Mom Claims Poor Hygiene Caused Fatal NICU Infections
WINCHESTER/INDIANAPOLIS — For 22-year-old Emma, the journey of motherhood didn’t begin with a nursery and a homecoming; it began with a 1-pound, 3-ounce “fighter” and a 118-day residency in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) at Peyton Manning Children’s Hospital (Ascension St. Vincent).
Her daughter, Khalliope “Kali” Jo Handlon, was born at just 26 weeks on November 12, 2025. What began as a medical journey soon devolved into what Emma says was a series of facility-acquired infections, indifferent administration, and a failure of sanitary standards.
The trouble began in Winchester at Ascension St. Vincent. Despite experiencing multiple instances of bleeding and severe pelvic pressure while only 25 to 26 weeks pregnant, Emma reports that her concerns were repeatedly “pushed off” by hospital staff. “The hospital told me, they said, just eat more red meat,” Emma recalled. “I told them about the pressure and they were like, ‘Well, you’re just having Braxton Hicks contractions. You’re fine.’ And they sent me home.”
The very next day, after passing a large blood clot, Emma sought an emergency appointment with her regular physician, Dr. Eifrid. A cervical exam revealed she was already three to four centimeters dilated. Dr. Eifrid reportedly had to argue with nurses at the Winchester facility to ensure Emma was admitted and immediately transferred via ambulance to a Level-III facility in Indianapolis.
A “Birthday” Under Duress at Peyton Manning Children’s
Upon arriving at Peyton Manning Children’s Hospital (Ascension St. Vincent) in Indianapolis, advanced imaging revealed the gravity of the situation: Emma was suffering from a life-threatening placental abruption. Her daughter was suffering from IUGR (Intrauterine Growth Restriction), and blood was already present in the amniotic fluid.
On November 12, 2025, a doctor entered the room and told Emma, “I think we have to have a birthday today. Khalliope was born via emergency C-section weighing just 1 pound, 3 ounces and measuring 11 inches long. Due to the speed of the procedure, Emma’s partner could not arrive in time, leaving her to face the operating room supported only by her nursing team.
“I’ll just never forget that moment,” Emma said. “I’m terrified. I have; it’s just me… Everybody’s holding me and talking to me, telling me it’s going to be okay.
Life in the Peyton Manning NICU
For the next four months, khalliope’s life was centered in the NICU at Peyton Manning Children’s Hospital. In the beginning, life was measured in grams and impossibly oversized gear. “The diapers were card-sized,” Emma recalled. “Her little blood pressure cuff would fit around my finger.”
Kali faced daunting odds, including chronic lung disease (Bronchopulmonary Dysplasia) and rare skin conditions—Ichthyosis and Epidermolysis Bullosa (EB)—which made her skin as fragile as a butterfly’s wings. Due to these skin issues, Kali didn’t have her first real bath with soap and water until January 29th, more than two months after her birth.
Despite the pain, Emma says Kali’s “fighter spirit” shined through.”She had such an attitude. She really did,” Emma said. “But with everything she dealt with, she had to. She loved pacifiers… from day one. They say they’re not supposed to be able to suckle until 34 weeks—she was 30 weeks.”
Accusations of Negligence: “I Watched it on the Camera”
The most disturbing revelations in Emma’s account involve the hygiene protocols at the Indianapolis hospital. While Kali was born free of the Herpes Simplex Virus (HSV-1), she later tested positive for it, along with a Staph infection and a UTI, while in the NICU. Emma claims she witnessed the source of these infections through the camera installed in Kali’s room:
“I have pictures of them touching her with no gloves on… I watched this on the camera. A doctor came in, took her diaper off, wiped her front private parts with it, and then put it back on her. Mind you, this is at the time she had a UTI. And the doctor does this. A doctor. It wasn’t the nurse.” Emma further claims that PPE (Personal Protective Equipment)—gowns, masks, and gloves—were not strictly enforced by the staff until after the infant had already contracted life-threatening infections.
The Administrative “Wall”
When the family sought answers, they were met with a “wall” of bureaucracy.
The Meeting: A high-level medical meeting was reportedly attended by a hospital administrator who refused to introduce herself.
The Records: Emma claims she is still being blocked from Kali’s patient portal. “They’re like, ‘Oh, we can’t get it… you’ll have to talk to the administrator.’ Well, we had the administrator in the meeting. She didn’t introduce herself.”
The Case Manager: Emma’s requests for a new case manager following communication failures were reportedly ignored.
By March 2026, Kali’s body was failing. Her CO2 levels—a measure of waste the lungs should exhale—reached over 200, a level Emma says the hospital’s machines were not even designed to read. Khalliope was blue, cold, and entirely dependent on a “rescue ventilator.” “It was no longer we were doing stuff for her to help her for her future,” Emma said. “It was we were doing stuff to her for us, not for her.”
Defiant Until the End
On March 16, 2026, the family removed life support. They spent those final hours packing a lifetime of memories into minutes: a baptism in a white dress, a final photoshoot, plaster molds of her hands and feet, and a heartbeat recording tucked inside a stuffed animal. Doctors expected Kali to pass within minutes of being extubated. She defied them one last time.
Khalliope lived for 45 minutes. It was long enough for her grandmother and aunt to hold her for the very first—and last—time. “She always blew bubbles… She had blown that bubble and, you know, it didn’t pop. And so I was, you know, looking at my family members who were in the room with me. And I was like, I asked them to go get the nurse.”At 4:24 PM on March 16, 2026, Khalliope Jo Handlon passed away.
In a statement, Ascension St. Vincent said: “The loss of any child is tragic, and we extend our heartfelt condolences to the family. Delivering safe, quality care to our patients is our highest priority. We take any concerns raised about the care we provide very seriously and are committed to clear, compassionate communication with patients and their families. Out of respect for patient privacy, we cannot comment on the specifics of any individual case.”
A Call for Awareness
Emma is sharing this deeply personal trauma to ensure Kali’s 118 days serve a greater purpose. She wants other parents to understand the very real danger of hospital-acquired infections and the necessity of aggressive self-advocacy. “I want her story to be heard so no other parent has to go through that,” Emma said. “Awareness for how common these infections really are and how dangerous they really are…
The Handlon Family has a Go Fund Me page they used at the beginning of Kali’s journey. You can learn more here: https://gofund.me/ecb489858
