- Robyn Parker-Briggs suffers from a condition called Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome
A couple were told to hand over their children to social services after a doctor mistook their baby daughter’s bruise for a sign of abuse during a ‘three-minute consultation’.
Little Robyn Parker-Briggs suffers from an extremely rare condition called Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome (EDS) which causes her fragile skin to bruise and burst open at the slightest touch. The two-year-old has been in and out of hospital since birth and has been cared for by devoted parents Louise Parker and Mark Briggs, who have given up work to look after her.
But the parents were thrown into a nightmare lasting three months when they were reported to social services after a routine hospital visit.
Ms Parker, 39, said the doctor, who had been called in to examine Robyn by a fellow medic, looked at the bruising and slight swelling behind her ear and stated: ‘We are getting social services involved.’ Robyn was nine months old at the time.
Ms Parker, from South Shields, said: ‘I couldn’t believe what I was hearing. I always carry Robyn’s extensive medical notes with me, but the doctor wasn’t interested in looking at them.
Louise Parker (right) was ordered to hand over her children to social services after a doctor wrongly accused her of abusing her poorly daughter Robyn Parker-Briggs (left)
Robyn suffers from an extremely rare condition called Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome (EDS) which causes her fragile skin to bruise and burst open at the slightest touch
‘The doctor made a snap decision that changed our lives for ever.’
The property sales adviser along with Mr Briggs, 43, a warehouse worker, refused to hand over Robyn and her brother Mason, then aged three. But they were forbidden from being alone with their children and had to move in with relatives.
South Tyneside Council only dropped the case when Robyn was given a diagnosis of EDS by specialists. The toddler’s variant is so rare and extreme that medics are still learning how to deal with it, and she cannot even wear shoes for fear of damaging her feet.
Ms Parker said: ‘All the doctors who had treated Robyn since birth and knew our family understood how wrong this was. They tried their best to stop this happening. They pushed for extra tests…to get answers we all hoped would end this nightmare.’
The ordeal began in July 2022 after Ms Parker noticed swelling behind her daughter’s ear, and feared she may have been stung by an insect. She took her to the Royal Victoria Infirmary in Newcastle, where Robyn had been treated since birth but had not received a formal EDS diagnosis.
The parents were thrown into a nightmare lasting three months when they were reported to social services after a routine hospital visit
They were discharged after four days of tests and scans to check for signs of abuse, but they could not return home alone.
At that point a social worker told them to hand over the children until the conclusion of court proceedings. The couple refused and fought the demand, though they were warned against this.
Ms Parker said: ‘There was no chance I was going to allow them to take away my children. Not even for a day.’ The family was subjected to detailed checks until the ordeal was ended by the formal diagnosis. Ms Parker said: ‘You’d imagine I would feel a sense of relief, but I don’t. I feel angry and traumatised.’
Newcastle upon Tyne Hospitals Foundation Trust said: ‘We are very sorry to hear of the distress this family has experienced. If they would like to raise any issues about their child’s care, we would encourage them to get in touch.’
South Tyneside Council added: ‘We appreciate the distress such proceedings may cause any family but take our safeguarding responsibilities extremely seriously.’