We ask for your help in assisting our friend Theresa as she faces persecution from CPS, loss of livelihood, and personal financial ruin-all for the "crime" of assisting an innocent child in great danger.

In June of 2024, our friend Theresa, a dedicated NICU nurse of seven years experience tending to the most vulnerable premature infants, first became involved in the care of a extremely premature baby, "Helen," (name changed for privacy reasons), the daughter of a young teenage mother. Over the next six months, Theresa played a crucial part in nursing Helen back to health, working overtime, as she often does, and providing truly dedicated care, at one point possibly saving Helen's life when she ascertained the signs of a life threatening infection before a less involved carer might have noticed. 

Throughout this experience, Theresa learned the unstable home situation of Helen’s underaged mother. The home to which Helen was eventually released was one which was obviously dangerous and unsuitable for multiple reasons, among them the violent tendencies of Helen's grandfather—and the complete absence of any adult who would be caring for this teen and her medically-complex child. Helen’s mother had previously been kicked out by her father for keeping Helen, and required police assistance to re-enter when her daughter was discharged from the hospital. CPS was aware of this.

Theresa and multiple other hospital employees repeatedly expressed their concerns to CPS, making clear that it was absolutely not safe for Helen to be sent home.

Despite their objections, Helen was sent home in December-supposedly under "CPS supervision," and tragically, yet completely foreseeably, later needed to be removed from custody after suffering serious injury, including numerous broken bones. During the five week period between Helen's being sent home and her being removed from custody, Theresa, going fully above and beyond the call of duty, babysat and cared for Helen on several occasions, without any duty to do so or any payment of any sort. Although no signs of the horrific physical abuse which later necessitated Helen's removal from the home were at that time present, CPS maintains that Theresa is somehow responsible for this outcome, based off the idea that she may have seen a small bruise attributable to the severe malnutrition which Helen had recently suffered at home (this malnutrition was known to Helen’s doctors and CPS). According to CPS, Theresa was “negligent” for seeing this small bruise and not taking Helen to the ER. Nevermind that CPS did not take Helen to the ER for over 3 days after removing her from her mother’s custody for a significantly more alarming injury.

The only reason Theresa was in this situation at all was because she was attempting to help rectify a situation created by CPS. Despite this, Theresa has faced fierce persecution, ultimately ending with CPS placing her on the child abuse registry for “physical neglect.” 

No criminal charges have been filed, as the Child Abuse and Neglect Registry doesn’t require the same burden of proof. Theresa was placed on this registry without due process after several procedural violations by CPS, and the serendipitous (for CPS) “loss” of the recording of her interview. The official written finding by CPS contains blatant falsehoods which would be easily disproved by this recording.

Theresa and her lawyer have appealed this decision and are awaiting the second of three levels of appeal (CPS unsurprisingly stood by their own decision at the first level).

After 7 years in the NICU, Theresa has been placed on administrative leave due to this case. She will not be able to return to the NICU unless she wins the appeal, erasing her name from the Child Abuse and Neglect Registry.

We have no doubt that Theresa will eventually prevail. However, she is unable to work in the meantime, and the legal fees needed to fight this battle are swiftly mounting.

CPS has already dragged things out for much longer than necessary, ignored their own policies, and made this as procedurally difficult as possible—no doubt in hopes that Theresa will give up the attempt to clear her name, and allow them to avoid being called to account for their negligence. 

We are not going to allow that to happen, but we need your help. Will you please consider a donation of $20, $50, $100, or as much or as little as you can spare? Every bit helps and is greatly appreciated. When this is over, any excess will be donated to charities which help mothers and babies.

Thank you in advance for your kind help, and most importantly, please keep Theresa, a swift and just resolution of this situation, and baby Helen in your prayers.