CANDACE | ALABAMA

“My husband Josh and I wanted more than anything to start a family, but that did not happen easily for us. Finally, after a grueling IVF cycle, I got the call I had been waiting on…I was pregnant! We welcomed our son Harrison Knox Odom in December of 2018, healthy and perfect. Our hearts were full.

In January of 2020, we were thrilled to find out Knox was going to be a big brother. That spring, we thought it was a good time to move Knox from our room into his own bed in his room. Knox had a very difficult time with transitioning. He would scream all night. We sought our pediatrician’s advice and were told, “You have to stick with the routine and sleep training. He will get it.” Deep in my mom soul I felt something was off, but I trusted my doctor’s advice.

We were alarmed when Knox often began hitting his head over and over on both soft and hard objects so we also brought this up with our pediatrician. Again, we were told, “Nothing to worry about, he can’t hurt himself.” We were concerned, but trusted our pediatrician.

I will never forget the morning of Friday June 12th, 2020. We realized Knox had been sleeping late. Josh went upstairs to get him and I heard my husband’s awful screams. He ran down the stairs and I saw my baby with severe head swelling, bruising, and dried blood. We rushed to our local ER. Knox was calm. He did not seem in distress. I begged God to not take my son, I was so scared he was seriously hurt.

We would lose our son that weekend… just not in a way we could have ever imagined possible.

My husband sprinted with Knox into the entrance of the local ER. I with my pregnant belly went as fast as I could. I was told I was not allowed back due to COVID restrictions. I was hysterical at that point. Pacing outside in the Alabama heat. I never got her name, but a woman offered me comfort and prayer. I will never forget her kindness…a total stranger.

Finally, my husband texted me. Knox had imaging of his head done…NO internal injuries, fractures, bleeding etc.. All superficial to his face. I was finally allowed to go back. The staff truly seemed dumbfounded how he looked this way with no internal injuries. They suggested this could be a possible allergic reaction.

Knox was airlifted to the children’s hospital so he could get specialized pediatric care. I was expecting to get there and meet some type of top allergy or immune specialist, but instead the doctor introduced herself as the “physical injury specialist” (she was in fact a Child Abuse Pediatrician/CAP). Immediately, alarm bells went off for me.

Staff was holding my son down while the doctor took pictures. They had Knox in a neck brace. Please note, he had already had a head scan at the local ER and there was no need for a neck brace there. The doctor asked questions about what we thought happened and we were informed Knox would be having a full body scan and bloodwork.

I was so distraught in tears I could hardly speak. I remember my husband stating Knox had head banged in the past, but the doctor said nothing. After testing was done, I kept asking could Knox be cleaned up with the dried blood on his face and I was told he would be.

The next morning, rounds of other doctors came in, from residents to a neurosurgeon, who questioned why Knox was in the neck brace if his entire body scan was clear. Then the CAP came back for a second round of photos. My husband asked for her thoughts and she said, “This child was struck.” She said Knox would need to go to her clinic in two weeks for ANOTHER round of scans to ensure “no hidden fractures.” It’s interesting how my son was not cleaned up and the neck brace did not come off until AFTER she got her second round of photos. Almost like they wanted him to look as bad possible in the photos?

At 9:30 pm, I got a phone call from DHR (Alabama Department of Human Resources), “Yes, Ms. Odom we have a received a report of your son’s non-accidental injuries and a police report has been filed as well. Please select a family member and get me their information in the next 30 minutes or your son will go into foster care. Also please leave the hospital immediately. You and your husband can have no contact with Knox.”

I remember screaming and collapsing on the floor. Josh had to finish the call and then he called my mother-in-law and of course she agreed for her and my father-in-law to take him. My husband had to physically remove me from the hospital grounds.

At 2am, in a dark parking garage across from the hospital, me, my husband, and mother-in-law signed a 45 day “safety plan” where she would care for Knox and we would have no contact with our son…no contact…with our son…our son…our miracle.

We found attorneys, Jacy Fisher and Greg Varner, who agreed to take our case. Our attorney warned us charges would likely be forthcoming. She told us what to do if we were arrested and how to stay safe in jail until she could get us out. Just thinking about the possibility of an arrest and jail for something you did not do…is just…I don’t have words.

Our attorney accompanied us to the Sheriff’s Department for interviews where we were both subjected to hours of interrogation. We were told, “The CAP says your explanation of head banging is not possible. This a 20 year expert.” We agreed to a data extraction of our phones and a forensic search of our home. They took Knox’s pajamas he was wearing that morning and dusted his crib. When I say this was traumatizing and invasive…I don’t think that does it justice. I remember scrubbing off all the fingerprint dust off the crib and seeing his nursery torn apart...to this day when I enter that room I am flooded with memories.

Law enforcement even admitted their investigation had nothing to show, but still they clung to the CAP’s report.

One day, while checking in on Knox, the DHR worker offered to show my mother-in-law photos of Knox and the CAP’s report. My mother-in-law kindly stated, “I was there in the hospital. I know what he looked like and I know what the doctor is saying and she is wrong. My son and daughter-in-law did not do this.”

That night, not one, not two, but FIVE Sheriff’s deputies arrived at my in-laws with DHR and took Knox into foster care. The reason? My mother-in-law did not believe he was abused and therefore “lacks protective capacity.” I remember being in pure panic that night thinking of strangers having my baby. Was he scared? Did he think he was abandoned?

We had a hearing the next day, and thankfully my son was returned to my mother-in-law. I see now God truly intervened with our family court judge. He saw photos of Knox’s crib that clearly showed a hard wooden crib with blood on the inside of the railing where Knox would always stand up fighting his sleep and head bang, as we had said.

My in-laws took Knox to his follow up appointment with the CAP where my baby was subjected to another full body x-ray, even his fingers and toes. The CAP stated, “I am happy to report there are no OLD signs of abuse.” Of course there are no old signs because HE WAS NEVER ABUSED TO BEGIN WITH.

My husband and I jumped through every hoop laid before us by DHR…parenting classes (humiliating and degrading but we did it), counseling (we were BLESSED with an amazing counselor).

I cannot describe what it is like sitting at your home or your job waiting to potentially be arrested. It was psychological torture. I can’t describe the pain of having a child on this earth, but you’re not allowed to see them. We missed so many moments we can NEVER have back. I wish I could say my faith in God was strong, but it was not. I would sit in my room screaming to Him how He could allow this.

We hired an expert in behavioral pediatrics and my mother-in-law recorded more and more videos of Knox standing in his crib asleep banging his head. Our expert began to strongly suspect ASD and SIB (Autism Spectrum Disorder with Self-Injurious Behavior).

I gave birth to Knox’s brother, Jax, in October of 2020. Five hours after birth, DHR showed up stating they would be requesting a pick up order for Jax due to our open case with Knox. The judge denied the pick up order, but DHR REMOVED MY NEWBORN FROM US ANYWAY.

Jax was held at a hospital until we had court two days later where he was swiftly returned to our care.

In November of 2020, after five months of no contact with our son, we finally got to meet our sweet boy again and were awarded unlimited visitation as long as our mother-in-law was present. Needless to say, she spent a lot of time at our house and us at hers. We were able to get Knox an appointment with a local child psychologist who confirmed the ASD diagnosis, noting Knox’s rigidity (trouble with transitions) and STIMS to self- sooth (head bangs, spins, and hand flaps).

Armed with this information, our attorney asked DHR if they were ready to dimiss. Their response… NO. Because the Child Abuse Pediatrician still holds firm to the diagnosis of abuse and says head banging does not cause injury.

It went on and on until finally, our case was dismissed in October of 2021.

Now for the final part. Shortly after the investigation opened, the DHR worker “indicated” both me and my husband for child abuse based on the CAP’s report. Under Alabama law, my husband was only entitled to a “record review” which is done by none other than…DHR…his accuser. Of course they upheld the findings and now my husband is on a child abuse and neglect registry for LIFE!! Despite being cleared criminally and in family court…he is on an abuse registry. All because of a CAP’s report. I was entitled to a hearing due to the nature of my work. It’s very limited in Alabama who gets hearings (that is a rant for another day). Mine was overturned and entered as “Not Indicated”. I can be completely expunged from the registry in five years.

Our family will be forever changed. I never knew there was such a thing as a Child Abuse Pediatrician. I now know this happens every day to families all over the country. These doctors hold immense power, but no accountability.

When I say I had lost my faith, I now see God’s intervention in so much looking back such as having money for an attorney and experts, a judge who listened to both sides, for Knox and Jax having a wonderful Guardian Ad Litem who truly cared, and for us having the support of our families. Knox got all the therapies he needed and is now a thriving 4 year old and Jax is a thriving 2 year old. I have to believe I was brought through this for a purpose. I cannot sit by and be quiet. I will bring a voice to families. I will bring change to our system so hopefully the next family…and there will be a next one…will at least have some protections and accountability in place. Now…Let’s Do This!”