Woodlands family fights to prevent false child abuse charges for others
By Grace White | KHOU | April 7, 2017
THE WOODLANDS, Texas -- It's a story all parents need to hear. A Woodlands family, once wrongly accused of abusing their children, is now fighting to prevent other families from dealing with the same nightmare.
They're a picture perfect family, but the journey to reunite them wasn't easy.
"It was a long time coming. It was really exciting to get to just share our story," said Bria Huber, a mother who is now a part of an organization called Fractured Families.
The couple went to the State Capitol in Austin this week to tell lawmakers about their daughter Kenley. We first met Bria and Andrew Huber in 2013. They were putting their lives back together after police charged Andrew Huber with child abuse.
"You just get into this whole of how do I get out, how can I get help?" Andrew Huber said.
This dad heard a pop changing their daughter's diaper and rushed her to the hospital. However, doctors found more problems: broken bones.
"I was alone thinking that I know my husband hadn't abused our daughter, what's going on?" Bria Huber said.
After almost a year and a half of flying across the country to see specialists, doctors diagnosed Kenley with Ehlers-Danlos syndrome or E.D.S., a connective tissue disorder.
"A lot of times when an infant comes in with unexplained fractures, it's child abuse. But when it's not, it takes a very long time to get that rectified," Bria Huber said.
House bills 2848 and 2849 would create a team of doctors to assist in child abuse investigations and help parents wrongfully accused clear their name faster. It's hope for this family who believes in healing and now is celebrating with a new baby on the way.
"It means so much to just get to raise awareness, and now if a mom is sitting in a hospital Googling unexplained fractures in her baby, our story comes up," Bria Huber said.
Cindy Burkett, of Garland, is the State Representative sponsoring the bill. She released this statement to KHOU 11 News:
"The state has few responsibilities more important than ensuring the safety of our most vulnerable population. Unfortunately, in that struggle to ensure the safety of children, incomplete information sometimes leads to an inaccurate identification of abuse. When this happens, we have an obligation to correct the situation and to provide a safety network to ensure kids are not removed from loving homes. I believe we have accomplished both through this legislation."
Both bills are still making their way through the Texas House, being heard by committees.
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