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A Missouri couple says they lost custody of their 8-year-old son simply because they sought a second medical opinion about his weight.
Tiffany and Jason Adams claim their son, Jaxon, was taken from them because of the recommendation of one doctor, who alleged that the boy was abused because he wasn’t gaining weight at home.
Jaxon previously was diagnosed with epilepsy, autism and other problems, and the mom says she had been following the treatment plan of feeding him through his stomach feeding tube.
Two days after a visit with the doctor, investigators from the Missouri Department of Social Services’ Children’s Division and a police officer came to the Adams’ home and took Jaxon away.
“They took Jaxon away from us based upon our request for a second opinion,” Adams told Kansas City TV Station Fox 4.
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Tiffany Adams told MedicalKidnap.com that the doctor became hostile to her when she said she wanted a second opinion about Jaxon’s condition. The doctor had reportedly diagnosed Jaxon with a number of psychosomatic medical problems, but Adams insists that Jaxon’s problems are real. She also thought the boy could suffer from undiagnosed mitochondrial disease.
A Low Standard For Taking A Child?
The doctor reportedly told the division that Jaxon was in imminent danger and needed to be removed from the family because he was not getting proper nutrition.
Peezy Mullins, a health care attorney who is not involved with the case, told Fox 4 that doctors must have “reasonable suspicion” to turn parents in, but it is a very low standard.
“If they are seeing a sick child over and over again and have no explanation for it, except for potential neglect, they would be required if they reasonably suspected it was due to neglect or abuse, to contact the Children’s Division,” Mullins said. “And they don’t have the resources to obtain conclusive proof of whether abuse or neglect is occurring, so they have to rely on the Children’s Division to obtain that if it is occurring.”
Jaxon was taken away and not allowed to see his parents for 26 days. During that period, staff took Jaxon off of all of his medications and fed him foods he was allergic to, his parents allege. The staff later put Jaxon back on all but one of the medications.
Children’s Mercy Hospital has denied the allegations
“Our patients are our #1 priority and we are committed to doing what’s best for the health, safety, and well-being of the children and families we serve,” the hospital said in a statement. “Children’s Mercy is obligated to follow the law to report suspected child abuse to duly constituted legal authorities including the Missouri Department of Social Services and the Kansas Department for Children and Families. Every hospital must report suspected abuse. The State then investigates and, when it determines it to be appropriate, takes action to protect the child.”
The state has since cut off all visits between the parents and the boy, which were down to once a week. During their last visit, Jaxon asked for seven hugs and seven kisses – enough to last him each day until the next scheduled visit.
The family has set up a Facebook page for updates. Click here.
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