Hi, my name is Barbora and I live in Waterloo with my family. In 2017, my then 8-week-old son got sick with sepsis and its complications (strokes) and despite having passed all well baby checkups, both he and his twin sister were suffering from infantile rickets (a complication of vitamin D deficiency), resulting in occult fractures through normal handling. You can watch our story in CTV W5’s documentary Dubious Diagnosis (we are the second family, identity hidden due to a court order).

My son (a prematurely born twin) suddenly stopped breathing at 8 weeks of age. He as he was being held by my husband in a rocking chair. In the ER, he was found to have multiple old and one acute rib fracture. There was no explanation for him to have fractures, there was no fall, no injury and certainly no abuse. Yet, that was exactly what we got accused of. My son, his twin and their brother were apprehended over the phone (!) while we were still in the ER at Grand River Hospital in Kitchener.

Later that night, he was transported to McMaster, Hamilton. More scanning was done and showed bleeding on his brain, old and acute. Again, there was no sign of abuse of any sort on his scalp, skull, neck or face. There was not a scratch or a bruise on his body. Yet, the pediatrician and “child abuse expert” who became our accusing doctor, saw no other explanation for his condition other that abuse. She did not order any genetic testing or extensive bloodwork to rule out any other known conditions that mimic child abuse before diagnosing. We, the parents, were at that time not aware that there are conditions that mimic child abuse and that we just became one of many families affected by medical kidnapping.

My other two children were examined on day 2 by the same doctor. The other twin was also found to have old fractures and no signs of physical abuse. This did not change the accusing doctor’s explanation of both premature twins’ fractures - the official diagnosis was still child abuse. Yet, interestingly, the other twin was not considered a child abuse victim. Our oldest had absolutely no signs of abuse and at age 4 confirmed that nobody in our household behaved abusively towards him.

I requested my son’s medical records to get second opinions. The hospital in cooperation with CAS refused to provide me with them. The accusing doctor later claimed that she had “no recollection” of me requesting the records, although there is written evidence of it.

Later, I found this is one of the common practices in cases of medical kidnapping - parents, accused of abuse, demand second opinions because they know they did not hurt their child, but are refused access to medical records (usually fully backed up by CAS in case the children had already been apprehended). Beware of this and know that you absolutely have the right to access your child’s medical records. Contact your lawyer and file a motion to get all medical records, nursing staff notes, and very importantly, all imaging. This step is vital to get your child diagnosed properly.

My son was hospitalized for a month because he developed strong seizures that were difficult to manage. Me and my husband were not allowed access to him in the pediatric intensive care unit for several days, although he was a breastfed baby. I complained and was allowed to drop off milk at the door, but not stay at his bedside. Several days later, merely because of miscommunication between CAS and PICU staff, we were allowed access, but were told that once he’s released from PICU into general ward, we won’t be able to stay at his bedside again, since there is no nurse 24/7 to keep an eye on us. You can only imagine how desperate a mother of a sick child is, firstly because her child is sick, secondly because the reason is unknown, thirdly, because she and the child’s father are treated as abusers, and fourthly, because she is not allowed to stay at her sick child’s bedside. My son was then a 2 month-old preemie.

Thankfully, my son survived and recovered to the point that he was ready to move from intensive care to the regular ward. The accusing doctor and CAS workers refused to let me stay by his bedside, I was desperate, complained again and was lucky to get support from one of the PICU nurses (whose name I’m ashamed to have forgotten in the whirlwind of the events), who simply refused to move my son unless I’m allowed to stay at his bedside. I am so thankful to her for her support and will do my best to track her and thank her in person.

My son recovered beyond the doctors’ expectations and while he suffers from cerebral palsy (CP), cortical visual impairment (CVI) and developmental delays as a result of his brain bleed caused by multiple massive strokes and grueling seizures , he is far from being in the “vegetative state” we were told he’ll stay in by the neurologist from McMaster who had failed to see my son’s strokes on a CT scan in the first place.

In January 2018, a little over a month after this hell had started, my husband got charged with aggravated assault against our baby. Interestingly enough, he was not charged with assaulting his twin sister, although she, too, had presented with old fractures in various stages of healing. He was released on bail, had to move out of the family home and as ordered by the Crown prosecutor, had no contact at all with any of his children, not even supervised visits or online chats or calls. Little did we know that this will go on for 3 long years.

When my children finally got back into my care after horrifically long six months, I was able to get their medical records and started digging into the actual reason for my twins’ fractures and my son’s brain bleed. We hired experts who went through my son’s medical records and images and at long last, we knew what had happened to him. He was diagnosed with vitamin D deficiency rickets, complicated by his prematurity and being a twin. The fractures that both the twins had suffered were low-impact (occult) fractures that didn’t present with signs as bruising, swelling or abnormal pain reactions. At the time of his collapse, my son was found to have an infection (that didn’t present with a fever) that led to hemorrhage strokes and severe seizures. His bloodwork showed white blood count levels that the laboratory marked as panic high and nursing staff noted that they were sucking thick white liquid from his lungs. The accusing doctor turned a blind eye on these facts (as well as other panic high/low markers in his bloodwork). Later, at trial, she testified that the panic high white blood cell count must have been due to stress, not infection.

I cannot describe the relief when, after so many grueling months, biased accusations and CAS-induced trauma we finally had an explanation of it all.

It took three long hard years -December 1, 2017 to April 30, 2021 for my husband to hear the judge’s verdict - not guilty and for our family to be reunited. The trial took 5 weeks and 2 days, to an extent due to Crown’s obstructions and extremely slow pace. She tried to discredit all our experts so that they would not even be allowed to testify. She must have knows that if they do, she’ll lose. I can highly recommend dr.Jane Turner and dr.Joseph Scheller as expert witnesses. Dr.Charles Hyman, another expert witness that we had, is, sadly, retiring from his expert practice, but has very generously agreed to be of help to our group.

Financially, false child abuse accusation cost us around $300 000 in lawyer fees and tens of thousands in expert witness fees.

After the verdict we thought the nightmare was finally over. But one day after the end of our criminal trial, the Waterloo CAS contacted us to say that they would like to “discuss the outcome of the trial and what it means to your family”. Family cases were closed by the judge in August 2019, but a month later CAS suddenly sent me a letter saying that whatever the outcome of the criminal trial will be, based on their “investigation” they are still going to treat my husband as guilty based on their “investigation” and “verification”. Insane? No doubt. Really happening? Yes. Be aware of this. The fact that you are found not guilty at a criminal trial isn’t enough evidence for CAS and you might be facing yet another fight at court.

Between March 31 and May 18, 2021, when the CAS finally gave up and closed the file, they tried to get personal information about our son’s current health, they requested to speak to his medical professionals and they were not going to budge on their “verified” information. Yet, when asked to be specific about their verifications and prove it, they would wiggle out of these questions, saying these questions had been discussed already. Actually, they were discussed in the sense that we kept asking to be provided with any evidence for their “verified” claims and the process of verification itself. We never got answers to these questions to date, when the file is finally closed.

I am now progressing to writing detailed complaints to the Ombudsman and the Ministry about the shady practices of CAS Waterloo and contacting the media to share our story in the hope to raise awareness of the false child abuse/medical kidnapping phenomenon.

There is so much shame and CAS-induced fear connected to parents falsely accused of child abuse that they, sometimes even after their case has long been resolved, never share their story publicly. This silence only fuels further medical kidnapping to be happening. Please, do share your story, talk about the people who harmed your family and help stop CAS -supported medical kidnapping based on misdiagnoses by “child abuse” pediatricians.

It is, sadly, more common than you might think. Please, speak up. Please, listen. Never give up the fight.

Thank you.

A grandma’s nightmare

My grandson was born 3 weeks early so he was small. 6lbs 8 ozs. My daughters first baby and our first grandchild. One of the happiest days of our lives.

From the first day we all noticed a popping feeling when we picked him up. We were assured it was "normal". By the second day we noticed the hospital ID band had dug into his leg (leaving a scar that was still visible when he was 2 yrs old). Again we were assured he was ok

At his first 3 wellness checks there were no concerns.

He was the best baby except at feeding time he was inconsolable. Screaming and pulling his little legs up. My daughter tried different formulas. But nothing helped. And this little guy never had a solid bowel movement.

When he was 3 weeks old he was circumcised. Every diaper was lathered in Vaseline. At the 3 week follow up the doctor said because the skin hadn't been pulled back enough he had to "redo" the procedure. We were all devastated. My grandson was a little trooper. So again for the next 3 weeks his diaper was lathered in Vaseline. My daughter was terrified to have the diaper stick and cause any pain.

My grandson over the next 3 weeks saw his family doctor twice and another follow up with the doctor who did the circumcision. So in his first 6 weeks of life had seen a medical professional 7 times and not one of them had any concerns with him

Even though he wasn't gaining a lot of weight my daughter was assured he was a healthy baby and he was just colicky. She had tried another 2 kinds of formula but nothing was helping during feeding. But all medical experts who saw him said he was doing well.

She questioned the popping we could all still feel when we picked him up. And again she was assured it was normal.

3 days after his last follow up with circumcision doctor my daughter went to change my grandson’s first diaper of the day. She called me in a panic. Said the skin on his scrotum looked like it was torn. There was no blood. But she wanted to get it checked out she didn't want him getting an infection because he was still not having solid bowel movements. She rushed him to our local hospital.

The emergency doctor decided it needed to be stitched, which shocked my daughter. As there was no blood. They gave the baby amoxicillin. He immediately vomited yellow and became drowsy. This is when our nightmare started.

The hospital then called CAS and the police.

When I arrived at the hospital the nurse told me my grandson had brain damage and they were sending him to a larger hospital.

They wouldn't allow my daughter to go in the ambulance with her tiny baby.

The police went and searched her place and took her boyfriend in for questioning.

My daughter and I drove the 2 hours to the hospital. There we were met by a detective who questioned us both. He decided we weren't suspects and let us in.

We had so many people coming in telling us this baby had been abused. We had no idea what was going on. My grandson never had a mark on him and NO ONE had hurt him. Yet they were telling us he had a broken leg and broken ribs. Luckily despite what our local hospital had said there was no brain damage.

2 days later CAS called my daughter and said we had to leave the hospital immediately or the police would remove us as we were both suspects now.

They put my grandson into foster care and no one could see him unsupervised. Despite a lot of family saying they would take him, they still put him in foster care.

My daughter started to try and find answers. We knew my mom had been diagnosed with a 50 % bone density at the age of 50. My family also had issues with their teeth. My mom had dentures at 18 after having me. And I had a lot of dental issues during my pregnancy and after having my children. And during her pregnancy my daughter had issues as well causing a lot dental work needing to be done

We found the amazing group called Fractured Families and reached out to 6 expert doctors.

My daughter’s lawyer had to fight in court to get my grandson’s medical records but once he finally got them and they were able to be sent for the doctors to review we finally got some answers. My daughter went and got her blood work done (this was 12 weeks after my grandson was born). To our surprise she was Vitamin D deficient. My daughter and I also met with a doctor and after some testing we were both diagnosed with hypermobile EhlersDanslos Syndrome (hEDS) - a connective tissues disorder that effects all tissues in the body, including bones, skin etc.

All 6 experts said it was clear that my grandson had what's called infantile rickets. This was because he was born severely Vitamin D deficient. Since Canada does not test pregnant women's Vitamin D levels, we had no way of knowing how low my daughter’s Vitamin D level was her entire pregnancy.

The doctors explained my grandson’s bones were not fully developed - his bones were underdeveloped and fragile. When his body started to get its own Vitamin D, his bones would finish properly developing and strengthen. His skin was already sensitive because of his hEDS and adding the Vaseline for 6 weeks caused it to be even more sensitive

My daughter was in a fight with CAS. Going to court every month. All the lawyer fees forced my husband and I to spend our savings and remortgage our house but we had to prove this baby was never abused and was loved and well taken care of.

He was kept in foster care for 10 weeks and then a safety plan was made, only because a judge ordered it. CAS who claim to want to keep families together was actually fighting to keep ours apart. 17 month later my daughter was finally given back full custody. And CAS agreed to disagree as they would not believe our experts. Even with 6 of them with all different degrees and expertise in their fields.

My grandson’s father was arrested and charged 15 months after the nightmare started. The original CAP (child abuse paediatrician) still won't admit he was wrong. It has not gone to trial and we are almost at the 5 year mark.

On his blog

I was just 5 days short of being 17 when I had my daughter Taylor. I was still living at home with my mom who by the way works at a school as an educational assistant with children with developmental disorders and behavioral problems. When Taylor was around 5 weeks old she started screaming in pain constantly I took her to numerous doctors and nurses who suggested switching her formula, or maybe it was constipation. I did everything the doctors told me to do. Finally when nothing was working I brought Taylor into the emergency room and explained to the triage nurse that I didn’t know what was wrong but she was screaming in pain. She looked at me and said “babies cry you know” as if I was some dumb 17 year old mother. Taylor was screaming in emerge for 3 hours and still no one would see me so I left. The next morning when I was doing a diaper change I noticed that she had a swollen leg. So I went to google because that seemed to help more than the doctors. There was a story about an infant with a swollen leg and it ended up that the baby had a broken leg. So I took Taylor immediately back to the hospital and I told the nurse I think her leg is broken. She asked me why I would think that and I told her I googled infants with swollen legs. They performed X-rays and it came back that she had around 12 broken bones. I was questioned by detectives the next morning then transferred to Macmaster. When we got to Macmaster I was assigned to a child abuse team which by the way had a husband and wife on it which I thought was a little biased. They did more testing and found she had over 20 broken bones all in different stages of healing her femur one was a “twisting fracture”. She didn’t have one bruise on her body, no internal organ damage, no hemorrhaging, just these mysterious fractures. I was in an appointment with the orthopaedic surgeon at the time I got a phone call to go to a meeting. I walked in the meeting and there was around 10 people there and that’s when they told me they were apprehending Taylor. I couldn’t believe it I didn’t understand I know no one hurt my baby so why was she getting taken. We got a lawyer right away and started the fight. That’s when we found Dr. Marvin Miller who recommended Dr. Hyman. We spent over 40 grand send Dr. Hyman all her medical records etc and have him fly down not once but twice to our trial. He suggested I go for a bone density scan and in that scan it was determined I was borderline osteoporosis at 17. Taylor also broke a bone in foster care after around 2 months of being there I knew it was wrong to be happy but I couldn’t help it I thought that was for sure going to be what finally brought her home. When we brought that up family and children’s services said “it was just one bone, accidents happen”. Dr. Hyman stated in our trial that he was certain Taylor had vitamin deficiency rickets. Unfortunately the judge did not agree and she was adopted out to her foster family. I was broken and depressed for years. Sadly February 14th 2021 Taylor passed away from a very rare muscle cancer called rhabdomyosarcoma. I can’t help but wonder if this is connected to what happened to her bones as an infant. Muscles are the closest things to bones what are the chances one little girl had two very rare things happen to her. If there in a connection I want to make sure that there’s something that could possibly be done before this happens to someone else.

(from the USA - same broken system of fabricated child abuse by child abuse pediatricians and Children’s Services).

In March of 2019, my daughter gave birth to twin boys at 33 weeks gestation. They were in the NICU for 2 weeks before heading home. After almost 2 weeks home, Twin B was congested so Mom took him to the Navy Hospital & was told by the doctor that he was fine. He said she must not be feeding him correctly and mansplained the use of a bulb syringe. The next night he was found unconscious & “floppy,” as Mom would describe him. Dad called 9-1-1 while Mom did Infant CPR that they were taught before leaving the birth hospital. By the time EMS arrived Leo was breathing again and his color was starting to return. He spent another (approx.) 7-10 days in the hospital while these episodes continued both in and out of the parents presence.

May 2nd, Mom was doing morning diaper changes and noticed Leo’s leg was swollen. She took him to the ER where they asked about any other symptoms he was having. She told them he’d been fussy over the last day but she thought he was just constipated, as was normal for him, so far. The hospital wrote down that she brought him in due to fussiness and constipation, not the swollen leg.

Leo was sent to Mary Bridge Children’s Hospital in Tacoma, WA where Mom and Dad would soon find out his femur was broken. Full body x-rays would also reveal fractured ribs. It was during this time, while the medical staff was attending to Leo, that Mom was able to focus on Twin A, Caelum. As she undressed him to change his diaper she noticed his opposite leg was swollen in the same location as his brother and she alerted the nurse. X-rays would show he also had a broken femur, his ribs were “suspicious for fractures” and had a “bulbous appearance.”

As Mom and I messaged throughout the day, and as the injuries started piling up, I thought Dad had to have hurt the babies. Mom was adamant that he would never do that and she wholly believed that they must have a medical condition that caused weak bones. As more and more labs came in, my sister and I scoured medical articles for answers and we all started to believe Mom was right.

As with any infant with fractures, we expected a visit from CPS but Mom wasn’t worried. She knew no one had hurt her babies and she believed the hospital would do what they’re expected to do; find answers and address the cause. Instead, they took custody of the babies and kicked both parents out of the hospital. The staff would note that Mom had been “unemotional” during the hospital visit & claimed she showed no emotion when being forcibly removed. While she wasn’t emotional when she believed the hospital would do their due diligence, she was distraught when they kicked them out. She immediately called me and was absolutely inconsolable.

I was on a plane 3 days later and was hell-bent on getting the twins placed with me while we waited for an investigation that never really started.

I was immediately shot down. CPS told me they wouldn’t allow me to take the babies back to Florida and would only consider local placement. I told them I would stay, and I did. They continued to deny me access to the twins. The same tiny little humans I’d done skin-to-skin with in the NICU and who’d been snatched away from the parents whose sounds and smells they knew so well. I was the only other person available at the time who had any connection to the boys and still, they denied me. It was clear they didn’t appreciate my concern for their medical health or my pointed questions about abnormal labs and indecisive radiology reports.

From the time the babies were taken we gathered every medical record pertaining to them, in utero and out, every hospital record, doctor visit, and even prenatal care. We looked for anything outside of normal, any notation, lab result, radiology report, x-ray image, etc., and we made a list. When we started researching online, our suspicions grew; we were seeing medical journals, peer-reviewed medical studies, experts on bone health, experts on genetic diseases, and radiologists with decades of experience and they all pointed us to metabolic bone disease (MBD).

MBD was formerly known as Rickets and is a disease caused by a severe Vitamin D Deficiency (VDD). The body needs VD in order to absorb calcium and it needs calcium to build strong bones. There are multiple high-risk factors that increase the likelihood of an infant having MBD; those include: multiples, males, melanated, history of fetal growth restriction, premature, born in the winter months, born at a location known for VDD (due to lack of sunlight exposure), mother having a history of VDD, hyperemesis gravidarum (a severe form of morning sickness that limits access to necessary vitamins through nausea, vomiting, and/or loss of appetite), as well as a history of caffeine intake during pregnancy and use of acid reducers for indigestion (both of these reduce calcium absorption). The twins had all of these.

As we read birth records we were surprised to learn that Caulem’s NICU Intake noted a “large pectus excavatum,” which is a recess in the breastbone and when searched on The National Center for Biotechnology Information’s (NCBI) website you’ll find that the most likely cause of a pectus excavatum is MBD. No one ever mentioned this. No one ever mentioned any of this. Not the likelihood of MBD, not the EVIDENCE of MBD.

On the radiology reports from the days after the twins were taken, the radiologist wrote that Caelum’s ribs were “suspicious for fractures” and had a “bulbous appearance.” The NCBI website also says that this bulbous appearance is common in children with MBD and that MBD is the most likely explanation. In the lab work there were abnormal results and when searched together brought forth more articles from NCBI about MBD.

The fact that Leo had been given CPR just weeks prior was ignored and said to be an excuse Mom was trying to use to suggest mode of injury for the rib fractures she “caused” by abuse. ER doctor and UNCERTIFIED Child Abuse Pediatrician, Dr. Elizabeth Woods, said this was a case of “horrific abuse” on the part of Mom, since Dad was back at work and only Mom was alone with the babies. She never reviewed their medical history and she lied, repeatedly, about the twins’ labs and bone health being “outstanding.” Even when those labs were anything but. We pushed for tests that would review the babies’ bone density but were ignored and denied, repeatedly.

Woods pushed CPS to try and deny visits between the babies and their parents. When told that a judge would likely give them visits anyway, she pleaded for the “highest level of supervision possible.” A statement she’d used in a prior case where a judge in King County said her allegations were without merit and entered a stinging admonishment into the Court Order dismissing Woods’ case. Judge Susan Amini said Woods seemed more concerned about defending her reputation than actually proving her allegations of abuse. She also noted that Woods claimed in her statements that multiple doctors agreed with her assessment, while no specific doctors were ever listed and there were no other notes that corroborated a concern for abuse. The same was true in our babies’ case. No one cared.

Several experts reviewed the twins’ medical records. All three concluded that this was a straightforward case of MBD. They included supporting documents and easy to understand illustrations of what evidence supported this in the twins’ x-rays. They pointed out that a Mary Bridge nurse suggested the need for VD because they were premature infants with fractures. No one cared.

We had the babies blood spot cards from birth tested in an independent lab for VD levels. These blood spots are taken within 24-48 hours of birth and are held in a state lab until they’re 18 (in WA). The lab that tested the samples ran the tests twice on both infants because the VD levels were so low they thought there had been a lab error. They stated on the report that these levels would cause MBD. NO ONE CARED.

Because I believed in the evidence and the experts over the opinion of an ER Pediatrician, I was seen as a liability. CPS claimed that because I disagreed with them about how the babies were injured I wouldn’t take keeping them safe from Mom seriously. They said I didn’t like them so I wouldn’t be cooperative, when in reality it was The Department who refused to follow their own policies and work with me, not because of an unwillingness on my part.

After 9 months of the twins in foster care, in December of 2019, the Commissioner finally acknowledged the unfair bias CPS had against me and he ordered the boys be placed with my wife and I, over The Department’s many objections. We had a single visit with the twins on Christmas Eve. I hadn’t seen them since May at this point and it was my wife’s first time meeting them. We thought we were going to be taking them home soon but found out at the end of that visit that CPS was fighting the Commissioner’s ruling and the boys would be staying with the foster family during the appeal process. I was DEVASTATED. They ended the visit with a “Merry Christmas!” which felt very much like rubbing salt in a wound, the social worker seemed pleased.

The end of January 2020 our appeal was heard and that judge ruled in our favor, as well. We picked the babies up that night. They were at visitation with Dad (Mom hadn’t been allowed to see them since police charged her with abuse in July of 2019). They were asleep as we loaded them into my car and they woke up in a new place, with new people, and absolutely no adjustment period. They adjusted well despite this. I like to believe they still felt that bond from their NICU days and the couple of visits I had with them while they were gone.

From that day CPS continued trying to take them from me. They failed our Home Study, not for any health or safety concerns but because I didn’t agree with their opinion, they said so in their denial letter. They used the failed Home Study as their reason to want the boys removed. They said, multiple times and from the very beginning that they wanted to remove the parents from the twins’ lives and allow them permanency through adoption. No one had even been found guilty of abuse.

In October of 2021 I finally won Guardianship. In November the case with CPS was finally dismissed. I have Guardianship of the boys until they’re adults or until their parents can regain it. Mom’s criminal attorney was court appointed and was absolute garbage. We now know he was telling her she needed to be “realistic” because there was no such thing as justice in the real world and he wanted her to take a plea. Meanwhile he was also going behind her back to ask the prosecutor’s office for a plea deal. The prosecutor’s office ignored the misrepresentations in the police report used to get an arrest warrant, they ignored the inconsistencies in Woods’ Statement of Abuse and the actual medical evidence THAT I POINTED OUT in THEIR FILES, and they ignored the Judge Amini Order admonishing Dr. Woods THAT I SENT THEM. They made a plea offer and when Mom hesitated at accepting it they imported a deadline and sent an email and said that if she didn’t sign it they would add charges and aggravators to push for 25 YEARS TO LIFE IN PRISON. She was scared, she hadn’t seen her babies in almost two whole years, and she had finally lost faith in the system she believed would find Truth and Justice and return her babies to her. She accepted a deal that will allow her to have custody back in 2026, and as long as she complied with the terms of that deal her ENTIRE CASE WILL BE DISMISSED.

Because that sounds like something a prosecutor would be willing to do when he’s convinced you committed “horrific abuse” to your 3 & 4lb infants *sarcasm*.

The trauma caused by this series of events is unmeasurable. The fear that surrounds every bump or bruise is paralyzing. Every unexpected knock at the door brings panic. When my own child was seen at Mary Bridge and I was uncomfortable with the side effects of a medication they prescribed I was scared to even ask questions, in fear they would claim I was medically neglecting my child as they had to other families I now knew about. Mom and Dad both struggle emotionally with the pain and depression that comes with having your new babies LEGALLY KIDNAPPED and kept from them. All of the firsts they missed they can never get back.

The part of parenthood where you learn every day, with every new experience, was stolen and they have had to navigate a new life with two toddlers instead of the gradual process of growing together as a family from infancy. Leo and Caelum have had to become reacquainted with their parents and now get frustrated that they can’t stay at Mommy and Daddy’s house or go when Mommy and Daddy leave. When they wake up during the night and they tell me they miss Mommy and/or Daddy, my heart breaks for them and what was stolen from all of them. All of Us.

Only time will tell what emotional or psychological effects this will have on the boys, or on our entire immediate family. We are ever thankful that we didn’t lose the babies to adoption and that they’re safely with my wife and our kids, no longer with the threat of removal always lingering. But this isn’t a happy ending, it should have never happened in the first place. It could happen to anyone, at any time, in any place.

**Dr. Elizabeth Woods has since been fired from her position at Mary Bridge Children’s Hospital for her false allegations of abuse against more than, at least, a dozen families in her 5 +/- years there. The Washington Department of Children, Youth, and Families has said that Dr. Woods is no longer on their list of doctors whom they have contracts with but that they aren’t saying they wouldn’t reconsider her in the future, despite her lies.

I was falsely accused of child abuse by the SCAN team after they misdiagnosed my son with having fractures all in various stages of healing. They refused to do genetic testing. They only wanted to accept that this was child abuse.

Well, I’ve gotten 7 second opinions and they have all said “Not child abuse”. My son has a metabolic bone disorder. It’s very obvious due to the abnormal test results. His bloodwork results were all over the place. SickKids tested him 26 times in 1 week to get a somewhat normal blood test result and used that in their argument, that my son didn’t have a bone disorder.

I know so many families who’ve been lied to by the SCAN team. It’s disgusting. They rip families apart and I’m still fighting to get my kids back.

CTV W5: Dubious Diagnosis

In March of 2023 we were falsely accused of child abuse by Dr. Jolene Drake when we requested X-rays for our 6 month old daughter who was struggling with severe constipation. Her X-rays showed “healed” rib fractures which triggered a hospital admission and abuse work up.

The abuse diagnosis was “confirmed” by a radiologist at children’s hospital named John Mawson who said her fractures were absolutely abuse despite her history of birth trauma. We were then sent to the SCAN clinic and assessed by Lara Malks-Jjumba who refused to have our daughter see any specialists despite her saying “if your daughter had a brittle bone disorder she would need to see endocrinology” she continued to deny the referral.

She also refused to reach out to our OB/Gyn about the birth trauma and initially said that our case was most definitely child maltreatment and abuse. It wasn’t until after our OB called her and the ministry and the lawyers and submitted in writing a statement confirming our daughter had suffered birth trauma and he believed he had broken her ribs, that she had to change her report to inconclusive. A report that stated no further testing was required and no further specialties were needed and that despite the fact that after 9 months our daughters repeat X-rays still showed visible fractures she did not feel our daughter had a brittle bone condition or that we had provided adequate explanations or evidence for our daughters fracture triggering a year long battle for our family against Child services trying to prevent them from kidnapping our daughter and them never once allowing or accepting a second opinion.

Our daughter has since been diagnosed with a brittle bone condition SEC24D gene deletion/ Osteogensis Imperfecta. Despite her diagnosis CAS states that we have not provided an adequate explanation of our daughters fractures and sadly they remain involved with our family.