A woman is being investigated over allegations of medical child abuse for falsely ascribing illnesses to her 6-year-old adopted daughter, Q13 Fox Seattle reports.
Sophie Hartman adopted her daughter from Africa as an infant and over the last four years, the child has had over 500 “unnecessary” medical appointments and procedures, including a surgically implanted feeding tube and well as a cecostomy tube, to help flush the intestines, according to court documents.
"This situation is a case of medical child abuse,” a report from the child’s care team reads. "It is not necessary to know the possible motivation of a caregiver, only the outcome of the behavior. It is my concern that this pattern has resulted in unnecessary medical testing, medication, procedures, surgeries and debility of this child."
Sophie Hartman, of Renton, was arrested after police found out she was faking her daughter’s disease and forcing her to undergo unnecessary medical treatments. pic.twitter.com/wOCKbnF0zA
— dubseatv (@DubseaTV) May 27, 2021
The report, which was reviewed and signed by the medical director from Seattle Children’s Hospital, considered the child’s risk “profound.”
"Consultation was requested of the Safe Child and Adolescent Network (SCAN) in early 2019 by a group of (redacted) specialists and providers at Seattle Children's Hospital because of a concern regarding a pattern of parental requests for increasingly invasive procedures based upon undocumented signs and symptoms reported by the parent," investigative reports read.
The 31-year-old also forced the child to wear leg braces and use a wheelchair, despite her ability to walk and medical professionals confirming they are unnecessary, court documents stated.
Search warrants found that the 6-year-old was diagnosed with alternating hemiplegia of childhood (AHC). Doctors told investigators, however, that the diagnosis was based on symptoms that Hartman disclosed with them, and have only been observed by her.
According to the National Organization for Rare Disorders (NORD), AHC is a rare neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by repeated episodes of weakness or paralysis that may affect one side of the body or the other (hemiplegia) or both sides of the body at once (quadriplegia). Additional episodic symptoms usually include intermittent abnormal eye movements, episodes of muscle stiffness or posturing (dystonia), and in a substantial percentage of cases, seizures.
"She can lose the ability to talk and go into all different types of seizures and have extreme pain. It's really tough," Hartman said in a video for the Make-A-Wish foundation. "Doctors, even the best pediatric specialists, do not know what to do and do not have treatment options…she needs access to oxygen because her breathing shallows and slows; she depends on her feeding tube when she's unable to eat."
Hartman’s daughter was given a wish by the foundation in 2019 and later spoke on their struggles.
"For us, this is what life looks like. It's navigating constant traumatic chaos, making plans that will inevitably fall through and battling resentment and bitterness for all that is outside of our control," Hartman said at a Make-A-Wish fundraising event.
Investigators also uncovered a diary entry where Hartman wrote, “when it comes to suffering, I am a compulsive liar/exaggerator.”
Upon discovering the nature of the case, The Make-A-Wish Foundation said the allegations are “very serious,” and they hope the situation is rectified expeditiously.
"We are deeply saddened and dismayed to learn about the alleged child abuse case involving one of our former wish families,” the organization wrote in a statement. “As a child-centered nonprofit, the health and well-being of our wish children is always of paramount concern to us."
"We work very closely with medical professionals throughout the wish process – from approving wish paperwork to ensure the child is eligible for our program, to approving the wish itself so it is safe and appropriate given the child’s medical diagnosis," the statement continued. "This is a very serious allegation and any threat to the wellbeing of a child is not in alignment with the child-centered focus of our mission. We hope this matter is quickly remedied in the best interest of the child."
The child was taken removed from her mother's custody and March and observed for 16 days. Doctors concluded that she was a healthy child with no symptoms consistent with her previous diagnoses.
The Washington mother is being charged with assault of a child in the second degree and attempted assault of a child in the second degree.
