My husband and I were in our early thirties at the time. I was a stay-at-home mom.
In January 1998, our twin boys were born three weeks early via emergency c-section. We already had a sixteen-month-old daughter.
We were living in Pennsylvania, USA.
Pregnancy and Birth
The twins were born three weeks early after an emergency c-section due to premature rupture of membranes. Twin B was a poor eater, slept constantly, and experienced jerking spells when he was changed. I felt that something was wrong, but the doctors were not concerned. At his two-month check-up, I was told that everything with Twin B was normal.
The Day Everything Changed
The morning after Twin B’s vaccinations, he regurgitated his bottle and had a seizure. He emitted a high-pitched cry and would not settle, which was unusual because he was always a placid, sleepy baby who rarely cried. His head felt very cold, and when I took his temperature, it was extremely low. I called the doctor, but he said my thermometer must be broken (even though it wasn’t). He was unconcerned and told me to give him some Pedialyte. I did so, but he still would not settle, so I contacted the doctor again. We brought him in, and he was sent across the road to the hospital because they thought he had formula in his lungs. He was then transported by ambulance to another hospital.
When the Diagnosis Was Made
At the hospital, he was placed in the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit and sent for a CT scan. After the scan, the doctor told us that our baby had bleeding in his brain and that he must have been shaken. The doctor stated that he had contacted child protective services in our area. He said he was going to perform a test the following day for retinal hemorrhaging to rule out Shaken Baby Syndrome. I asked if he could do it that day to rule it out, but he refused.
The next day, we saw the doctor. He looked over at us but did not come over, so we went to him to ask about the test. He told us that the test came back negative. I asked if he still believed our baby had been shaken so that we could find the real cause of the illness. He could not look us in the eye and told us he would have to check his textbook. He then turned and walked away from us, avoiding us for the remainder of our son’s stay. The hospital staff were awful, treating us like criminals. Our baby had no bruising or any signs of trauma on his body.
Inside the Legal System
Our son was taken into foster care straight from the hospital in March 1998. We were only allowed to see him in a supervised contact center for one hour every two weeks. The state wanted him adopted, and his foster carers wanted him. We had three extremely qualified doctors testify, while the state had only one doctor who was not qualified to read neurological films. In July 1998, our son had an MRI; he had more bleeding in his brain while in foster care, but he was allowed to stay with the same foster carers.
In July 1998, our other two children were taken into foster care with another family, even though we had undergone numerous tests to prove they were not abused, including skeletal X-rays recommended by our lawyer. We could only see them for one hour every week in the same contact center.
The grandparents asked to look after the children, but they were denied.
In October 2000, after a court hearing, our other two children were eventually returned home, but not our other son. We appealed the decision to get him home, but we lost. He was adopted and died when he was eighteen years old.
Living Under Suspicion
We ended up having to declare bankruptcy and got divorced a few years later. My mental health has suffered, and I still feel that I am suffering twenty-eight years later. My other twin does not speak about the events, but while they were in foster care, they were neglected and abused. As time moves on, the trauma lessens to a degree, but it never goes away.
After everything that has happened, I want to bring attention to this and help other parents who have suffered.
For consistency across testimonies, this text may have been slightly edited or translated by artificial intelligence. If you notice any error or inconsistency, please don’t hesitate to contact us.
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