serious physical or
emotional harm, or imminent risks or serious harm. This definition highlights an important
question in Hickson’s narrative about what transpired during the day of Fran’s fatal injury. If she
noted that the child was fussy, why did she keep her eyes off Fran? And why would a child fall
from a chair while under her watch? This is evidently a failure on Hickson’s part to provide the
necessary care to avoid the occurrence of serious injury in a child. Moreso, her narrative that
kept changing in four different interviews only strengthen the assumption that she was
concealing some facts about the incident and was not being truthful in her narratives. Because
there is no eyewitness to the events of that day, we can never really be certain about what really
happened to Fran. But there is one thing that is certain, there is an element of neglect in caring
for the child, deliberate actions that lead to harm which constitutes abuse, and a fatal injury that
occurred which may not be intentional but occurred under Hickson’s care, leading to a
conviction of involuntary manslaughter.
This case is Fran can serve as an eye opener for Christian nurses and parents alike.
Children are placed under our care to be loved and protected, not to be harmed and abused. Even
our Lord Jesus Christ emphasized the joy of having children around and how they are an
important part of His kingdom. This is reflected in Mark 10:13-16 (English Standard Version),
“And they were bringing children to Him that He might touch them, and the disciples rebuked
them. But when Jesus saw it, he was indignant and said to them, ‘Let the children come to me;
do not hinder them, for to such belongs the kingdom of God. Truly I say to you, whoever does
not receive the kingdom of God like a child shall not enter it.’ And He took them in His arms
and blessed them, laying His hands on them.”
References
Caneira, L., & Myrick, K. M. (2015, June). Diagnosing child abuse: The role of the nurse
practitioner. The Journal for Nurse Practitioners, 11(6), 640-646.
https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nurpra.2015.03.017
Schochet, L. (2017). The importance of child care safety protections. Retrieved from
https://www.americanprogress.org/issues/early-
childhood/reports/2017/10/30/441748/the-importance-of-child-care-safety-protections/
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