A mum has informed how she endured a two-month nightmare of being banned from seeing her children alone – after she alerted her GP about marks on her new child daughter’s foot and was suspected of kid abuse.
Ashleigh Ratcliffe feared her three-month-old daughter Dottie and two different younger kids can be completely taken away from her after social staff turned concerned.
The 31-year-old was even threatened with arrest if she tried to go away hospital as she and her companion fell beneath suspicion of abusing their daughter.
Her pleas that small blotches on the only real of the child’s foot have been prompted naturally have been ignored by docs.
The ordeal solely ended when she paid for a personal examination that decided the small marks have been trigger by Raynaud’s Phenomenon – a hereditary situation that impacts blood stream and beforehand recognized in her eldest son.
Former nursery assistant Ashleigh informed MailOnline: ‘I’ve by no means been so terrified in all my life. For weeks and weeks I used to be afraid that my kids can be taken from me.
Ashleigh Ratcliffe (pictured) feared her three-month-old daughter Dottie and two different younger kids can be completely taken away from her
The 31-year-old (pictured along with her younger household) was even threatened with arrest if she tried to go away hospital as she and her companion fell beneath suspicion of abusing their daughter
Ashleigh took her daughter to the GP after small purple blotches appeared on her foot
‘It appeared that it doesn’t matter what I mentioned I wasn’t being listened to. The police even turned concerned as clearly docs suspected that there was abuse. Nothing might be farther from the reality.’
Ashleigh and companion Jamie Burke, 28, had been thrilled in December 2023 to welcome Dottie to their household. They already had two boys, Arlo, 4 and Albee, seven
Though Dottie was born two weeks early, she was very wholesome and settled effectively along with her brothers on the household house in Oldbury within the West Midlands.
When Dottie was nearly three months Ashleigh observed purple blotches on the soul of her new child’s left foot.
She organized an appointment at her native GP and informed him she thought the marks could be because of a vitamin deficiency.
The GP beneficial blood checks at Birmingham’s Metropolis Hospital however with out telling Ashleigh had informed the hospital in his report that the mark have been a ‘non unintended damage’.
After present process blood checks Ashleigh was informed she and Dottie must stay on an commentary unit in a single day.
The next day she transferred to Sandwell Hospital the place she was informed her daughter was being positioned beneath Part 47 – the place a baby is suspected of being abused and authorities have powers to hold out an investigation.
Ashleigh mentioned: ‘I simply couldn’t consider what I used to be listening to. My son Arlo had been recognized with Raynaud’s Phenomenon the place his arms and ft go blue because of blood stream modifications. I wasn’t certain however the mark on Dottie’s foot might have been brought on by the identical situation.
‘They didn’t appear to wish to pay attention and so far as they have been involved, I had prompted the marks on my daughter’s foot.’
Ashleigh was informed she couldn’t be left alone along with her daughter or her two different kids.
Her mum, who had been current when the mark on the foot have been first found, was additionally banned from being alone along with her grandsons.
Her pleas that small blotches on the only real of the child’s foot have been prompted naturally have been ignored by docs
The ordeal solely ended when she paid for a personal examination that decided the small marks have been trigger by Raynaud’s Phenomenon – a hereditary situation that impacts blood stream
Ashleigh was informed she couldn’t be left alone along with her daughter or her two different kids
Ashleigh’s sister Jody was capable of take care of the 2 bewildered boys or they might have been taken into care by social staff.
Whereas in hospital Dottie endured a sequence of excruciating checks, together with having dye dripped into her eyes so docs might look at for indicators of trauma. She additionally had a CT scan and full skeletal examination.
Ashleigh and companion Jamie, a taxi driver, suspected the reddish mark on their daughter’s foot might have been a start mark – however this was additionally dismissed.
‘The hospital stored on saying they aren’t blaming me, however there have been technique conferences the place the police attended. They’d not have been there’s they didn’t suspect abuse.
‘I simply felt sick inside that anybody would assume I might do that to my child.’
On one report docs had written that the marks might have been brought on by ‘strain’ or ‘blunt trauma’.
Ashleigh tried to see a dermatologist at one other hospital however was informed if she left along with her child she can be arrested.
After 11 days she was allowed to go away – however the household have been positioned beneath a Part 17 order which meant Dottie was to be monitored.
‘For over a month I used to be not allowed to be alone with my daughter. Different relations had to surrender work in order that they might be in the identical place. It had a huge effect on our life,’ mentioned Ashleigh.
‘Thankfully, the boys have been allowed to return house, they usually have been so completely happy to see their little sister.’
Ashleigh paid for a personal session with a specialist who decided Dottie suffered from Raynaud’s Phenomenon – the identical situation as her older brother.
He additionally recognized a milk and lactose allergy, however these didn’t trigger the purple blotches
The dermatologist decided Raynaud’s might have prompted the marks to seem – and his report was accepted by social companies.
Ashleigh and companion Jamie, a taxi driver, suspected the reddish mark on their daughter’s foot might have been a start mark – however this was additionally dismissed
The dermatologist decided Raynaud’s might have prompted the marks to seem – and his report was accepted by social companies
Ashleigh paid for a personal session with a specialist who decided Dottie suffered from Raynaud’s Phenomenon – the identical situation as her older brother
The household have been informed this week they have been not being monitored beneath Part 17 of the Youngsters’s Act.
Ashleigh mentioned: ‘What makes me so indignant is that we had informed the docs our son had Raynaud’s, they usually did not consider us.
‘Of all of the checks they did within the hospital they have been unable to find that Dottie was lactose illiberal and that would have prompted the marks to seem.
‘We discovered an article on-line about one other household who have been threatened with having their child taken into care due to mark on the only real of the foot. That turned out to be a start mark, however once we informed docs this they weren’t .
‘It has been a traumatic few months. I do know youngster abuse does happen, however I voluntarily went to the GP as a result of I used to be nervous concerning the mark. All they mentioned was that counts in my favour, however they nonetheless thought I had harmed my child.
‘I do really feel that we’ve been handled very badly and put by means of an ordeal that was no crucial. Having a baby taken away is each father or mother’s nightmare.
‘Once I went to the GP I by no means thought that I might find yourself not being allowed to be alone with my kids and even face prospect of dropping them’
A Sandwell Youngsters’s Belief spokesperson mentioned: ‘We’re conscious of the state of affairs and have been in common contact with the household all through.
‘We perceive that in conditions like this households are sometimes anxious, nonetheless our paramount concern should at all times be the protection and welfare of youngsters.
‘The Belief, in step with our statutory duties, have adopted nationwide and native safeguarding procedures and adopted medical recommendation. ‘
