At first, it just seemed like a cold. A little congestion, some sniffling — nothing out of the ordinary for a 9-month-old baby. But when young Ava’s parents noticed tiny holes forming inside her nostrils, they rushed her to the emergency room. They never imagined what doctors would find.
And neither did the police.
Pediatricians initially suspected a rare skin condition or possibly a nasal infection. But when they used a small scope to look deeper inside Ava’s nose, the room went silent. What they saw didn’t make sense — symmetrical punctures, with signs of repeated damage, deep in her nasal cavity.
That’s when one doctor quietly stepped out and made a phone call.
Within 15 minutes, police officers and a social worker arrived at the hospital.
What could possibly be so disturbing inside a baby’s nose that doctors would call the authorities?
As it turns out, the marks weren’t caused by illness at all. The pattern, location, and damage strongly suggested intentional insertion of a foreign object — and not just once, but over time. The holes weren’t natural… they were made.
A full investigation was launched immediately.
Officers began questioning the family. Hidden cameras in the home were reviewed. What they uncovered shocked everyone — including the parents.
According to reports, a trusted babysitter had been inserting small, pointed objects into Ava’s nose during naps. The motive? Still unclear. But investigators believe it may have been for attention, or even a form of Munchausen by proxy — a rare and disturbing condition where a caregiver harms a child to gain sympathy.
The babysitter was arrested within 24 hours.
Doctors say Ava is incredibly lucky — the injuries were caught early, and she’s expected to make a full recovery. But the emotional trauma for the family is far from over.
“She was acting a little fussy, but we just thought she was teething,” said Ava’s mother. “We had no idea someone we trusted could be hurting her in such a sick, quiet way.”
The story has gone viral online, with thousands of parents sharing it as a chilling reminder to trust your gut, and to always pay attention to unexplained symptoms — even if they seem small.