Mom arrested for Medical Child Abuse

[unsinkable]

http://koin.com/2014/04/04/guilty-plea-medical-child-abuse-case/

 

This woman has been around the internet for years in homeschooling, large family, adoption circles. I don't recall her posting here.

 

But the story touches on many things we've talked about here...medical child abuse, raising money for foreign adoptions, "rehoming" adopted children, privacy for children on the Internet.

 

The good news is I have read in other places that the children who were the alleged victims of the medical child abuse are thriving in foster care and the serious medical issues are better.

 

Edit to add indictment: http://media.oregonlive.com/portland_impact/other/Katherine%20Parker%20indictment.pdf

[Joyofsixreboot]

I am on another board where she posted. Just so sad.

[poppy]

What an awful person.  She abandoned a 4 year old she adopted to another home? Who would do that?

I like that the article pointed out that this isn't a mental illness / compulsion issue, this is flat out fraud for money.

[Gentlemommy]

That is horrific. :( I'm so glad the children are doing ok and are safe from her. I can't even imagine.

[unsinkable]

What an awful person. She abandoned a 4 year old she adopted to another home? Who would do that?

I like that the article pointed out that this isn't a mental illness / compulsion issue, this is flat out fraud for money.

Yes. She adopted 2 Ukrainian girls with Down syndrome.

 

One girl she gave to another family.

 

The other girl is one of her (alleged) medical abuse victims. The other victim is a biological son.

 

Edit: I think one of the charges is child abandonment, because she didnt legally relinquish the adopted child to the other family.

[unsinkable]

I am on another board where she posted. Just so sad.

She also kept caring bridge accounts and websites for the kids. She has a lot of stuff "out there" on the Internet.

[Cindy in FL.]

I followed two of her children on Caring Bridge for a couple of years. I couldn't believe that she had made all of that stuff up. What she put her children through was just sickening!

[TammyinTN]

This is just heartbreaking for those children.  

[creekland]

Poor kids.  Too bad it took so long for anyone to catch on.  Glad they eventually did though.

[unsinkable]

I followed two of her children on Caring Bridge for a couple of years. I couldn't believe that she had made all of that stuff up. What she put her children through was just sickening!

I think it is a mixture of legitimate health issues that she exaggerated or exacerbated and lies.

[SKL]

I would not necessarily assume that all of the allegations are true.  Anyone can allege anything.  Probably some are true and some are exaggerations of what, by themselves, would not be a big deal.

 

Regarding the "re-homing" of a 4yo, I know of another family that has had to disrupt an adoption of a young DS girl adopted from Ukraine.  She had many really difficult emotional problems from living in an orphanage, and the family tried for years to work with her.  She also had many physical problems, including the inability to drink liquids and regulate her body temperature, making it impossible for the family to do normal family things together (they have 4 other kids).  (The family has another DS child, so it wasn't the DS that caused the problem.)  From the outside, without knowing the whole story, it probably sounds cold, but if you tried for years and the child could not respond to your love, terrorized your house and all your other kids, and clearly wasn't happy, maybe you too would be ready to consider finding other parents who could do better.  Unfortunately the mental health resources for families to successfully work with RAD kids are nonexistent in most communities.

[unsinkable]

I would not necessarily assume that all of the allegations are true. Anyone can allege anything. Probably some are true and some are exaggerations of what, by themselves, would not be a big deal.

 

Regarding the "re-homing" of a 4yo, I know of another family that has had to disrupt an adoption of a young DS girl adopted from Ukraine. She had many really difficult emotional problems from living in an orphanage, and the family tried for years to work with her. She also had many physical problems, including the inability to drink liquids and regulate her body temperature, making it impossible for the family to do normal family things together (they have 4 other kids). (The family has another DS child, so it wasn't the DS that caused the problem.) From the outside, without knowing the whole story, it probably sounds cold, but if you tried for years and the child could not respond to your love, terrorized your house and all your other kids, and clearly wasn't happy, maybe you too would be ready to consider finding other parents who could do better. Unfortunately the mental health resources for families to successfully work with RAD kids are nonexistent in most communities.

I understand she has not been convicted of anything as yet. She will get a trial, unless she pleads out.

 

As for the "re-homing" it is a criminal charge. It's not a case of being on the outside and not understanding the dynamics of a family, adoption and RAD. If she is convicted, perhaps those can be mitigating circumstances to consider in her sentence.

[poppy]

I would not necessarily assume that all of the allegations are true.  Anyone can allege anything.  Probably some are true and some are exaggerations of what, by themselves, would not be a big deal.

 

Regarding the "re-homing" of a 4yo, I know of another family that has had to disrupt an adoption of a young DS girl adopted from Ukraine.  She had many really difficult emotional problems from living in an orphanage, and the family tried for years to work with her.  She also had many physical problems, including the inability to drink liquids and regulate her body temperature, making it impossible for the family to do normal family things together (they have 4 other kids).  (The family has another DS child, so it wasn't the DS that caused the problem.)  From the outside, without knowing the whole story, it probably sounds cold, but if you tried for years and the child could not respond to your love, terrorized your house and all your other kids, and clearly wasn't happy, maybe you too would be ready to consider finding other parents who could do better.  Unfortunately the mental health resources for families to successfully work with RAD kids are nonexistent in most communities.

 

I have two non-SN kids. I'm not going to pretend I know what I'd do in that situation.  But the story says:

 

Officials said one of the adopted girls, now 4 years old, was “re-homed.†The grand jury indicted Parker on one count of child abandonment because officials said she deserted the girl in Nov. 2012 by “re-homing†the child and not taking the proper steps to surrender parental rights and did not notify state officials.

 

The issue isn't that she surrender the child, it's that she abandoned her without going through the most basic channels that would give the new guardians the rights that they would need to care for her.  

 

[SKL]

As for the "re-homing" it is a criminal charge. It's not a case of being on the outside and not understanding the dynamics of a family, adoption and RAD. If she is convicted, perhaps those can be mitigating circumstances to consider in her sentence.

 

I realize that the accusation regarding the "re-homing" is that she didn't follow the formalities.  However, the emotional reaction to it that I see by some commenters here is what I was responding to.

 

[poppy]

I realize that the accusation regarding the "re-homing" is that she didn't follow the formalities.  However, the emotional reaction to it that I see by some commenters here is what I was responding to.

 

 

I think that was me, and yes I do think she abandoned that child. That is not an attack against every failed adoption with RAD.  It was all about this specific woman who failed that poor child in a way that I think "didn't follow the formalities" doesn't adequately cover.

[SKL]

While I of course want justice to be done, I kind of wish these things didn't get reported as they do.  They shine a negative light on international / special needs adoption that feeds already misguided stereotypes.  In most cases the kids are in good families and are a great deal better off than they would be had they not been adopted.

[SKL]

I think that was me, and yes I do think she abandoned that child. That is not an attack against every failed adoption with RAD.  It was all about this specific woman who failed that poor child in a way that I think "didn't follow the formalities" doesn't adequately cover.

 

Are you privy to the details of the case?

 

[unsinkable]

Are you privy to the details of the case?

 

I don't know what poppy has read but the accused has detailed her life for years online.

[unsinkable]

Added the indictment to my OP. and here:

 

http://media.oregonlive.com/portland_impact/other/Katherine%20Parker%20indictment.pdf

[poppy]

I found this online- a collection of Kate Parker's solicitations on behalf of the kids. It's really depressing. There are a lot of scammers online, but not many who used their own children's bodies  as fodder.  I'm glad she was stopped. http://thetruthaboutkpmomof789.wordpress.com/

[Amy in NH]

Okay, stoopid question here.  Adoption is hugely expensive.  Although I personally think a family should come up with the money themselves if they are planning to adopt (I didn't ask my family to pay for my hospital or home birth...), I can imagine some people may ask friends, family, and church-members for assistance.  Is that illegal?  The fees she posted on the linked blog didn't seem out of line for an international adoption.  Did they actually ask for more than the adoption fees?  I guess I don't get it.

 

The Caring Bridge page is limited-access, so I can't evaluate for myself whether or not the medical-related charges seem strange.  I have a cousin with two very medically complicated kids (in different ways), and I think there is a donation link on Caring Bridge for people to help out with related expenses (just the travel has got to kill them!).  Is that illegal?  I can't imagine my cousin being charged with medical abuse after all she's gone through with/for her kids!

[Crimson Wife]

I can't imagine my cousin being charged with medical abuse after all she's gone through with/for her kids!

The Justina Pelletier case shows that ANY parent of a child with complicated medical issues is vulnerable to accusations of abuse.

 

I don't know anything about this Kate Parker case, but as parent to a SN child, I am very leery about the authorities charging parents with "medical child abuse". Often it can take consulting multiple physicians over several years in order to get an accurate diagnosis, and that may lead to a perception of "physician shopping" on the part of the parent. Your child sees the wrong M.D. and he (or she, but more often it's a he) can report you to CPS.

 

ETA: it's never happened to me personally, but the Justina Pelletier case scares the heebie-jeebies out of me!

[unsinkable]

Okay, stoopid question here. Adoption is hugely expensive. Although I personally think a family should come up with the money themselves if they are planning to adopt (I didn't ask my family to pay for my hospital or home birth...), I can imagine some people may ask friends, family, and church-members for assistance. Is that illegal? The fees she posted on the linked blog didn't seem out of line for an international adoption. Did they actually ask for more than the adoption fees? I guess I don't get it.

 

The Caring Bridge page is limited-access, so I can't evaluate for myself whether or not the medical-related charges seem strange. I have a cousin with two very medically complicated kids (in different ways), and I think there is a donation link on Caring Bridge for people to help out with related expenses (just the travel has got to kill them!). Is that illegal? I can't imagine my cousin being charged with medical abuse after all she's gone through with/for her kids!

She shut down the caring bridge pages. Poppy linked a blog that has them copied in their entirety and also posted various entries.

 

For example, there is an entry that takes the dates listed on the indictment and matches them with the caring bridge posts. There is also an entry that lists the last few weeks or so of her son's caring bridge entires...which abruptly stopped because he was removed from her custody while he was still in the hospital.

 

I don't think the adoption expenses issues was illegal. I think those charges are from her raising money because of the kids' nonexistent or exaggerated health conditions. Like, there were fundraisers for money for the dad to take off work for when her son died. But her son didnt die.

[unsinkable]

The Justina Pelletier case shows that ANY parent of a child with complicated medical issues is vulnerable to accusations of abuse.

 

I don't know anything about this Kate Parker case, but as parent to a SN child, I am very leery about the authorities charging parents with "medical child abuse". Often it can take consulting multiple physicians over several years in order to get an accurate diagnosis, and that may lead to a perception of "physician shopping" on the part of the parent. Your child sees the wrong M.D. and he (or she, but more often it's a he) can report you to CPS.

 

ETA: it's never happened to me personally, but the Justina Pelletier case scares the heebie-jeebies out of me!

She really didnt physician shop. She had the same ped for years, as well as the same rheumatologist for her DD for years. And Neuro for her son.

[Catwoman]

Does anyone know what forums she posted on, and what her usernames were?

 

I'm just wondering if I ever "met" her online anywhere.

[Amy in NH]

She shut down the caring bridge pages. Poppy linked a blog that has them copied in their entirety and also posted various entries.

 

For example, there is an entry that takes the dates listed on the indictment and matches them with the caring bridge posts. There is also an entry that lists the last few weeks or so of her son's caring bridge entires...which abruptly stopped because he was removed from her custody while he was still in the hospital.

 

I don't think the adoption expenses issues was illegal. I think those charges are from her raising money because of the kids' nonexistent or exaggerated health conditions. Like, there were fundraisers for money for the dad to take off work for when her son died. But her son didnt die.

 

I guess I need to dig deeper on that blog?  Because the parts I saw look like pleas for help with adoption expenses?

[creekland]

Does anyone know what forums she posted on, and what her usernames were?

 

I'm just wondering if I ever "met" her online anywhere.

 

I was wondering the same thing...

[unsinkable]

kpmomof7

kpmomof9 (after the adoption)

kpmomof8 (after her DD was given away)

[Catwoman]

kpmomof7

kpmomof9 (after the adoption)

kpmomof8 (after her DD was given away)

Thanks! I wonder what forums she was visiting.

[Megbo]

She was also "joshiesmom" on Websleuths. I've been following the case on there for a few weeks, and it is absolutely sickening. 

[Cindy in FL.]

There is a thread on Topix under Joshua Parker that has info on other places she posted. Also thetruthaboutkpmomof789 on Wordpress.

[unsinkable]

I have a DD with a serious medical problem that is hard to control (as some of you know).

 

I've received strange looks from medical professionals when answering their questions. "What kind of seizure did she have?" "Complex partial that generalized after 5 minutes." That answer made an ER nurse whip her head around and stare at me. Hey, you asked!

 

And there was the time my DH got the, "and what do YOU do for a living?" when he told someone DD was diaphoretic.

 

It's hard in this day and age when you have assertively advocate for your child's healthcare and risk raising suspicions. But what are the other options? Don't advocate? Or should the medical professionals not be suspicious?

[poppy]

It's hard in this day and age when you have assertively advocate for your child's healthcare and risk raising suspicions. But what are the other options? Don't advocate? Or should the medical professionals not be suspicious?

 

This case wasn't uncovered by doctors, it was by a friend she met in an online support group. Someone who is dealing with ongoing medical issues in her own family.  This friend had suspicions based on knowing her both in real life and seeing what she posted online, reported it due to concern for the kids, and the investigation led to the criminal charges.

http://koin.com/2014/04/03/friend-parker-reporting-police-tough/

 

[BlueTaelon]

nm

[swellmomma]

.

 

 

[Danestress]

So she actually has a real live kid named "Joshua" who she said died, but he didn't really?  It's hard to see how someone could do that. 

[unsinkable]

So she actually has a real live kid named "Joshua" who she said died, but he didn't really? It's hard to see how someone could do that.

She was telling people he was fatally ill. And she and the family were preparing for his death. But weirdly, at one point, there was another fundraiser (for funeral expenses) that claimed he died but was then closed.

 

Edit to add: And he is doing well in foster care, as is his sister who is also in the indictment.

[Mommy22alyns]

So she put her bio child through dozens of surgeries and procedures for nothing?  Those poor kids, all of them.   :crying:

 

ETA: And it's sad, unsurprising, and frustrating to know that the first thing a lot of people are going to see is that she homeschooled.  It's already showing up in comments under that article.

[unsinkable]

So she put her bio child through dozens of surgeries and procedures? Those poor kids, all of them. :crying:

That's what she is accused of, yes.

[indigomama]

But how does one get a doctor to perform unnecessary procedures on a child? I had to ask (nicely) for a year for my son to get allergy tested, even though the dr saw the rashes on my son, the severe eczema, my son complaining of stomach pains, etc. I can't imagine a doctor performing unwarranted surgeries.

[Crimson Wife]

But how does one get a doctor to perform unnecessary procedures on a child? I had to ask (nicely) for a year for my son to get allergy tested, even though the dr saw the rashes on my son, the severe eczema, my son complaining of stomach pains, etc. I can't imagine a doctor performing unwarranted surgeries.

If the child is non-verbal or minimally verbal, often all there is to go on is the parent's word. I could've easily gotten an endoscopy done on my little one (was offered a referral for one by our pediatrician but declined it) when her 2nd round of celiac testing came back negative. I didn't see the point of putting youngest DD through an invasive procedure rather than just trying out a gluten-free diet. But if I were unethically faking symptoms to get attention or sympathy or whatever, it would've been very easy to have that procedure done.

 

I was also offered a referral for an MRI by youngest DD's pediatric neurologist but as it would've required general anesthesia, I didn't feel like the potential benefits outweighed the potential risks.

 

If you've got good PPO insurance and a local teaching hospital looking to make money off of those with good insurance coverage, it's fairly easy to get tests and procedures ordered.

[indigomama]

If the child is non-verbal or minimally verbal, often all there is to go on is the parent's word. I could've easily gotten an endoscopy done on my little one (was offered a referral for one by our pediatrician but declined it) when her 2nd round of celiac testing came back negative. I didn't see the point of putting youngest DD through an invasive procedure rather than just trying out a gluten-free diet. But if I were unethically faking symptoms to get attention or sympathy or whatever, it would've been very easy to have that procedure done.

 

I was also offered a referral for an MRI by youngest DD's pediatric neurologist but as it would've required general anesthesia, I didn't feel like the potential benefits outweighed the potential risks.

 

If you've got good PPO insurance and a local teaching hospital looking to make money off of those with good insurance coverage, it's fairly easy to get tests and procedures ordered.

 

That's interesting. I'm certainly glad doctors involve parents in decision making, but it is a little scary too, if it's so easy to get procedures done in some places that might not really be needed. Thank you for sharing your experiences.

 

I lived not far from the woman, but I found our doctors to be VERY conservative. 

[unsinkable]

But how does one get a doctor to perform unnecessary procedures on a child? I had to ask (nicely) for a year for my son to get allergy tested, even though the dr saw the rashes on my son, the severe eczema, my son complaining of stomach pains, etc. I can't imagine a doctor performing unwarranted surgeries.

Crimson Wife made some good points.

 

I guess that the mom knew what symptoms to report to get the surgeries. Her son did have medical issues so she could have lied or exaggerated his symptoms. She wrote that he had Chiari malformation and tethered cord, and I think the surgeries were to address those.

 

Edit to add: plus she was reporting he was in constant pain and that he was on heavy duty pain meds. She could have been lying just to get more drugs?

[idnib]

Wow, this is just crazy, esp. the part where she accuses another mom(?) of trying to get attention for having sick children.

 

Is this an outright scam or is this some sort of mental illness? Both?

[unsinkable]

Wow, this is just crazy, esp. the part where she accuses another mom(?) of trying to get attention for having sick children.

 

Is this an outright scam or is this some sort of mental illness? Both?

This is from the article:

 

"Officials working the case declined to comment on potential motives, citing the ongoing investigation. However, Mike Trent, a former Harris County, Texas prosecutor, who has prosecuted two medical child abuse cases, said these types of crimes are not compulsive behaviors, they are done with intent. Trent, who is not affiliated with the Parker case, said any time a person lies to, or misleads, a doctor so unnecessary medical procedures will be performed on the guardian’s children is a deliberate act, especially when they seek donations from the community.

 

“Just like you rob a bank to get money, this is medically abusing your child to either get the attention or financial support that you want,†Trent said."

 

Mike Trent (quoted above ) was the attorney in this medical abuse case (not related Kate Parker, but an informative article:

http://www.tdcaa.com/node/2871

[idnib]

This is from the article:

 

"Officials working the case declined to comment on potential motives, citing the ongoing investigation. However, Mike Trent, a former Harris County, Texas prosecutor, who has prosecuted two medical child abuse cases, said these types of crimes are not compulsive behaviors, they are done with intent. Trent, who is not affiliated with the Parker case, said any time a person lies to, or misleads, a doctor so unnecessary medical procedures will be performed on the guardian’s children is a deliberate act, especially when they seek donations from the community.

 

“Just like you rob a bank to get money, this is medically abusing your child to either get the attention or financial support that you want,†Trent said."

 

Mike Trent (quoted above ) was the attorney in this medical abuse case (not related Kate Parker, but an informative article:

http://www.tdcaa.com/node/2871

 

But when you rob a bank, you come out ahead unless you get caught. Was she able to raise enough funds to cover the costs of having these children in total? I'm thinking of food, clothing, utilities, medical costs not covered by insurance, gas, hotels, etc. She could raise enough to complete the adoption, go to Ukraine, etc, but what about the next 15 years for those girls?

 

It doesn't seem like a very good scam to me, especially considering the amount of effort involved. Plenty of financial crimes are easier than this. It feels like some weird mix of scamming and attention seeking? Maybe it started as attention seeking but then she found she could get money as well? I found it interesting how irritated she was with that other mom who was getting attention for her sick kid. Was that projection? 

 

Sorry, just thinking out loud here.

 

Rereading the Trent quote, it sounds like he left the door open for her desire for attention and not just money.

[unsinkable]

But when you rob a bank, you come out ahead unless you get caught. Was she able to raise enough funds to cover the costs of having these children in total? I'm thinking of food, clothing, utilities, medical costs not covered by insurance, gas, hotels, etc. She could raise enough to complete the adoption, go to Ukraine, etc, but what about the next 15 years for those girls?

 

It doesn't seem like a very good scam to me, especially considering the amount of effort involved. Plenty of financial crimes are easier than this. It feels like some weird mix of scamming and attention seeking? Maybe it started as attention seeking but then she found she could get money as well? I found it interesting how irritated she was with that other mom who was getting attention for her sick kid. Was that projection?

 

Sorry, just thinking out loud here.

 

Rereading the Trent quote, it sounds like he left the door open for her desire for attention and not just money.

Think away! I understand!

 

I can't wrap my mind around it myself at times.

 

IMO, It wasn't for the money alone. I think it was for the attention and power at first, then the money became part of it.

[poppy]

I am sure attention was a big part of it. That website linked above has a copy of one of the several Caringbridge sites she had. I opened it, it was over 200 pages of what looked to be mostly single space text of her writing to her followers and supporters about the case. If she is guilty, it's such a perversion of the real life critical lifeline that site is to many people.

[Danestress]

Think away! I understand!

 

I can't wrap my mind around it myself at times.

 

IMO, It wasn't for the money alone. I think it was for the attention and power first, then the money became part of it.

I have no idea why anyone would do this - if she did. But I think it is odd that the newspaper consulted a prosecutor as some kind of 'expert' on that issue. I mean, he's tried two medical abuse cases, and he's can definitively say what her motive was without even being involved in the case? Surely there are actual mental health professionals who could speak more authoritatively?

[swellmomma]

But how does one get a doctor to perform unnecessary procedures on a child? I had to ask (nicely) for a year for my son to get allergy tested, even though the dr saw the rashes on my son, the severe eczema, my son complaining of stomach pains, etc. I can't imagine a doctor performing unwarranted surgeries.

 

I wonder that too.  I have barely been able to the get the bare minimum of tests done on my kids or referrals etc It seems like it would be impossible to get a dr to do surgeries unnecessarily but I suppose there are unscrupulous surgeons just like any profession.

 

What I don't understand is A) why is the father not also being charged.  It's not like this was a single mom with no spouse, he went along with all of this too.  B) are the surgeons that did the surgeries going to also be investigated as to if or why they did unnecessary surgery?  It seems to me if they are the type to do so, these are not the only children that would have gone under the knife for the sake of a buck kwim.