Mom arrested for allegedly putting substance in her child's IV

A mother in West Virginia has been charged after police say she injected a substance into her nine-year-old son's intravenous line at a Cincinnati hospital.

Candida "Candy" Fluty, 35, of Kermit, W.Va. was arrested Saturday, Jan. 17 at Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center after court documents showed that Fluty "knowingly injected a substance into the victim's peripheral IV line" inside one of the rooms, reported ABC affiliate WCPO.

Fluty was charged with felonious assault and child endangering on Monday, January 19 and ordered to stay away from her son. Her son, Elijah, has been chronically ill for several months, and had just undergone oral surgery on Friday, Jan. 16.

Fluty's defense attorney, Elizabeth Zucker, argues that the charges are the result of a misunderstanding.

"It's my understanding that it was nothing medical that was injected," Zucker said. "It's nothing foreign to him and that she's been responsible with the hospital's permission to flushing his . . . he has an IV."

Criminal charges were filed based on Fluty's own statements, which friends and families are defending. The family stated that Fluty has always been Elijah's primary caregiver as he's suffered severe health issues his entire life.

Elijah is said to suffer from Hirschsprung's Disease, a rare condition affecting the large intestines. The disease is usually diagnosed at birth, according to the Mayo Clinic, but mild forms of the condition might not be detected until later in childhood, reported WCPO.

Hamilton County Municipal Court Judge Cheryl Grant was not convinced, setting bond at $50,000 and ordering Fluty to have no contact with her son.

"I asked if she was a nurse (Candy Fluty), if she was his caretaker," Judge Grant told WCPO. "I wanted to, when they gave me these facts, I wanted to know why she was -- the allegation was she injecting something into him, so I'm inquiring as to her status with her son and I was informed she had no status other than the fact that she was a mother and her son was in the hospital. Right?"

It has not been determined what substance Candy Fluty injected into the IV, Zucker said in court.

"I think that it will show that she didn't put anything in that's not medically approved," the attorney said.

Prior to her arrest, Fluty had routinely posted updates to Elijah's condition on Facebook.

"Elijah unfortunately has a fever and feels pretty yucky," wrote Fluty. "He had 9 teeth removed today and had a tube changed. He is getting morphine and it's keeping him pretty comfortable. Hopefully the fever is just a side effect of anesthesia."

On her Facebook page, Fluty reveals to holding a fundraiser dinner earlier this month to help her deal with Elijah's medical costs. Fluty also says the money raised then was used as a down payment on a car so she could drive her son to and from the Cincinnati hospital, located 190 miles from their home.

Children's Hospital officials would not comment on the situation. As of Monday, there are no further details in regards to Elijah's condition or if other family members are able to care for the son while his mother is jailed in Cincinnati.