Boy did I butt into the wrong business this time.

I am an ICU nurse. This kid came into the ICU in a coma from a drug overdose. He was on a ventilator (ie life support) and didn't look like he was going to make it.

He was 18 years old - a really wierd kid. He had piercings all over and he had carved things into his skin and poured pepper in to make the scars bigger, etc. etc.

Miraculously, he recovered. When he was able to talk, I found out that he was homeless. He had come up here with the carnival after running away from home. He'd had a very bad home life.

He had bad drug and alcohol problems, no money, no place to go. He was very immature, definitely not an adult even though he was 18.

So - being the busy body I am, I asked him if I could refer him to this place I know that takes in kids who have such problems and are too old for foster care. It's a Christian camp for young men with drug and alcohol problems, and trouble with the police.

He was very happy and so I called them and recommended him to them.

After he was discharged I found out he is a felon on parole! He has molested small children.

I feel absolutely awful for helping this kid! Now he's going to be out at this Bible camp and what is going to happen to them if he molests kids or something? It will put the Bible camp in a bad light, and it's not even their fault!

Hopefully no children will ever be at the camp!

I called them and told him to please check out his criminal record, but because of privacy laws I couldn't tell them any more.

Why didn't I just keep my nose out of his life? Why am I such a sucker?