But here is my case and my daugther disorder from the beginning to the present.
First of all so everyone knows and wants to look up the cps where I live it is Colorado and I live in Jefferson County.
As for as I know there is no family history in my side of the family or my boyfriend's side of the family of brittle bones. Both my mom and I do have history of fracutes and broken bones but nothing that was ever tested.
But it all started back in Feb. when me, my kids (I have two, a boy who is 2 years and my daugther who is 7 months) and my boyfriend went and stayed with some good family friends for the weekend. Everything was going great until it started to snow and my friend and I had to run out and do some food shopping for that weekend. Well so we were getting ready and I was taking my daughter with me to the store and we had this really nice snow-suite for her that she got for christmas and as I was dressing her in it when I heard and felt a little soft (very soft) pop, I had my friend standing next to me not more then just a foot or less away and she didn't even hear the pop. I was leading her arm through the sleeve like what doctors tell you to do.
They say don't push/force a child's arm through clothes or pull on the arms from the wrist for the risk of dislocating the arm. So I was leading her arm through just right above her wrist (of course right where I felt/heard the pop).
She cried only for a minute and then stopped. May you know that at the time my daughter was only 4 months old and already holding her own bottle. I picked her up and looked her over and didn't see anything thing wrong with her. She then stopped crying and we went on our day like nothing happened. I just thought her little wrist popped just we do with our necks or knuckles and it felt weird to her and that is why she was crying. So the next day came and still she acted like nothing was wrong with her. She was still rolling to her tummy and giggling and smiling not acting like a child that would be in pain. I pumped some breatmilk for her and she ate it out of the bottle without favoring the one arm that the popped happened in.
But that sunday, after I was getting her dress to get ready to come home I noticed that her right arm (the arm that I heard and felt the little pop) had started to look different. I had to put both of her arms up to each other to notice the difference between one arm and the other, but there sure was some swelling. And so we came home right away and I called her doctor and told them right away about what I was seeing in her arm. They told me to go the hospital that is near me and have her checked out. The worst we were thinking was either she has a sprained wrist or a dislocated elbow, wrist, shoulder etc.

When we got there the doctor thought the same but said we should do a x-ray just in case and to make for sure what was going on that it was just a dislocation. I of course told the doctor about putting her in the snow-suite and the pop that I heard



But before I was went there I went home and got my boyfriend and the snow-suite so I could show the nest hospital that the snow-suite didn't have wide sleeves. And to help them see that I didn't break her arm unpurpose.
So we headed down to the Children's hospital and was taken into the E.R. right away becauase they were waiting for us to show up, because the doctor from the first hospital said we were coming and that she was going to call back in a bit to MAKE sure we went there.

We then waited and then a nurse come in and said that she was to put a splint on my daughters arm and discharge us. We then told her that we were waiting for the doctor to come back because they still have to give us the results of the full body scan and striaghten her arm out. So she left and then came back in about 5 minutes later and said that they didn't find ANYTHING in the full-body scan and that we had to call their Ortheopedtic clinic in the morning to set a time so they can look at her arm and put a cast on it. So finally after another 5 and half hours of being at that hospital we were finally going home.
Well the next day we get a call back from Children's hospital and they told me that after more looking into the full-body scan they said that they another possible fracture in my daughter's upper leg bone. I just about lost and but said ok and said that we had a appointment tomorrow with the Ortheo clinic and that we will have them check it out as well. The doctor said they were not sure if it was or was not a fracture but because of the case we had to have a look at it again and have the leg x-rayed AGAIN!!!!!
So then a day later is when we went to the Orteopedtic clinic and had her cast put on her arm. And that is when the doctor listened to my story about how the arm break happened and that is when he looked over my daughter and said that he thinks that she may have brittle bones and that in most cases of brittle bones the whites of the eyes are blue and that is the case in my daughter. I also told him about the possible fracture in the leg and he said that we will do an x-ray. He then started to press REALLY hard on the area where they thought the new possible fracture was and then pressed on her other leg to see if he could get a reaction out of her. She did get a little fussy about him pressing on the area where we thought the fractures was but he was pressing hard and plus she doesn't like to be touched in some places and her legs being one of them. So we then did the x-ray and I was allowed to be in there with her and then we were sent back to our room.
The doctor then came back in about 10 minutes later and gave me a copies of the the x-rays and said it was to hard to tell what it was but he wanted us to come back in 10 days because it was a fracture there will be signs of healing. And that he was sending in someone it put on the cast and he then said that there was a genetics person on the floor talking to another family about brittle bones and he wanted her to come in and talk to me about it and to see what we could do about getting my daughter tested for it. So I said that was fine, and he said it would only be a few minutes before they would come and and talked to me. Well an half hour went by and then an hour and then two, and both kids were getting really fussy. I went and asked the nurses what is going on and that I had been there for almost 5 hours. They said the doctor was busy and with "other" paitents and will be back to see me when he was done. Well just right after the second time of seeing what the heck was going on and why I was waiting sooooo long, the hospital "social worker" came into my room and said that they have to get involved now because my daughter has not one but two unexplained injuries and that she has to call social services in my county and that they will more then likely come out to my house for a home visit and ask me the same questions that I have already answered about 10 times. She tehn made me wait in this room for another hour while she tried to get ahold of the social services department in my county but NEVER got a call back from anyone and just sent me home after that.
So when I got home I explained to my boyfriend what was going on that social services was getting involved and that we should be expecting them sometime soon for a home visit. Well around 9 o'clock that night two police officers and a social worker showed up at my door step. We all sat down with them and she told us why she and the cops were there. She told me that she was just there to see what was going on. She had no plans to take the kids from me. I tehn went into the history of me and my mom have fractures that happened with little trauma and told her what happened with my daughters arm and then asked if there was anything that could have happened to my daughter to cause this possible fracture in her leg. In which we stated no there wasn't anything. She then said that our treatment plan was to just do all our follow-ups and keep her posted as to what was going on. We of course said ok and then she left.
I then called her the next day and left a message stating that we had our follow-up appointment in 10 days on this day and that if she had any questions please to call me.
I thought that she called that same day when I was out and so left a another message for her telling her about our follow-up and to call me back.
We then waited the 10 days and then went back to the Othreopedtic clinic to see if there was any healing bone in my daughters legs in says yes or no to a bone fracture. This time I made such we didn't get the doctor we had the last time and that we were in and out and not sitting there for another 6 hours. I got a really cool doctor who was concerned about us and my daughther and couldn't say sorry enough for what happened the last time we were there. We then again did ANOTHER x-ray on my daughters leg to see if there was healing or not. We were then sent back to our room, to wait once again. HE came back within 10 minutes and gave us more copies of the x-rays and said that there WAS NO NEW OR HEALING BONE, which means there was no fracture. So we all felt like a weight was lifting of our chest and the doctor did say for out peace of mind that we should get her tested for the brittle bones just in cases this happens again we know why it did. So he then gave us a referrel to the genetics office which was in the same building and that he hopes for the best and that he will see us in a few weeks to get the cast off her arm.
I called the social worker again and left another message stating that that there was no fracture and that we are going ahead with the genetic testing for the brittle bones.
So I went home and left a message for the genetics office to call me back and so I can set up an appointment and that is when I found out that they were not setting up and appointment until the beginning of June and that if I needed a sooner date that I had to get with our PCP and have them call and set it up.
So I then called my PCP, who then asked for the social workers name and number to see how important and how fast we should have this test done. He told me he would get back to me once he heard from her.
Well a couple of days later the genetics office called me back and said that they were sorry but couldn't get me and my daughter in until the beginning of June and I explained to them what was going on but said if that was the earlist then that was fine. We then started to go through the normal info. Name, birth-date, PCP, etc. That is when she stopped me and said your daughter is only 5 months old. And I said yes she is. She told me hold on because she had to go ask her super. if they needed to get her in sooner because of how young she is. She tehn came back and said that her super said get that baby in ASAP and set the appointment up for the end of March on the 31st which was the earlist and that she was sorry, but it was only 3 weeks away and I said that was fine. We then said see you then.
I called our PCP and said that because of my daughter's age that they are seeing her sooner then later and that the appointment is for the 31st. He then told me that he left 3 messages of the social worker and still hasn't heard anything back from her.
Also left another message for the social worker about that testing on the 31st (she still has not to this EVER called me back).
When the 31st came around it was nice to know that we were a step closer to knowing what is going on with our daughter.

(The 31st was on a friday)
Well then that sunday the 2nd of April was a lazy day were we just stayed home and dad had a hockey game to play that day so that was our only plans for that day. I didn't go the game and decided to stay home with that kids and hang out with them and watch a movie with my son. I had my daughter playing my son's little pull out couch that he has and made her stay on the foam part of it. There was a moment that for about 5 minutes she managed to roll her self to the side of the couch ( the couch on sits about an inch off the floor) and that is where we have our hard-wood floors. I then moved her and she fell asleep with her brother while watching the movie. She then woke up like normal and went on like everything was fine. It wasn't until my boyfriend (dad) got home that she wanted to feed. So I was getting her ready and my self for her breastfeeding for dinner and that is when I noticed a LARGE spot on the right side of her head towards the back was completely swollen. This swelling was not hard swelling it felt like there was water or some type of fluid behide it and so I am thinking OH MY GOD, what is going on. I showed dad and he said call the doctor but I think that social services will be involved again. I said no they won't and that I have to call to make sure that everything is fine with her. Yes is is acting normal but there could be something wrong with her to make her head swell like this. So I called the doctors and they said to come in to the E.R. so we can make sure that she is fine and go from there. Because they didn't think it was anything but couldn't be for sure because they we not there to see the swelling. They could hear my daughther in the back-ground just laughing and talking, just acting like she did every day.
So we got to the E.R and were since right away and were taken in to our room right away. That is where they weighed her, and took her temp. I told them about my history of fractures and that she is being tested for brittle bones. Then our doctor came and started to look her over and said that it was weird that she was acting just normal and happy. We told her about the arm fracture and that she is being tested for the brittle bones and then told her about my history and my mom's history of fractures. Even when you touch the spot that was swollen. She didn't act like she was in pain. The doctor to be for sure we should do a cat-scan and see what is going on with her. So we said that was fine. We waited for the techs for 20 minutes before they came and got us to take us to the cat-scan room. When we got back there the machine was acting up so we had to wait another 10 minutes or so. We then strapped my daughter up so she couldn't move an inch and we had to get some sugar water to help her relax because she was crying sooooo hard and just wanted out.
So we then started the machine and I stood there hold her little hand and held the bottl ein her mouth while she drank the sugar water (she started to fall asleep during this). The scan was then over and they helped us back to our room. Where we waited for a a little longer when then doctor came back in and said that my daughter has a skull fracture that was about an inch and half long and that there was 1mm between each point. She said that she had to call Children's nuero-surgen department and see if that wanted to see my daughter that night or if they just wanted to see her for a follow-up in a few weeks or months. When she came back she said that we didn't need to go down to Children's but they wanted to see her in 3 months to make sure everything healed just fine.
She said that she wanted us to also follow-up with our PCP in two days, so he could see what was going on. She then stated to me that she was NOT going to call or report this to social services because of my family history of fractures and her being tested for brittle bones. She said that the size of the fracture was actually pretty common in kids and that she has no worries of abuse. So we were then let go and just told to follow-up the genetics, out PCP, and in 3 months with Children's. She said that she was not a expert on bones but to her it looks like and she think that my daughter does have brittle bones.
So then the next week was kind of crazy. The morning after I called the genetics office and left them a message about the skull fracture and that if they needed more info to please call ASAP.
I was not able to make an appointment for our follow-up with our PCP till that friday. So I said that is fine and that we will come in on that day.
A few days later the genetics office called me and talked to me about this new fracture. They said they were sorry to hear this and that because of the new fracture they got the lab. to push the test up from 8 to 12 weeks to only 3 weeks. They put top priority on the DNA testing and said to hurry. They told me that they are sorry that to hear that she got another fracture. They did tell me that with kids who have brittle bones skull fractures are VERY common.
Well then that friday it was a normal day we went to our follow-up with our PCP. And he looked her over and said she looks normal and happy (by now the swelling was all gone). He said that because the arm was documented with social services that we had to document the skull fracture also. I was worried as to why but said ok. But other then that everything went great.
Well day I left for work at the normal time and started to have a normal day at work when at only being there for about a half hour my boyfriend called me and said that social services was there and that they were taking both of the kids. I just about lost my mind and started to cry. I called my boss and said I had to go and that I may or may not return but I had to go back home. She said that was fine and that if I didn't return then that was fine as well.
It took me about a half hour to get home and of course by the time I got there the kids were already gone, but there were still 6 police officers at my house. They told me that they took them bacause my house (I live with my mom for now trying to pay off debt) to unsafe for them and that my daughter now has to fractures and that they think that they are coming from abuse. They said that we have a court date set up for next week and that they think that my mom is the one abusing my daughter because they think she is a drunk (which is not the case at all). Yes my house was a total mess, more so then normal, but with my mom just quiting her job after 21 years, my grandma almost dying , and two other family members dying in the same week and their funerals things got crazy and the hosue didn't get clean. There were problaly 2 weeks worths of beer cans (my mom and her husband drink about 2 to 3 beers a night)around the house and the dishes had not been done in about two weeks as well.
I got a message from our PCP telling me that he again tried calling that same social worker from before and never got a call back from her so he called the main line at the social services department and that he had to ask if the social worker I had even worked there and they said yes and then he had to ask as to why she HAS NOT RETURNED ANYONES PHONE CALLS. That they couldn't answer. He then started to talk about when they came out for the arm break and they told my PCP that they have NO RECORD OF THEM COMING OUT TO MY HOUSE OR ANY RECORD OF MY DAUGHTERS ARM BREAK AND THE POSSIBLE FRACTURE IN HER LEG. He then told me that they may come out and talk to me about both fracture and that he jsut wanted to give me the heads up (I got this message after the kids were already taken and gone).
So we were left no kids and a court date for the following tuesday.
Which is when I finally got to meet the women that took my kids from me and their home. She told me to my face that for all the years as her being a intake worker she said that "EVERYTIME she has taken a kid from the home that has a broken bone or fractures that the parents ALWAYS say that it is brittle bones". I tried explaining to her that I NEVER heard of brittle bones until the doctors told that they thought my daughter may have. It wasn't me who came up with it, it was them. I told her yes I have seen the movie UNBREAKABLE but only thought that was HollyWood and I didn't think that it was a true disorder.
Well to say the least we got a nasty of a thing for a GAL and that instead of looking at the facts and doctor's notes we have (we have 3 doctor's stating that they do not believe my daughter was or has been abuse and that she is being tested for brittle bones and that it is 90% for sure that she has it) and the DA for the other side. They put me on the stand and jsut torn me apart trying to get me to say that I was/is abusing her. Or if not then I was not taking the precautions to keep her safe from getting another fracture. So then the Judge ruled that we do not get our kids back, that they have to stay in foster care and that my boyfriend and I have to start doing family theropy and have someone in to help us with parenting skills and baby proofing out house. The judge went even went as far as yelling at me for not taking my daughter in to the doctor's or the hospital for a bruise on her forhead that she got from her brother playing with her.
So the very next day we finally got to see the kids and that is when we noticed that my daughter had not one, not two, but THREE LARGE BUMPS on her head two of which are damn near impossiable to get because they were at the bottom of her head at the base of her neck. We had our new social worker come in and have a look at them and she took pictures of them as well. She said that she will get with the foster-mom and have her take my daughter to the doctor's to have them checked out. Both kids were not acting like their selves. My daughter who that use to love to laugh and smile didn't do any of that. Every time we went to look her straight in the face she would start to cry. It made both me and my boyfriend very upset about this, And then found that we couldn't see or have our kids for Easter and this was my daughter's first Easter. Our son threw the BIGGEST FIT we have ever seen him throw. It was just the hardest thing we had to ever do, and only getting to see them in a cracker-jack box size of a room for an hour while someone on the other side of the glass watched us was so painful. We left the visit feeling heartbroken.
Our new social worker called me back and said that my daughter got the bumps from "rolling" around on the floor and I told her that is how she got the skull fracture in the first place. She told me that my daughter has her eye appointment that tuesday and that the foster-mom will me there, because it is court ordered that I go to ALL doctors appointments. And I said that is fine.
On the tuesday I met the foster-mom at the eye doctors office and got to sit down with her for a while and have a nice long chat with her. She told me about her history and how long she has been fostering. She told me that she believes that what the department and the courts are doing to me, and the kids, and my boyfriend is crap and that my kids need to back with me and this is all stupid. She said there are times that she has gotten kids that they have pulled and she was glad that she got them but there are other times that she just shakes her head and wants to know why they are doing this. And that we are one of those families she shakes her head at and feels sorry for. She asked why they kids were taken and I told her and she said then if every thing is fixed and neat again then WHY ARE THESE KIDS NOT BACK AT HOME WIHT YOU. I told her I didn't know. We had an eye exam done on my daughter where they said there was no hemmorraging which is a good sign or NO abuse or trauma. But that she does have the blue color in the whites of her eyes and that is a really good sign of brittle bones. He said that he wanted to see her back in a year for a follow-up. That is when also the foster-mom told me that my daughter is anemic and that she has to put her on some type of medicince for Iron. She I then left there and went on to work.
I then met with my attorney which we went over what was going ot happen at out next court date and we hope that we have test results back but we are not for sure yet. He told me that I had to get to know our GAL and have her come out to our house to show her that we got it cleaned up and talk with her about getting the kids back. I gave him the report that I got from the eye doctor, and said that it is looking more and more like brittle bones. He told me about the things that made him mad the last time we were in court and the things that the GAL, THE DA, and the Judge said.....he said they are not doctors and don't know a thing.

I then left my GAL a message and said that I wanted her to call me and set up a time that we can get her to come to our house.

I called my genetics doctor to see if they have the results back yet and they said that they were going to call the lab. that day to see what is going on because it had been 3 weeks.
The GAL called me back and said that she had to get ahold of my attorney to make sure that it was ok for her to talk to me and to come to my house. She said that she would love to come and visit with us, and that it would be for the day before our next court date. She said that she wanted to sit in on one of visits with the kids to see how those go and all. I told her that was fine and when our next visit was with them.
I then got a call back from the genetics people and this is what they said to me. They told me that they did find something but what they found they have never found before. She said that they did find the weird gene in her collegen that does effect her bones but as to what it is they don't know. They have never seen it before. She said due to that, they now have to do testing both my boyfriend and I to see if this gene came from one of us. She told me that if the gene came from dad then it is something else then brittle bones, and that they will test it more. If it came from me and because my mom and have history of fractures then it is a new strain of brittle bones, and if it has only happened in her then again it is a new strain of brittle bones. But yet again we have to do the testing on us and wait another week to two weeks for the results to come back.
The GAL called and cancelled our meeting because she is having "one of those days" and can't make it and she said we can and try and have her over the next just right before we go to court.
Well then the GAL came our house and said that they house looks great and then asked if I had test results for her and I then gave her a copy of the results so far and a letter from the genetics stating what is going on right now. And that is when she said absoluting not that my daughter still can not come home. She said there is still nothing for her to base any reason for her to come home, and she doesn' want my daughter to come home and then get a fracture in a week and we are right where we started again. She never said anything about my son and only talked to us about my daughter. She said that in not so many words that we couldn't live in our home because we have hard-wood floors and that there is no way we can have her back. She then told us that because her office is only 5 minutes from where we live she will be by when ever she wants and she WILL NOT GIVE ANY NOTICE WHAT SO EVER. She then left and said see you in court today.
So we went to court and I gave my attorney the copies of the genetic letter and the results so far. He said he is going to ask for both kids to returned home. And that is when both the GAL and our social worker left the court room to see if the kids can come home. And from what I heard our social worker said she "HAS NO PROBLEM WITH THE KIDS COMING HOME". But the GAL SAID NO BECAUSE WE HAVE NOT STARTED OUR FAMILY THEROPY OR PARENTING SKILLS STUFF SO SHE STILL FEELS THAT IT IS UNSAFE FOR THE KIDS TO COME HOME. It is not our fault that we have not started the family theropy or the parenting skills stuff because we gave the social worker the ok and signed the papers saying we will go through with all that and they NEVER CALLED US. I called my social worker three times and left a message all three times stating that they still have not contacted us. So we told our attrney's that if we can't have both back could we please have our son back because she never said we couldn't and she the house was clean and safe again. But she said no and so now we have a case management hearing on the 15th of May and then we are taking all this to trial and that starts on June 12th for 2 days in front of a jury. Which will either decide we get our kids back or NEVER get them back at all.
I just want to know if anyone out there has been through all this before. I am sorry if all this is soooooo very long but I want everyone to understand what is going on. I want anyone and everyone to let me know what they think and what they think I can do for me, my kids and my boyfriend in court. Please don't hold back on anything good or bad because I need to hear it all.







