A baby removed from her parents after suspicions of abuse in
fact suffers from a rare illness, a family court has found.
The family asked to be identified in order to raise
awareness of their child’s condition.
Effie, is now approaching her first birthday, was admitted
to hospital last summer. Her parents, both in their early 20s, said she had
collapsed. Doctors found her unresponsive and struggling to breathe and she
suffered a number of seizures.
A CT scan revealed that the baby had ‘bilateral chronic
subdural hygromas’ (accumulations of fluid on the brain) and she underwent
treatment to relieve the resulting pressure. There were no bone fractures but
there was an abnormality of one rib, some bruises and retinal haemorrhaging –
none externally visible however.
Effie was made the subject of an emergency protection order
and the Police began an investigation. In the Family Court sitting at Milton
Keynes, Her Honour Judge Venables conducted a fact-finding hearing. She noted
that:
“Both parents have cooperated with all channels of enquiry.”
Effie was finally discharged from the children’s ward and
placed in foster care, where she has remained ever since.
Judge Venables explained:
“Effie is now reported to be thriving. It would appear she
has suffered no long term consequences from these medical events.”.
A police offer noted that while both parents seemed
distressed, the father, Craig, seemed especially agitated and he was arrested
on suspicion of posing a threat to his daughter.
He later apologised for his behaviour, saying he had been
scared.
Social workers at Buckinghamshire Council believed the
baby’s symptoms had been caused by her father shaking her and applied for Effie
to be taken into long-term care.
During the course of the proceedings, however, an entirely
different explanation for Effie’s injuries emerged. Her mother Carla was
diagnosed with Vascular Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome, a genetic disorder which causes
abnormally thin skin prone to bruising, as well as fragile internal organs.
As a result Effie was examined and found
to also be suffering from the Syndrome.
In a lengthy ruling, Judge Venable considered the detailed
medical evidence received from a numer of experts.
She explained:
“The local authority seeks permission to withdraw their
application for a care order. They do so on the basis that the evolving medical
evidence would no longer enable them to make out the threshold [establish that
there was need for Effie to be permanently removed from her parents and placed
in care]”.
She granted permission, saying there was “no solid
advantage” to the care proceedings continuing.
She also acknowledged the fortitude of Effie’s young
parents, saying:
“I would also like to commend these 2 young parents for the
extraordinarily dignified way in which they have conducted themselves over the
course of this hearing. They have been required to listen to a mountain of
medical evidence relating to their young and vulnerable daughter all of which
served to confirm that she has a life changing diagnosis which will
significantly impact on her health, lifestyle and likely longevity.”
http://www.marilynstowe.co.uk/2017/04/28/abused-baby-actually-has-genetic-illness-family-court-rules/
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