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Two months of turmoil: State tries to take couple's 'miracle baby'

Charlie still faces medical challenges, primarily regarding his lung function. Although he is slowly being weaned off his ventilator, he still uses it to help him breathe most of the time. In his bedroom, little-boy toys fight for space with machines.

His parents trained extensively, learning how to keep Charlie alive. But the toughest challenge John and Laura Gragg faced was nearly losing Charlie to Washington state's Child Protective Service.

"They were telling us they had a foster family ready," says Laura, "I just ... I bawled my eyes out."

Mary Bridge Children's Hospital had called CPS after a series of events that nearly cost Charlie his life. Laura Gragg's reaction?

"I can't, I can't let this happen – we've been through too much already."

Family kept in the dark?
But what led to Charlie's medical emergency? Why did the hospital call CPS? And why did CPS sue to take Charlie away?

The Graggs think it's because they were "too" involved.

"It's in the notes," says John Gragg, referring to the Mary Bridge Hospital records. "'Parents ask endless questions – seems repetitive – it's annoying.' Of course we want to ask these questions; we want to know what it says; we have every right to understand and know what's going on."

The Graggs asked the Problem Solvers to investigate. We found that the Gragg's desire for a second medical opinion, along with questions about Charlie's tracheostomy tube, are at the core of what happened.

"This is the trach he was sent home with," John says, showing us an infant-sized tracheostomy tube. Seven days after Charlie was discharged from Mary Bridge, he stopped breathing.

"He was just limp, and he was dark blue. I mean he looked like he was dead."

http://www.katu.com/news/local/108257989.html

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