Member Story: The doctor spoke alone with our autistic daughter

Megan Richland was tense as she left the doctor’s office after her daughter Natalie’s regular check-up. Natalie is 16 and autistic with other special needs.

The doctor’s visit had not gone well.

During the check-up, the doctor had asked Megan to step out while the doctor spoke with Natalie alone.

Megan thought it was odd but heeded their request.

While Megan stood outside the exam room, she wondered what the doctor was asking Natalie.

Ten minutes later, the check-up ended and Megan and Natalie left.

On the drive home, Megan asked Natalie what kind of questions the doctor had asked her.

Natalie, however, had been nervous and said she couldn’t remember.

Megan decided not to push her further.

A week went by, and everything seemed to be normal until there was a knock on the Richlands’ front door.

Megan’s husband, Kyle, answered the door to see a professionally-dressed woman standing there.

The woman introduced herself as an investigator for Child Protective Services and said that she needed to speak with him and his wife about an allegation made against them. She also said that she needed to interview the children.

Kyle explained that his wife and daughter were not home but that his son, Aiden, was. The investigator asked if she could lay eyes on him, and Kyle agreed.

Afterwards, the investigator gave Kyle her card and told him she would be in touch.

After she left, Kyle tried to gather his thoughts. It was then that he remembered Heritage Defense.

Kyle immediately called the Heritage Defense 24/7 emergency helpline and was promptly connected with an attorney.

The Heritage Defense attorney asked Kyle if he had any idea where the report might have come from, and Kyle guessed that it might have come from the doctor talking with their special needs daughter alone.

The Heritage Defense attorney told Kyle that they would contact a local attorney in their area to handle their case. Heritage Defense paid the legal fees of the local attorney.

Once the local attorney got involved, he handled everything with CPS and was with the Richlands’ every step of the way. 

A few weeks later, the local attorney received an email from CPS stating they were closing the case as unfounded.

Kyle and Megan thanked Heritage Defense:

“The local attorney was very helpful. It was really nice to have someone I could call if we needed him. It relieved stress. It felt good knowing we had someone on our side of the table.

“That’s why we have HD. I knew this would eventually happen. Knowing we had someone to call was really helpful. It was peace of mind knowing someone was on our side when we showed up for the meeting. We had someone on our side of the table, so it wasn’t just CPS and us.

“It was everything it was supposed to be. I am the sort of person who expects people to just do their jobs. ‘You had one job…’ You all did exactly what I expected you to do. CPS came, we called, you handled it, and said you would get an attorney. It kept me from having panic attacks.”

If you are a member of Heritage Defense, we hope it is an encouragement for you to know that your membership is going to help families like the Richlands. While we cannot guarantee outcomes, if your family is ever falsely accused of child abuse or neglect, we are ready to fight to defend you and your rights. 

If you are not yet a member, please join today to have 24/7 access to experienced attorneys ready to defend your family.

*Names changed for privacy