In the small town of Calhoun, Georgia, the Timms family has found itself embroiled in a heart-wrenching legal battle that further exposes the profound flaws within the state’s child welfare agency. The ordeal began when Brady and Carrie Timms’ three-month-old son Jameson was forcibly removed from their care following medical visits that quickly spiraled into a misdiagnosis and false accusations that brought about their current nightmare.

The story begins in November 2022 with a high-risk pregnancy that brought Jameson into the world at only 37 weeks. When the child was about six weeks old, Brady and Carrie noticed some strange reddish marks on his body. They took Jameson to their pediatrician, who sent them to Erlanger Hospital in Tennessee, where he was observed for several days. 

This is Brady and Carrie Timms with their newborn son Jameson.

Two years ago, the Georgia state government stole Jameson from Brady and Carrie because he has a medical condition, and the government doesn’t want to admit it.

Their family has been fractured since, and Brady and… pic.twitter.com/XwX2DNxG0L

— Spike Cohen (@RealSpikeCohen) February 19, 2024

One of the doctors observing Jameson raised suspicions about potential abuse, which prompted officials working with Georgia’s Division of Family and Children Services (DFCS) to examine the child. The case workers determined that Jameson had not been abused. The parents brought Jameson home, still not knowing exactly what was wrong with their child. They later had to bring their son back to the hospital for another checkup to confirm that there was no abuse.

DFCS officials showed up unannounced at the Timms’ home for a follow-up in December. At this time, they again affirmed their belief that Jameson had not suffered any abuse. But in January 2023, the situation took a turn for the worse.

The parents told Jameson's pediatrician about a red dot they noticed on the inside of his mouth. The doctor accused the parents of force-feeding the child and reported it to DCFS. The caseworker met the family at their home and again reaffirmed that there was no abuse.

But on January 13^th, they received a phone call from the same DFCS agent, telling the couple that they had to bring Jameson to Children’s Hospital of Atlanta (CHOA) for yet another examination. The agent warned Brady and Carrie that if they did not get him to the facility, the authorities would come and seize the child.

Upon arriving at CHOA, the doctors did more tests and examinations. When it was time to do X-rays, they prohibited both parents from being present or obtaining information about the results. The doctors there found three rib fractures that Brady and Carrie could not explain. They immediately accused them of abusing their child, and they were arrested for aggravated battery and cruelty to children by law enforcement officers who met them at the hospital. If indicted, they could both face up to 40 years in prison. However, as of this writing, no indictments have been filed.

The couple later petitioned the court to have Jameson examined at Boston Children’s Hospital by an expert. The court agreed, provided that two case workers with DFCS were also allowed to be present. The doctor diagnosed both Carrie and Jameson with Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome (EDS), a genetic condition that could explain the child’s symptoms and injuries.

EDS is a disorder that affects connective tissues, primarily skin, joints, and blood vessel walls. It also causes an increased risk of fractures, bone density problems, and joint dislocations – especially in infants. Its symptoms are commonly misdiagnosed as child abuse.

We constructed a case series, the largest to date, of infants with EDS who were vitamin D sufficient, insufficient and deficient and infants without EDS but with documented vitamin D deficiency and radiologic evidence of rickets who presented with multiple fractures originally diagnosed as being non-accidental and caused by child abuse. These infants were referred to the outpatient Bone Health Care Clinic at Boston University Medical Campus over a 6-year (2010–2015) period. We also present 6 index cases in which the court concluded that there was no convincing evidence of child abuse and the infants were returned to their parents.

The family believed the diagnosis, which occurred with the DFCS agents present, would vindicate them. Unfortunately, the agency disregarded this critical evidence and refused to move toward reunifying the family. Juvenile Court Judge Lorie Ann Moss, who presided over the case, compelled the parents to relinquish their parental rights. Almost two years later, Jameson is now staying with family members, and his parents are only allowed supervised visits.

Another tragic detail in this story is that the conditions for the couple’s bail agreement prohibit them from being around children under the age of 18. This means Brady can’t even interact with his eight-year-old son from a previous relationship without supervision. Despite the family’s exhaustive efforts to prove their innocence, they have been blocked by bureaucratic indifference and judicial obstacles.

Now, the case is in legal limbo. DFCS has closed the case without establishing a framework for reuniting the parents with their child. Neither of the parents has been indicted for a crime, possibly because the evidence would not support a conviction. Even further, the Timms family is over $50,000 in debt because of this battle.

The Timms’ story highlights what could be a systemic issue in Georgia’s child welfare apparatus. It is reminiscent of the situation facing the Hernandez family, another couple whose children were taken from them after they were wrongfully accused of child abuse.

The couple is still going through the legal system to get Jameson back. Given that he is now two years old and almost at the age where he is more aware of what is happening, there is a more pressing sense of urgency. The family has set up a GoFundMe to help them navigate the legal process to regain custody of their child.

Editor's Note: This article was revised post-publication for clarity.