Social services took my children

Nicky Hardingham and her husband, Mark, fear their baby will be taken away

15 May 2006 11:19

A couple today claimed social services had wrongly taken her three children away following allegations of abuse.

Nicky Hardingham and her husband Mark said a fractured leg suffered by their son was down to hereditary brittle bone disease and not child abuse as cited by Norfolk social workers.

Nicky, 26, is now pregnant again and fears the baby will be taken away by social services as soon as it is born.

The couple's story features tonight in a BBC1 investigation carried out by journalist John Sweeney.

Their nightmare began in November 2003 when they took their son to the Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital with a swollen leg, which led to a number of X-rays and blood tests.

Doctors became suspicious about a number of fractures on the boy's body, claiming they could not occur naturally and were consistent with violent pulling and twisting.

Social services were called and the couple were accused of abusing their children, despite the couple's explanation for the fractures - the fact that four generations of their extended family have suffered with brittle bones or Ostogenesis Imperfecta (OI).

Nicky, from Cromer, said: “I was asked to give an explanation of my son's unusual fractures and I told them about my son's aversion to dairy products and the history of brittle bone disease.

“My mother, two brothers, my sister, a niece and two nephews are affected. They have suffered 100 fractures between them. They have tell-tale signs of brittle bone disease; the whites of their eyes are blue.

“The doctors told me if I didn't have it I couldn't give it to my son, but I have never had a clinical diagnosis.

“The truth is that I now realise that you might not appear to have the disease but you can pass it on.

“Our children were cruelly taken from us and I am terrified that when I give birth social services will be ready to take our new baby when it will only be a few minutes old.”

Nicky has since realised there is a DNA test for brittle bone disease but did not know that when she was speaking to the doctor.

That day the social worker and paediatrician told the parents their son could not leave hospital and a few days later the other two children were examined.

The fact that Nicky and Mark's son had never eaten solid food was also interpreted by social workers as evidence of neglect but Nicky said she sought help several times only to be told “he would eat when he was ready”.

Despite the examinations of the other children being clear, Nicky said she was forced into signing emergency foster papers and then was not allowed to say goodbye to her children, now known as Child A, B and C.

The children have now been officially adopted.

Nicky insists neither she nor her 33-year-old husband had ever lifted a finger to their children.

“We never were, and never will be, a risk to our children unless you count loving them too much.

“Our children were victims of a failing system. We have lost all faith in the medical profession.

“Our children are officially adopted now and we have no idea where they are. We do not blame their new parents, they have simply provided loving homes for them and for this we are eternally grateful, but how would they feel knowing that our children were wrongly taken and adopted through false allegations.

“I just want to know now, as the child's mother, what social services are going to do with my new baby.”

Lisa Christensen, Norfolk County Council director of children's services, said: “This has been a very difficult experience for the family concerned, but it is important to emphasise that legal action was taken because of the need to safeguard the welfare of all three children. This included the appointment of an independent solicitor and an independent guardian for the children.”

She added that the law prevented her from discussing in public exact details as to why the children were taken away.

A spokesman for the N&N said it could only discuss Nicky's medical condition and not that of the children: “Type 1 Osteogenesis Imperfecta (OI) is characterised by a number of clinical findings such as abnormalities of the sclera ('whites' of the eyes), abnormalities of the bones of the skull, fractures in early childhood, and osteoporosis. To the best of our knowledge, she has not demonstrated any of these problems.”

The couple's case will be explored tonight by campaigning journalist John Sweeney on Real Story - Broken Bones, Broken Families, BBC1 at 7.30pm.

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