Have you watched the Netflix show "Take Care of Maya"? 

Were you horrified by the heart-wrenching injustice that the whole family went through? Did you think that stuff like that only happens in the USA? Think again!

Cases of apprehensions of SICK, misdiagnosed children from loving parents, aka medical kidnappings are common in Ontario as well. If you want to see two examples, watch CTV's documentary called "Dubious Diagnosis" either on CTV's website (W5) or on youtube.

Caregivers in Ontario are being falsely accused of having caused non-accidental injuries as determined by a child abuse pediatrician before the child is subjected to a thorough examination and testing in order to rule out medical syndromes and conditions that mimic child maltreatment (such as infantile rickets, Osteogenesis imperfecta, EDS, complications of sepsis and many other conditions).

After a non-accidental injury diagnosis, caregivers are subjected to biased and degrading accusations and automatically reported to Children's Aid Society (CAS) agencies. Their children get apprehended and they may get criminally charged.

Before a child abuse pediatrician concludes that an injury was non-accidental, the caregivers need to get access to second medical opinions provided by licensed and board-certified specialists in their relevant field or specialty, based on the nature of the injury. These specialists need to be from outside the accusing hospital to guarantee impartiality.

Caregivers seeking second medical opinions are often denied medical records and imaging of their children and are denied referrals to additional specialists. When they do get records, they bear the costs of seeking opinions from outside the province or country.

There exists an absence of oversight and accountability in terms of quantifying the number of children determined to be subject to child maltreatment by accusing doctors and/or the proportion of cases that have second expert medical opinions disputing this assertion by identifying
underlying medical syndromes/conditions.

We the undersigned petition the Legislative Assembly of Ontario as follows:

• Afford parents the opportunity to seek a second medical opinion exploring all possible medical explanations for any suspected non-accidental injury to avoid misdiagnosis and treatment delays
• Mandate that any second expert medical opinion be accepted with equal weight and bearing as any accusing medical professional’s opinion and that it be from a hospital/clinic outside of the accusing hospital. 
• Additionally, that those referrals for second medical opinions must be accepted by specialists in their respective field as well that the costs of examination and review be covered by OHIP.
• Any expert medical opinions from an outside jurisdiction may also be recognized as credible and legitimate.
• Direct the appropriate Ministry to investigate instances of alleged child maltreatment that have second medical expert opinions disputing an accusing medical professional’s assertion as well as reporting the number of alleged child maltreatment cases proven to be of medical nature by CAS and the SCAN departments of children’s hospitals.
• Review the certification process to qualify a medical professional as an expert in child maltreatment.

By signing this petition, we stand united against medical kidnappings in Ontario and advocate for a system that upholds individual rights, protects families, and ensures that interventions are based on sound evidence rather than arbitrary decisions.

Together, let's make a difference by urging our government officials to address this issue promptly. Join us in demanding an end to medical kidnappings within our province!

Thank you,

medicalkidnappingontario.ca