July 23, 2019
As we continue to track the horrific state-sanctioned kidnapping by Child Protective Services (CPS) of Ashley and Daniel Pardos’ four-year-old special needs child, the most-often-asked question is, “How did this happen?”
You can read the full background on the case for yourself, but the short answer is that doctors at Children’s Medical Center Dallas started the chain of events that would result in the unlawful taking of this medically fragile child.
The Pardos had taken their son to this hospital for several years for treatment. The family registered a complaint with the hospital regarding the failure of one of their son’s doctors to visit him while he was in the hospital. While the hospital never informed the family of any resulting investigation regarding the complaint, they did launch an investigation into the family.
According to testimony at the July 2 hearing, one of Children’s doctors conducted an incomplete review of the extensive medical records of the child (from various facilities) and contacted CPS with her “concerns.” The doctor who conducted the review and contacted CPS had never actually seen or spoken to the child or family.
CPS asked the doctor to sign an affidavit which, two weeks later, CPS used to justify an “emergency” removal of the child. This is despite the doctor testifying that she never requested removal and did not believe there was any emergency requiring the removal.
CPS contacted the family but cut off communication when the family’s attorney asked to be informed of the allegations (a legal requirement). CPS made no other effort to resolve the case without removing the child.
Many do not know that Children’s Medical Center Dallas receives extensive state funding for a “child abuse unit” at the hospital. This unit is tasked with looking for child abuse. One state official recently said in a public hearing that if his child had an injury which could possibly be construed as child abuse he would never take his child to a “specialty” hospital such as Children’s, and for exactly this reason.
The Pardo case is certainly a case-in-point. We do not know if the doctor whom the Pardos registered a complaint against has been investigated. Nor do we know if this is the reason that Children’s Medical Center Dallas initiated the investigation of the Pardo family, but it certainly seems coincidental.
Senator Bob Hall, who attended the July 2 hearing, recently posted a report detailing the contradictions between the doctor’s complaint and her subsequent testimony, where she significantly walked back her concerns. Despite the doctor testifying that no “emergency” had ever existed requiring removal and admitting that simple communication between the parties could resolve the entire issue, CPS was allowed to keep the child.
This whole sordid saga raises questions about Children’s Medical Center Dallas that should be investigated.
Please pray for the Pardo family and their legal team. Tragedies like this should never happen, but somehow they still do. This is not over. Sign up now to receive legislative updates on the Pardo case and more.
July 23, 2019
As we continue to track the horrific state-sanctioned kidnapping by Child Protective Services (CPS) of Ashley and Daniel Pardos’ four-year-old special needs child, the most-often-asked question is, “How did this happen?”
You can read the full background on the case for yourself, but the short answer is that doctors at Children’s Medical Center Dallas started the chain of events that would result in the unlawful taking of this medically fragile child.
The Pardos had taken their son to this hospital for several years for treatment. The family registered a complaint with the hospital regarding the failure of one of their son’s doctors to visit him while he was in the hospital. While the hospital never informed the family of any resulting investigation regarding the complaint, they did launch an investigation into the family.
According to testimony at the July 2 hearing, one of Children’s doctors conducted an incomplete review of the extensive medical records of the child (from various facilities) and contacted CPS with her “concerns.” The doctor who conducted the review and contacted CPS had never actually seen or spoken to the child or family.
CPS asked the doctor to sign an affidavit which, two weeks later, CPS used to justify an “emergency” removal of the child. This is despite the doctor testifying that she never requested removal and did not believe there was any emergency requiring the removal.
CPS contacted the family but cut off communication when the family’s attorney asked to be informed of the allegations (a legal requirement). CPS made no other effort to resolve the case without removing the child.
Many do not know that Children’s Medical Center Dallas receives extensive state funding for a “child abuse unit” at the hospital. This unit is tasked with looking for child abuse. One state official recently said in a public hearing that if his child had an injury which could possibly be construed as child abuse he would never take his child to a “specialty” hospital such as Children’s, and for exactly this reason.
The Pardo case is certainly a case-in-point. We do not know if the doctor whom the Pardos registered a complaint against has been investigated. Nor do we know if this is the reason that Children’s Medical Center Dallas initiated the investigation of the Pardo family, but it certainly seems coincidental.
Senator Bob Hall, who attended the July 2 hearing, recently posted a report detailing the contradictions between the doctor’s complaint and her subsequent testimony, where she significantly walked back her concerns. Despite the doctor testifying that no “emergency” had ever existed requiring removal and admitting that simple communication between the parties could resolve the entire issue, CPS was allowed to keep the child.
This whole sordid saga raises questions about Children’s Medical Center Dallas that should be investigated.
Please pray for the Pardo family and their legal team. Tragedies like this should never happen, but somehow they still do. This is not over. Sign up now to receive legislative updates on the Pardo case and more.
