Fort Worth, TX - ORebeca and Adrien Henderson are fighting to bring their two children, Ivy and Nico, home after Child Protective Services (CPS) removed them based on a rushed and faulty medical diagnosis. The Family Freedom Project (FFP) is standing with the Hendersons to provide resources, legal support, and public awareness in their battle to reunite their family.
When Ivy was 6 weeks old, her father noticed a red mark on her cheek that appeared to be some kind of rash. The Hendersons chose caution and went to the Hospital. Despite repeated pleas for a dermatologist to inspect the rash, no doctor ever examined her. Instead, a nurse took a photo of Ivy and returned later to proclaim that the red mark was a burn. They accused the parents of abuse.
By this time, no doctor had inspected Ivy. The hospital ordered MRI scans on Ivy and found an asymptomatic (ie, painless and normally undetectable) microfracture in her femur. Having already accused the family of abuse, the hospital now claimed this, too, was abuse. Ivy had multiple documented risk factors for poor bone health and had been delivered six weeks earlier by emergency C-section, both of which are associated in the medical literature with asymptomatic microfractures in infants.
Nevertheless, the hospital failed to investigate any alternative medical explanations. Instead, eight days later, the hospital and CPS separated Ivy from her parents. . Months later, baby Nico was born—and taken as well. No new evidence had arisen. Rather, CPS decided that if Rebeca and Adrien couldn’t have Ivy, they couldn’t have Nico either. Today, both babies are only seen under supervision.
“No parent should lose custody of their children because of rushed judgments or ignored medical evidence,” said Jeremy Newman, Vice President at the Family Freedom Project. “The Hendersons did everything right when they sought medical care. Instead of getting help, they were treated like criminals. Nearly a year later, both children remain separated from their parents.”
The Hendersons’ case highlights systemic issues within CPS, where assumptions of abuse often overshadow due process and medical fact. Court records later revealed that Ivy was diagnosed with infantile atopic dermatitis, a condition that can cause extra sensitive skin and produce rashes–information CPS initially failed to disclose to her parents.
FFP is advocating for the Hendersons alongside their legal team—Brad Scalise, Shelly Troberman, Chris Branson, and defense consultant Judy Powell. The organization is calling on the public to stand with the family by sharing their story, signing the petition, and contributing to their legal defense fund.
