Illinois DCFS Retains Custody of Isaiah Rider After Mother's Facebook Advocacy Cited by Hospital
In June 2014, Lurie Children's Hospital in Chicago reported Michelle Rider to Illinois DCFS for 'medical child abuse' after she sought a second opinion for her son Isaiah's neurofibromatosis-related pain. Court and hospital filings referenced Michelle Rider's public Facebook posts and media interviews as part of the basis for continued state custody. Isaiah was returned to family custody in 2015.
Fifteen-year-old Isaiah Rider, who suffered from severe pain related to neurofibromatosis, was admitted to Lurie Children's Hospital in Chicago in spring 2014. After his mother Michelle Rider sought to transfer him to a Kansas City specialist, Lurie clinicians reported the family to the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services, alleging medical child abuse. DCFS took protective custody in June 2014. Court records and reporting by the Chicago Tribune and NBC5 documented that the state's ongoing concerns included Michelle Rider's Facebook posts publicizing the case and her contacts with reporters and activists. Custody was ultimately returned to a family member in 2015. The case has been cited in academic literature on medical-child-abuse allegations and parental speech.