McDonald was charged with injury to a child, a felony that carries a life sentence. A hospital affidavit, quoted in the Austin American Statesman, the child was admitted to the hospital with a high fever and "a long history of chronic diarrhea."
The 23-year-old mother of three had written a 200 essay for the paper about suffering depression after delivering the child in a premature birth. A lawyer for the woman tells the paper that "as the facts unfold, the impression people have of this young woman will change for the better."