jennifer-bush

Jennifer Bush, now 27, and her mom, Kathy Bush, photographed together in 2015. They have been reunited for years and Jennifer says she does not believe her mother abused her. (Sun Sentinel/Family photo provided by Jennifer Bush)

By Paula McMahon
Sun Sentinel

Excerpts:

It was a heartbreaking case that ripped a 9-year-old girl from her South Florida family and sent her mother to prison for years.

Exactly 19 years ago… Jennifer Bush was placed in state care amid allegations that her mother, Kathy Bush, was deliberately making her ill in an unusual — and some say now discredited — form of child abuse called Munchausen Syndrome by Proxy.

After shunning attention for years, Jennifer Bush is publicly defending her mom for the first time and agreed to release a written statement this week and answer a few, limited follow-up questions from the Sun Sentinel.

“Jennifer made it very clear: She thinks her mother never abused her,” said Fort Lauderdale lawyer Robert Buschel, who defended Kathy Bush in her criminal trial and is the representative Jennifer Bush picked to relay her response to questions.

The Coral Springs family’s story fascinated and polarized the community for years, generated dozens of headlines internationally and featured on national TV.

Many thought the little girl was secretly abused by a mother who caused her to undergo dozens of unnecessary medical procedures and surgeries. Others believed it was a clear case of government overreach by state child welfare workers who split the family and prosecutors who filed criminal charges.

Read the Full Article Here.

See Also:

Munchausen Syndrome by Proxy: A Fake Psychiatric Disorder Used to Medically Kidnap Children?