Due to his baby girl having a rare disease that makes the bones extremely brittle and breakable, a father was labeled a child abuser and limited to just two hours per week of court-appointed supervision with her. He lost child custody during the ordeal, which saw the husband and dad charged with second-degree felony injury to a child, something which made even his wife wonder if he was an abuser.
The girl's parents worked to clear the father's name and discover what could possibly have been causing the little one's bones to break. Making the task especially difficult was the fact that doctors at the children's hospital where she was treated ruled out bone disorders like a brittle bone disease. That condition is often the cause of unexplained bone fractures. However, there was evidence of a metabolic or nutritional disorder. Unfortunately for the family, by the time Vitamin D tests were taken to check for a deficiency, the baby was already taking formula fortified with the bone-strengthening substance.
The father was indicted, and the situation looked hopeless. Then another couple, who lost custody of their twins after unexplained fractures were found by doctors, contacted them and shared their story, which matched the first couple's to an amazing degree. That family received the help of a geneticist who diagnosed the twins with an extremely rare connective tissue disorder. At last check, the wronged father, the mother, and their baby girl were back together and healing.
An allegation of child abuse is just one of many reasons the court may revoke a parent's child custody rights. For parents who want to do what they believe is in the best interests of the child, retaining a lawyer may mean bringing a valuable ally into the fight.
Source: WFAA, "Rare bone disease leads to bogus child abuse allegations", Janet St. James, November 15, 2013
Tags: Child custody, best interests of the child
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