An article published today highlights the story of another mother in the state of FL who lost custody of her child with PANS & Lyme Disease after being accused of Munchausen Syndrome by Proxy.

After reading the news article, I felt the need to write a few thoughts for parents, caregivers, and those with misunderstood chronic illnesses.

If you or your child have a rare disease or a condition that is not widely accepted/understood, you must be cautious and use wisdom when communicating medical needs or symptoms to medical professionals, school employees, childcare facilities, etc.

This is especially important if neuropsychiatric symptoms are present due to PANS/PANDAS or if your health or child’s health has been adversely affected by toxic mold and/or tick-borne infections. Since the effects of toxic mold exposure aren’t widely understood by medical professionals and there is still a lot of controversy surrounding tick-borne infections, medical practitioners and hospitalists may unintentionally act in a way that causes harm to the patient and their caregivers.

Although what you are trying to communicate makes total sense to you and to the medical professionals who understand and are knowledgeable about you or your child’s condition, those who don’t understand what you are saying can use that information against you.

School officials who don’t understand a child’s specific health condition and need for accommodation may assume that the parents are crazy. In some cases, they will report the parents to Child Welfare Services.

Emergency Room nurses and doctors who don’t understand how infections or toxic mold affect the brain and body may also assume that a parent or caregiver is harming a patient by insisting that symptoms are related to an infection or a toxicant exposure. In their ignorance, they can accuse caregivers of Munchausen syndrome by proxy, report family members to law enforcement, or, worst yet, request the involuntary institutionalization and examination of an individual. I’ve seen and heard about this happening to several families over the years, and it is absolutely heartbreaking.

That is why extreme care and caution must be exercised when advocating for the well-being and safety of a loved one, especially if the person is a minor.

Don’t assume that those in charge will understand or have your best interest at heart. Wisdom will be your best friend in this case.

Before speaking, carefully examine the situation. If you’re in a hospital setting, consider having a medical and legal backup with you. Avoid saying too much too quickly, and think twice about placing absolute trust in someone you don’t know.

Using wisdom and discernment to protect your rights and the rights of your loved ones isn’t “being paranoid” or “fear-based behavior.” On the contrary, being wise about how, when, and what you communicate can protect you against misguided people who make decisions based on their limited understanding and/or biases.

“Don’t turn your back on wisdom, for she will protect you.
Love her, and she will guard you.
Getting wisdom is the wisest thing you can do!
And whatever else you do, develop good judgment.”
Proverbs 4:6,7

Please know that this post is shared solely with the intention of equipping you so you can take precautions and protect your family’s rights. I also want to bring validation to families like Maya Kowalski, who have suffered through the horrors of medical kidnapping and have been wrongly accused of Munchausen Syndrome by Proxy.

Because your health and the health of your children matters,
CFG

Click here to read the article mentioned at the beginning of my post.

If you are a homeschooling family that has been targeted by a hospital or by Child Welfare Services because you homeschool, please check out the HSLDA. They offer free legal representation for their members.