Wyoming mom gets prison after baby suffers serious burns

WYOMING, Mich. (WOOD) — A woman will spend years in prison for child abuse after her 9-month-old daughter arrived at a hospital with a broken wrist and severe burns.

Berline Burkholder was charged in March with first-degree child abuse and had already been charged months before with lying to a peace officer and contributing to the delinquency of a minor. She was sentenced Monday to between four years, three months and 20 years in prison.

The child arrived at Helen DeVos Children’s Hospital in December of last year “with severe burns over 16% of her body and a non-accidental fracture to her right wrist,” court documents show.

Burkholder initially told police she left the baby with an Uber driver and spent the night alone in a hotel. Later, she admitted “I did something I wasn’t supposed to do,” court records showed.

Detectives used interviews, cellphone records and Uber records to determine that the burns actually happened at a home on Hudson Street SW near Cleveland Avenue in Wyoming around Dec. 20. Burkholder was the only person home at the time, police said.

The doctor “stated he believes the injuries were caused by a scalding hot liquid being poured over (the baby) while she was laying on her back,” court records indicate.

While Burkholder’s lawyer said it is an emotional case, she said her client did her best to make the situation right within the court’s restrictions. Given a chance to speak, Burkholder said she did not mean to harm her child.

“I do understand the mistake I made with hurting my daughter and I’ve been trying everything in my power to show it was a pure accident,” Burkholder told the court. “Classes, working, I’ve been doing everything that I could to show that I can be a mother and that it was an accident. And if I do have to do time, I am still going to do everything I can to stay connected, whether through talking to the father or foster workers.”

Burkholder’s lawyer requested the case be sent to the family court and asked the judge to take into consideration Burkholder’s history, which includes being a foster child and a traumatic past.

Ultimately, the judge said he considered all of the factors and issued his verdict because of what he called Burkholder’s “deplorable actions.”

“Pouring scalding hot liquid on a 9-month-old child with burns so extensive they are hard to describe. I’ve been doing this job for 10 years here in the criminal division and I’ve seen one case of child abuse that is worse than this — and that’s out of a lot of cases,” Kent County Circuit Court Judge George Quist said.

Parenting Awareness Michigan , which works to promote healthy parenting practices, urged parents or caregivers to ask for help if they are feeling overwhelmed.

“Please know that you are not alone and its OK to reach out for help. There are valuable resources available. You can call or text the National Parent Youth Hotline available 24/7 at 1.855.427.2736 or through the chatline feature on their website at nationalparentyouthhotline.org ,” certified prevention specialist Sara Kirkpatrick said. “They provide a safe, judgment-free space for immediate emotional support. Additionally, you can reach the Michigan Crisis & Access Line by calling or texting 988, which offers free confidential support and crisis resources for Michigan residents. For more helpful tools and information, please visit Parenting Awareness Michigan’s new parent resource page . You’ll find a range of resources to help you on your parenting journey with links to trusted partners that offers even more support.”

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