Medical child abuse revisited 5

A Texas woman accused of exposing her son to unneeded medical tests and procedures — including taking him to hospitals more than 320 times — has pleaded guilty to recklessly causing injury to a child, according to a report.

Kaylene Bowen-Wright pleaded guilty this past Thursday in Dallas County court, the Fort Worth Star-Telegram reported.

Sentencing for the 35-year-old, who faces up to 20 years in prison, is set for October.

Child Protective Services removed the boy from her care in 2017 after it was alerted by a Dallas hospital that medical staff determined he didn’t have cancer or many of the symptoms Bowen reported.

In its petition for removal, the newspaper reported, CPS said the boy had been to hospitals and pediatric centers in Dallas and Houston at least 323 times in all, and he had 13 major surgeries between 2009 and 2016.

The boy’s father, Ryan Crawford, told the newspaper Friday: “I am happy that she decided to do the right thing. Eventually the lies had to stop.”

Crawford was made the sole managing conservator of the now 10-year-old.

“Medical abuse is underreported every day,” the father added. “Now it’s time to move forward, and make sure no child has to suffer the abuse my son endured.”

https://www.foxnews.com/us/texas-woman-pleads-guilty-illnesses-son

Bowen, who also goes by the last name of Wright, had even started or been the subject of fundraisers, claiming that Christopher was dying, initially from a rare genetic disorder and later from cancer.

Authorities alleged she had her son fitted with a feeding tube that fed directly into his small intestine and led to multiple life-threatening blood infections. They said she also tried to get him on the lung transplant list and had him in hospice care.

Crawford had tried to convince Dallas County family court judges for years that his son was not sick but they believed Bowen. One judge even prohibited Crawford from visits with his son, who was then 3.

Dallas hospital staff sounded the alarm with CPS, which led to the boy’s removal and Bowen’s arrest.

Crawford is the sole managing conservator of Christopher and gets to make all the decisions regarding where his son lives, attends school and the medical treatment he receives. Bowen is allowed supervised visits.

Crawford said his son, now 10, does well academically and is very athletic. The boy has no medical issues and has only needed to go to the doctor for physicals each year, Crawford said.

https://www.star-telegram.com/news/local/crime/article234077982.html