In a quiet Texas home, Alandria Seabron, a 29-year-old mother, faced every parent’s worst nightmare: the removal of her infant daughter, Jirah, by Child Protective Services (CPS) and her own arrest on charges of child abuse. The ordeal began on November 15, 2024, as Alandria and her husband, Quentin, watched a boxing match between Mike Tyson and Jake Paul. While feeding Jirah, Alandria noticed her daughter’s arm had gone limp, a moment that would unravel their lives. Rushing their two-month-old to Children’s Health in Dallas, the couple was stunned when X-rays revealed a broken arm and 16 internal fractures. Hospital staff, unable to explain the injuries, contacted CPS, suspecting abuse. For Alandria and Quentin, the accusation was unthinkable, and they insisted their daughter’s condition stemmed from a medical issue, not mistreatment. Their fight to reclaim their child and clear Alandria’s name has since sparked a broader conversation about misdiagnoses and the devastating impact of what they call “medical kidnapping.”

The Seabrons’ journey began with Jirah’s breastfeeding struggles. Alandria, a first-time mother, noticed her daughter had difficulty latching and wasn’t gaining weight despite an abundant milk supply. Seeking help, she consulted experts who advised reducing breastfeeding due to overproduction and using a latching device. During the November incident, Alandria explained that her milk overflowed, startling Jirah, and she quickly moved her daughter, a reflex any mother might have. But when the hospital discovered the fractures, suspicion fell on the parents. Alandria was arrested just before Thanksgiving and charged with injury to a child with reckless bodily injury, a felony that continues to loom over her. CPS removed Jirah from their care, placing her temporarily with her paternal grandmother, while the Seabrons were granted limited visitation rights.

Determined to prove their innocence, Alandria and Quentin hired attorney Shelly Troberman-Miller, a specialist in cases where medical conditions are mistaken for abuse. Alandria’s own research led her to suspect rickets, a condition caused by vitamin D deficiency that weakens bones, particularly in children with darker skin tones or a family history of the disease. Quentin’s family confirmed a history of bone health issues, and early lab results showed Jirah had low vitamin D levels, elevated alkaline phosphatase, and abnormally high parathyroid hormones—markers consistent with rickets. Troberman-Miller assembled a team of experts, including Jirah’s pediatrician and an endocrinologist, who supported the diagnosis. “The initial labs were so clearly indicative of a child who had some issue with bone health that it should not have been ignored,” Troberman-Miller said, highlighting a systemic failure to consider alternative explanations.

In late March 2025, a judge ruled in favor of the Seabrons, returning Jirah, now eight months old, to her parents’ custody. The decision was a bittersweet victory, as Alandria still faces criminal charges. The Tarrant County District Attorney’s Office has declined to comment on the ongoing case, leaving the family in limbo. The Seabrons’ story echoes other cases where rickets has been misdiagnosed as abuse. In the UK, for instance, a couple was acquitted in 2012 after their baby’s fractures were attributed to congenital rickets, not violence, prompting calls for better medical training on vitamin D deficiencies. Experts note that rickets, once thought eradicated, is resurging, particularly among darker-skinned populations with lower vitamin D absorption, a factor that may have played a role in Jirah’s case.

The Seabrons’ ordeal underscores a troubling pattern where medical misunderstandings lead to family separations. Troberman-Miller, who has handled similar cases, emphasized the financial and emotional toll on families without resources to fight such accusations. “If you don’t have a lot of money to defend yourself with highly qualified experts, you aren’t getting your baby back,” she said. For Alandria, the focus remains on her daughter’s health and clearing her name. “It’s not just traumatizing to us,” she said, reflecting on the months spent apart from Jirah. The couple’s resilience has drawn support from advocates who argue for reforms to ensure medical conditions are thoroughly investigated before families are torn apart.

As Alandria awaits her next court date, her case highlights the need for greater awareness of rickets and the risks of hasty abuse allegations. The Seabrons’ fight is not just for their daughter but for other families caught in similar nightmares, where a medical condition is mistaken for a crime. Their story, a blend of heartbreak and hope, calls for a system that prioritizes understanding over assumption, ensuring no parent endures the pain of being wrongfully separated from their child.