Arizona Mother of Two Girls Medically Kidnapped Breaks Gag Order and Speaks Out

by Brian Shilhavy
Health Impact News Editor

A History of Civil Rights Abuse in Arizona?

Health Impact News originally reported the story concerning the two sisters in Arizona who were taken away from their mother over medical disputes: 10 and 12 Year Old Sisters Seized from Family by Hospital in Phoenix.

When we broke this story, the mother, Melissa Diegel, had just been ordered by the court to take down her blog, Facebook Page, and other social media sites where she told the story of her daughters’ medical conditions, and how the State of Arizona stepped in and took custody away from her because she allegedly questioned the doctors’ treatment. Melissa believed her daughters were getting worse, and not better, and wanted to seek a second opinion. She also believes that her daughters are part of a drug trial program, without her consent.

Seeking to obey the court order with the hopes that she could regain custody of her children, she took down all of her information from the Internet. However, an advocacy group which had been following her case put up a different Facebook Page containing much of the information surrounding the family’s case. Health Impact News republished information from this Facebook Page, and several other media sources did as well.

As the Diegel family story gained national exposure, the family court judge in this case apparently threatened Melissa Diegel. We had never spoken or corresponded directly with Melissa Diegel, but she sent us this email message on October 3, 2014:

The court has ordered that I contact you and ask you to to remove information regarding my daughters case.

Sincerely, Melissa Diegel

Health Impact News did not comply with this request, and neither did several other media sources practicing their Constitutional right to freedom of speech.

Soon after this, many other parents and advocates from Arizona began to contact us at Health Impact News with very similar stories, and MedicalKidnap.com was born. What parents and former foster care victims told us painted a picture of a very corrupt system operating in the State of Arizona. We published a follow-up article: A History of Medical Kidnapping at Phoenix Children’s Hospital.

But since the publication of that story in October, we have published many many more stories and articles about the system in Arizona that takes children away from families and puts them into foster care at a rate higher than any other state in the United States.

Learn more about abuses of parental rights and medical kidnappings in Arizona.

Mother Threatened with Arrest in Arizona for Speaking Out

In the meantime, it appears that Melissa Diegel has lost hope that the court will return custody of her two daughters, whom she claims are being mistreated in the hands of the State, and has defied her gag order. A blog has been put up documenting the alleged abuses of the Arizona medical abduction system. The “A Miracle For Two Sisters” Facebook Page also remains active with current updates.

In a recent blog post, Melissa Diegel reports how a Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA) tried to intervene and explain to the court how the two sisters were not faring well in foster care, and would perhaps be better off under their mother’s care. But when the caseworker and court refused to listen to her, she resigned as advocate, after spending more than 130 hours on the case. An affidavit submitted to the court by the CASA worker Ms. Shipp states:

Ms. Shipp indicated that although this was a difficult decision for her, she resigned when concerns she had been raising had been rejected or ignored, and the case environment had grown increasingly hostile as a result of her advocacy on behalf of the children.

Some of Ms. Shipp’s concerns, while functioning as an advocate for the children while in foster care, were:

concerns about Kayla’s weight loss
delay in restarting Kayla on her feeding tube
treatment of Kayla and Hannah by foster care
bruising on forearms, shoulder and legs of Kayla
the girls had not bonded with their foster mother, as she “lacked compassion.”

The affidavit has been released to the public and copies are currently published in various places on Melissa Diegel’s blog, and the “A Miracle For Two Sisters” Facebook Page. You can also view it here.

Since releasing this information, Melissa Diegel has posted on her blog that there is a court order for her arrest for breaking the gag order:

As we have reported previously, these gag orders issued by family court judges against parents have been called unconstitutional by many attorneys in the United States: Family Court Judges’ Unconstitutional Gag Orders On Parents.

We still do not have direct contact with Melissa Diegel, and all the information provided in this story comes directly from her blog, or the advocacy Facebook Page. Melissa has also published a video explaining her case:

Legal Help Needed for Arizona Medical Kidnapping Cases!

We know from talking to many other families in similar circumstances as the Diegels, that it is very difficult to find attorneys who are not appointed by the court, and are willing to fight the system to help these parents get their children back. There are many other families in Arizona currently who would like to go public, but are fearful, because they cannot afford good legal representation to protect them if they go public. Melissa Diegel has taken a bold step.

Please contact us here at MedicalKidnap.com if you can help these families in Arizona.

Published on December 15, 2014

9 Comments

Steve December 22, 2014 at 11:08 am - Reply

It is nearly impossible to get an attorney or law firm to take these cases. The State of Arizona subcontracts out some of the DCS/CPS cases to most of the best law firms and best attorneys. Then when a Mother or Father contacts them they attorney or law firm can say they are sorry, “Is is a conflict of interest.”  This happens with the expert witnesses as well. These families are helpless against a well oiled money making machine.

Tionico December 19, 2014 at 1:16 am - Reply

this sort of abuse is certainly not limited to Arizona. It is endemic across the nation. The ROOT of the problem is that FedGov money goes to state foster care systems based upon the number of children “rescued” (kidnappe” by the state CPS system. In otyher words, this is a form of taxation, where the children are the true victims. I’m not certain which department in Washigton DC feds this travesty, but it needs to be ideitnfied, and the spigot of OUR tax money turned off. Due process is almost never given, as is obvious in this case. Family courts are not real courts, but act as fi they are. That system is most often rigged against the families. Sure, abuses DO happen.. but it sounds in this case as though the abuse is on the part of the State of Arizona and their hungry fattened at the public trough “social workers”. What have we come to as a culture when children are the pawns of miney grubbing government agencies?

cathryn December 19, 2014 at 12:41 am - Reply

These girls represent abuses from both the government’s corrupt judges and medical!  It is destroying this country!  Stealing and killing our children across the nation :(

Robin December 18, 2014 at 10:20 am - Reply

Thank you Health Impact news. You have been wonderful source for spreading the word about these families.

Michelle Carr December 17, 2014 at 9:22 am - Reply

Then lets stop these people in their tracks!! There are more of us than there are of them by far. Weather by banding together and forming our own PPs (people protection service) or donating to a fund for when cases like this arise we can have an attorney at the ready,or become vigilantes against these tyrants.And take their structure to court and rip it apart, If all we do is talk about an issue but do nothing else to stop it, that is what I consider “bitching”. Let’s also teach our young people not to become cps workers when they grow up, there are way too many other career choices, It takes one cold heart to tear a child away from a loving family! Finally, in the comments above it was mentioned that we hear many stories of children dying in their homes after cps did not remove them. Few, what we hear more are the stories of children removed beaten raped and dying in foster care!!! I can’t blame her for quitting.

m December 16, 2014 at 8:49 pm - Reply

The President is too busy fanning the flames of riots, to take a stand on the REAL problems in this country.

ZuZu December 16, 2014 at 10:19 am - Reply

Please go to the “A Miracle for Two Sisters” facebook page for people to call or email to help this situation!    While the problem is rampant across the country, the President is far removed from the problem and we need strong action at local levels.    Thank you for reporting on these atrocities and for any of you who are willing to act to end this corruption!

Disc Golfer December 16, 2014 at 3:04 pm - Reply

You’re absolutely right, we DO need strong action on a local level.  I sure wish I could do more out where these two children live.

Disc Golfer December 16, 2014 at 8:18 am - Reply

So I called the White House, (202-456-1111), but “The Comment Line is Temporarily Closed” until further notice!  I guess they’re getting too many phone calls?  I’m not sure.  Still, let’s rally for Hannah, Kayla and their family!