13-Year-Old Girl Abused In Foster Home While Under State Guardianship, Ordered To Surgery
Some of you may recall the continuing saga of Christine Dixon and her daughter, Kylee Dixon, in Oregon. Kylee was diagnosed with cancer, and traditional treatments weren’t working, so her mother explored naturopathic options that were shrinking the tumor. However, doctors alerted “child protective services” and claimed that Christine was “endangering” Kylee by not continuing with chemo. These automatron paper shufflers under the “department of human services” came down and took Kylee away. Kylee was allowed to stay with her mother, but as a ward of the state. When Kylee was first ordered to continue the chemo that nearly killed her, Christine kidnapped her own daughter and fled.
They were eventually found, Kylee was put into foster care, Christine was eventually indicted and arrested on charges of “custodial interference” and “criminal mistreatment” and is currently under a no contact order with her own daughter.
At some point along the way, Kylee reported that she had been sexually abused at the foster home. A report was taken not by the police, but by DHS officials. She’s since been shuffled around to two other foster homes. An investigation is supposedly taking place regarding the allegations, but we all know what happens when the government investigates the government.
During a 2 day trial in November before Judge Heather Karabeika in Clackamas County, it was adjudicated that Kylee become property of the state, and Christine lost her parental rights. The surgery was ordered, for the 3rd time, to take place this month.
One of the few options the mother had left was to motion for a stay of the surgery, which has a high bar to meet. On Monday, Christine Dixon had her chance in front of the same judge. Representing herself, Christine was allowed to speak freely for quite some time to make her case.
She spoke about how the chemo was killing her daughter but not shrinking the tumor, how CT scans showed the naturapathic options were shrinking the tumor after they stopped chemo, how the officials at OHSU and Randall’s children’s hospital threatened to call DHS officials during the first round of chemo if Christine ever left (she ended up staying at the hospital with her daughter for a month straight), how there was conflicting testimony during the trial from different doctors as to the number of tumors and location, how falsified and inaccurate information from another hospital was somehow admitted, how expert testimony on Christine’s side was blocked during the trial, how Dr. Jason Glover and Dr. Linda Stark refused to allow Christine to seek a second opinion, and how the DHS/CPS people started coming down on her when the naturopathic options were proving to be successful. In fact, Dr. Stork is on the board of Oregon’s Make A Wish Foundation and is the one who took away Kylee’s Wish as the family pursued alternative options, and still hasn’t given it back. One concerning thing is the condition of Kylee’s liver, which is where the cancer is. Doctors had previously removed part of it, and the hospital where the surgery is to take place, OHSU, does not have a liver transplant service should that need to be done.
In addition to all of that, perhaps the most pertinent legal argument was the Right To Try law, which Oregon had enacted before it became a federal law. Since Kylee was decared a “terminal patient,” she has a right to seek whatever treatments she wants, even experimental and controversial ones. Kylee had stated in court before that she preferred to go back with her mother and continue the naturopathic methods.
Clinging to a plush stuffed bear, Kylee was on hand for this proceeding, but had to sit in a jury area with a state attorney and couldn’t directly communicate or touch her own mother. The judge allowed a letter from Kylee to be passed to Christine. It appears as though the anxiety and stress of the ordeal has gotten to Kylee, as she has now conceded that she will do the surgery for main purpose of getting the fighting and bickering over with.
The DHS attorney, Catherine Terwilliger, argued that Christine’s arguments for a stay did not meet any of qualifications under ORS 19.350.
The judge ultimately denied the mother’s motion for a stay.
Further, state DHS “child welfare manager” Marty McMahon argued that Kylee should have to undergo a psychological exam and therapy. McMahon also vaguely mentioned something about an “accusation,” presumably related to what had happened to Kylee, but didn’t even explain who the accusation is levied against, and it could very well be interpreted that he is alleging Kylee did something wrong.
Judge Karabeika did not end up ordering pysch exam. The judge also approved a pre surgery visitation with Christine and said Christine could visit her daughter post surgery in the hospital.
The judge allowed Kylee to speak. She’s against the psychological exam exam and doesn’t see any reason for family therapy, as there is no problem between her and her family, and she referred to her mom as her “best friend forever and always.”
Also on hand was the deputy district attorney, Christine Landers, who is handling Christine Dixon’s “criminal” case. Landers threatened to order Christine into jail over an allegation that she was secretly communicating with her daughter via a cell phone that someone had given to Kylee.
There is talk of officially reuniting the family after the surgery. The judge and DHS officials allowed Christine to hug Kylee after the proceeding.
Here is Christine speaking to media after the court hearing.
