"I bet he likes you." Those were reportedly the baffling words of a hospital worker in Columbus, Ohio to a four-year-old girl who was there getting stitches after a boy punched her in the face. Shocked by the statement's dangerous precedent, the mother of the young child decided to share her experience on Facebook and address the issue head-on:
In a series of comments beneath the post, Smith made a point to clarify that she did not want the hospital worker to be fired or for the hospital to be harassed in any way. Smith is instead hoping her story will inspire others to make these same corrections in an effort to dismantle the reckless language associated with such violence:
"We thank you for being engaged members of our community and for always advocating on behalf of children and families," Nationwide Children's Hospital tells BuzzFeed in a statement. "We share and value your commitment to always be a positive voice. We are aware of a recent comment made by a member of our staff to a family seeking care. Although we know the comment was made with no malicious intent, it is our wish to apologize and express to you that this is something we are taking seriously. This comment does not represent our philosophy as an institution." Representatives from the hospital have reportedly "reached out to the family" and met with the employee in question at some point last week.
