Children’s Medical Center Dallas (Children’s) requested a meeting with the Pardo family and Child Protective Services (CPS) earlier this week. This request followed Children’s recent filing of a CPS report which resulted in the illegal removal of Drake Pardo (age four). The Pardo family was joined at the meeting by their legal and advocacy teams, including THSC.

This devastation occurred after CPS collected a court order to take the medically fragile four-year-old from his family, claiming an “emergency” situation although the investigation had already been ongoing for nearly two weeks at the time. The family videoed the horrible incident.

CPS has attempted to justify the removal based on an affidavit provided to them by Dr. Dakil, who works for Children’s. The affidavit expressed “concern” over whether the Pardo family’s detailing of Drake’s medical symptoms was accurate.

At the meeting, CPS dug in their heels on the illegal removal of Drake despite Children’s Medical Center Dallas stating that the hospital’s concerns had been resolved after the conversation with Drake’s parents. At the June 27 meeting, two things became impossibly clear:

  1. Children’s Medical Center Dallas had not reviewed all of Drake’s important medical documents.
  2. Everyone in the room knew that no emergency had ever existed to justify Drake’s removal, but CPS would not back down.
Dr. Dakil, who originally reported the Pardo family to CPS, expressed two main concerns during the meeting. First, that she doubted the family’s claim that Drake has autism. Upon seeing a copy of Drake’s letter of diagnosis from another doctor, Dr. Dakil stated that she had “not seen” the record before. Second, Dr. Dakil expressed doubt about Drake’s need for a feeding tube, which Children’s had originally suggested. The Pardo family and the doctors came to an agreement on the best future course of action for Drake.

The family and the doctors concluded that clear communication between the parties would resolve the medical concerns raised by Children’s. Although she had originally filed the CPS report, Dr. Dakil also stated that she was surprised when CPS decided to remove Drake from his home.

Upon hearing that both the family and the doctors had agreed on the best solution for Drake’s medical care, CPS still refused to return Drake. It is now impossibly clear that no emergency ever existed to justify taking Drake. When forced to choose between admitting an egregious error or keeping Drake away from his family to save face, CPS chose the latter. 

The family is currently scheduled to appear in court on July 2, at which point the judge will hopefully require Drake be returned to his family.

The hearing will take place at 9 a.m. in the 422nd District Court, located at 100 W. Mulberry, Kaufman, TX 75142. THSC is encouraging families to attend the hearing in support of Drake and the Pardos.

The Pardo family is in a battle to save Drake from the very state agency built to protect him. Apparently, CPS was unable to stomach the prospect of admitting an error and preferred instead to save face at the expense of a four-year-old boy and his family.

Please pray for this family. THSC has launched a campaign to raise $50,000 to help #BringDrakeHome.

Donate and Sign the Petition on BringDrakeHome.com
 
Attend the court hearing in support of Drake and the Pardos:
  • When: Tuesday, July 2, 2019 at 9 a.m.
  • Where: 422nd District Court
    100 W. Mulberry St.
    Kaufman, TX 75142