Texas CPS is Using This Outdated Medical Theory To Remove Children

July 9th hearing update: Luca’s parents, Candace and Nick’s legal team, traveled to Houston for what was expected to be a major court hearing. Instead, they arrived to find that the originally assigned judge was not present. A different judge, who was not involved in the case, announced that the hearing would not take place. The case was rescheduled for July 21, when it will be heard by a third judge who has also not been involved. The court has allotted just 45 minutes for that hearing. Meanwhile, CPS is asking the court to prevent Luca’s parents from presenting testimony from their medical experts until nearly a year into the case. To date, however, the court has not heard medical testimony from either side regarding what caused Luca’s injuries.

July 9th hearing update: Luca’s parents, Candace and Nick’s legal team, traveled to Houston for what was expected to be a major court hearing. Instead, they arrived to find that the originally assigned judge was not present. A different judge, who was not involved in the case, announced that the hearing would not take place. The case was rescheduled for July 21, when it will be heard by a third judge who has also not been involved. The court has allotted just 45 minutes for that hearing. Meanwhile, CPS is asking the court to prevent Luca’s parents from presenting testimony from their medical experts until nearly a year into the case. To date, however, the court has not heard medical testimony from either side regarding what caused Luca’s injuries.

How Luca’s Family Got Here

On September 30, 2025, Luca entered the world after a high-risk pregnancy. His parents, Candace and Nick, were grateful to bring their baby boy home and settle into the rhythms of new parenthood.

January 10, after a frightening medical episode, they rushed Luca to Texas Children’s Hospital. What began as a desperate search for answers quickly became a CPS investigation.

Luca had no bruising, no broken bones, and no marks of abuse of any kind. But just 7 minutes after scanning Luca’s brain and finding an unexplained brain bleed, doctors accused his parents of “Shaken Baby Syndrome.” Other medical explanations were ignored, CPS was called, and Luca was taken.

Bring Luca Home Texas Children's Hospital Shaken Baby Syndrome CPS Parents
Bring Luca Home Texas Children's Hospital Shaken Baby Syndrome CPS Parents
Bring Luca Home Texas Children's Hospital Shaken Baby Syndrome CPS Parents
Bring Luca Home Texas Children's Hospital Shaken Baby Syndrome CPS Parents

Where the Case Stands

Right now, Luca’s family is preparing for a major July 9 hearing seeking his immediate return.

1

Luca Hospitalized

Luca experiences an alarming breath-holding episode where he seems to struggle to stay conscious. The situation rapidly becomes a medical emergency. Candace attempts to stimulate him with cold water due to his unresponsiveness, as they rush Luca to the hospital.

2

Doctors Allege Abuse

Scans reveal bleeding around Luca’s brain, and additional testing identifies retinal hemorrhages.  Candace and Nick provide information about a history of blood-related disorders on both sides of Luca’s family, but the hospital staff accuse them of “Shaken Baby Syndrome.”

3

CPS Removes Luca

CPS investigators begin interviewing Candace and Nick and review Luca’s medical records. Just four days after Luca arrives at Texas Children’s Hospital, CPS files a lawsuit seeking custody of baby Luca. Luca is taken and placed in foster care.

4

FFP Gets Invloved

Candace and Nick finally have the opportunity to put on a defense and ask the court for the immediate return of Luca to their care. FFP is helping Nick and Candace prepare for a major court hearing on July 9, with numerous medical experts and the best legal defense available. We’re fighting to bring Luca home. where they will be seeking the return of Luca to their family.

A Disputed Medical Theory

Shaken Baby Syndrome, also called Abusive Head Trauma, remains controversial in medical and legal communities.

The Basis for Removal

Scans revealed bleeding around Luca’s brain, and additional testing identified retinal hemorrhages. As Doctors worked to figure out what was happening, Candace and Nick informed them about a history of blood disorders on both sides of Luca’s family, a factor they believed warranted further consideration as doctors searched for answers. However, the hospital called CPS. Hospital staff accused the parents of “Shaken Baby Syndrome.” In other words, they were accusing the parents of causing Luca’s brain bleed by violently shaking him back and forth–and then rushing him to the hospital. 

A Theory Under Scrutiny

Shaken Baby Syndrome, also called Abusive Head Trauma, has become increasingly controversial in both the medical and legal communities. In 2024, the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals ruled that the medical evidence commonly used to support Shaken Baby allegations was too uncertain to sustain a criminal conviction under Texas’s Junk Science law. Yet that ruling applies only to criminal cases—not CPS proceedings. As a result, Texas CPS can still rely on the same disputed medical theory to remove children from their families. In Luca’s case, CPS relied on findings that included a brain bleed and retinal hemorrhages despite the absence of external signs of trauma.

A Closer Look at the Case

No Visible Signs of Trauma

Luca had no bruises, no broken bones, and no skull fractures. The allegations against his parents are based entirely on assumptions about Luca’s internal bleeding.

Alternative Medical Explanations

Luca’s family reported histories of blood-related disorders on both sides of the family and have raised multiple other medical explanations that doctors never seriously investigated.

A Disputed Medical Theory

Shaken Baby Syndrome remains highly controversial. Courts in multiple states have concluded that symptoms commonly assumed to be from Shaken Baby often have other medical explanations, making the theory too unreliable. questioned whether certain medical findings alone can reliably prove abuse.

Still Separated

More than six months after his removal, Luca remains separated from his parents. On July 9, Candace and Nick will ask the court to return Luca home

Timeline of Events

Sign the Petition to Help Bring Luca Home

Your voice can make a difference as Luca’s family fights to be reunited. Every signature helps show that people across the country are paying attention and believe Luca belongs at home.

This Is Bigger Than One Family

Most parents don’t realize how quickly Child Protective Services can step in. When abuse is merely suspected, children can be removed before a family ever gets the chance to prove their innocence. Families often find themselves fighting the system alone — while their children are already gone.

1 in 3

children nationwide experience a CPS investigation by age 18

14 months

average time a removed child spends in foster care

Only 1 in 3

Texas children ever return home after removal

9,220

children removed from Texas homes in 2024 alone

Luca’s story isn’t rare. It’s happening to thousands of families every year.