‘Dire’ prognosis for abuse toddler

The mother drove more than an hour and passed two hospitals before she brought her 21-month-old boy to Birmingham's Children's of Alabama hospital in "near death" condition.

“The child was having trouble breathing when they arrived,” Attalla police Chief Investigator Doug Jordan said.  "The doctors said if they'd waited much longer, the child wouldn't have survived."

The child remains on life support at the hospital and investigators are not sure whether he will make it or not.

“We’re not sure if he’ll pull through,’’ an unidentified investigator told AL.com. “It’s a really sad situation. No child should be exposed to what this child has been exposed to. It’s heart-wrenching.”

According to MSN, if the child does survive, he is expected to have severe disabilities due to the abuse.  "It's not a good outlook," Jordan said, adding that the medical staff confirmed that it was "definitely abuse."

"In the 26 years I've been here, it's probably the worst child abuse case we've had," said Attalla Police Chief Dennis Walker.

Court records indicate that the child was severely malnourished and suffering from a brain bleed.  The child additionally had numerous fractures and bruises in varied states of healing indicating that the abuse had been ongoing for several months.

The mother, 27-year-old Maria Francisco Huang was arrested on January 27th and charged with aggravated child abuse and for not having a driver's license.  Her bond was set at $250.000.

Huang was reportedly arrested a year ago for charges of domestic violence- strangulation and unlawful imprisonment involving an adult female.

Step-father of the child, 28-year-old Jose Morales-Calvo was arrested on January 28th and charged with aggravated child abuse.  His bond was set at $250,000.  Authorities stated that Morales-Calvo is an "undocumented immigrant" and has previously been deported.

Both remain in custody.  Their next court date is not known.