MrBallen’s Medical Mysteries - Ep. 40 | Glass Baby

Episode Date: July 9, 2024

A couple in Colorado is accused of child abuse when their infant daughter is diagnosed with multiple fractures in her legs. The ordeal threatens to break the family apart – and there may be no putting them back together.Follow MrBallen's Medical Mysteries on Amazon Music or wherever you get your podcasts. New episodes publish for free every Tuesday. Prime members can binge episodes 41-48 early and ad-free on Amazon Music. Wondery+ subscribers can listen ad-free--join Wondery+ in the Wondery App or on Apple Podcasts.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Hey Prime members, you can binge episodes 49 to 56 right now and ad-free on Amazon Music. Download the app today. Two social workers sat behind a desk, looking across the table at a very nervous-looking couple. The social workers tackled troubling cases all the time, but this one was especially hard to stomach. That day, a doctor had called the social workers about an infant that the doctor was sure was being abused. He said this case was very serious and he wanted the social workers to come and take custody of this child right now before anybody

else could hurt this little girl again. The social workers had gone over to the hospital right away, and the evidence the doctor showed them was truly shocking. From what they could see, this three-month-old baby hadn't just been hurt once, but many, many times. The parents denied doing anything to their child and talked about how much they cared for their child, but the social workers had seen plenty of crocodile tears before and so they knew whatever happened next this couple would not be going home with their baby and frankly if the social workers had their way these parents would never come anywhere near their baby ever again kill list is a true story of how I ended up in a race against time to warn those whose lives were in danger. Follow Kill List wherever you get your podcasts.

You can listen to Kill List and more Exhibit C true crime shows like Morbid early and ad-free right now by joining Wondery Plus. From the team behind American History Tellers comes a new book, The Hidden History of the White House. Each chapter will bring you inside the fierce power struggles, intimate moments, and shocking scandals that shaped our nation. From the War of 1812 to Watergate. Available now wherever you get your books. From Ballin Studios and Wondery, I'm Mr. Ballin, and this is Mr. Ballin's Medical Mysteries, where every week we will explore a new baffling mystery originating from the one place we all can't escape, our own bodies. So if you like today's story, please replace the follow button's toothpaste with garlic paste.

This episode is called Glass Baby. On the morning of June 16th, 2008, Tiffany O'Shell was washing dishes in the kitchen when she heard a familiar rustling sound coming through the baby monitor on the counter. Her three-month-old daughter, Alyssa, had just woken up. Tiffany dried her hands on a towel, then took off the bandana that had been keeping her short red hair out of her face. She heard Alyssa start to hiccup on the monitor, and instinctively, Tiffany almost called out for her husband Dave to go check on the baby but then she remembered that Dave had actually already left for work. He was a police officer with the Lakewood Police Department in Lakewood, Colorado. Tiffany used to work with

Dave at the Lakewood Police Department but she'd quit a couple of months before Alyssa was born. Having two full-time cops in the family was too hard with the new baby. Now, she just worked part-time as a guard at a halfway house for former criminals. It didn't pay as much as being a full-time cop, but the hours were far more flexible. Tiffany walked into the baby's room and gently took Alyssa from her crib. Alyssa's bright blue eyes darted around the room, taking in her little world. Tiffany brushed a hand over Alyssa's mop of bright red hair and smiled. It was the same shade as Tiffany's hair. Tiffany could tell that Alyssa needed a new diaper,

and so she carried her over to the changing table beneath the nursery window. Tiffany began to undo her baby's onesie, but when Tiffany lifted Alyssa's right leg up, her baby girl let out a sharp cry. As the baby cried and cried, Tiffany picked her up and examined her, unsure what had upset her baby so much. But the more Tiffany touched Alyssa, the more the baby seemed to cry. Tiffany tried to shift her from one hip to the other but that just made Alyssa scream even louder. At a loss for what to do, Tiffany just took her baby into the living room where they kept Alyssa's even louder. At a loss for what to do, Tiffany just took her baby into the living room where they kept Alyssa's swing, and she fastened Alyssa into the swing and let it rock

her, and soon the crying did stop, and a few minutes later, Alyssa was fast asleep. Tiffany was relieved, however she was still concerned, but she decided that Alyssa's sudden distress couldn't be anything serious, and so Tiffany went back to her morning chores. After Tiffany showered and dressed, she loaded Alyssa into her car to drop her off with her grandmother, Jackie, Tiffany's mom. Jackie was going to babysit Alyssa until Dave finished his shift that evening. Alyssa slept peacefully the entire car ride, and she didn't even wake up as Tiffany took her out of the car and handed her over to her grandma, so Tiffany assured herself that her daughter must be okay. It was late evening by

the time Tiffany got home from work. She set her purse down in the entryway and then went into the kitchen to start dinner. Meanwhile, in the living room, Dave was trying to play with Alyssa, but from the sound of it, it seemed like Alyssa was really fussy. A minute later, Dave stood up and carried Alyssa into the kitchen so they could say hello to Tiffany. Tiffany asked Dave how his day went, and he would say it was all good, typical day. But then he said when he picked up Alyssa from Jackie, Tiffany's mom, Jackie mentioned that Alyssa had actually been a bit fussier than usual all day. Tiffany nodded and told Dave about Alyssa's outburst that morning when she lifted up her leg. Dave bit his lip and looked concerned. Tiffany waited to hear what he was thinking.

Dave wondered aloud if they should take Alyssa to the doctor if her mood didn't improve by morning. And then in the meantime, Dave told Tiffany he would make dinner that night and Tiffany should just go play with Alyssa because maybe what she really needs is just time with mommy. But the next morning, Alyssa did not seem better. When she woke up, Tiffany noticed that the baby's right leg was now swollen. Tiffany was totally alarmed by this. This was the same leg that was bothering Alyssa the day before. But Tiffany couldn't imagine what would have caused it to puff up so badly overnight. Very gently, Tiffany ran her finger along Alyssa's swollen leg, and the baby immediately let out a high-pitched scream. At this point, Tiffany knew she had to bring Alyssa to the doctor.

By that afternoon, Tiffany was sitting in the emergency room at the Denver Children's Hospital. She was on the phone with her husband Dave, explaining that their baby's regular pediatrician didn't know why Alyssa's leg was swelling, and they had sent her to the hospital for more complete x-rays. Now, Tiffany was waiting for a doctor to come back with the results. Dave told Tiffany that he was actually in the area on patrol, and he would just swing by the hospital. A few minutes later, Tiffany was looking out the window when she saw Dave's patrol car pull into the parking lot. Dave hopped out and walked into the emergency room, and his worried face broke into a smile when he saw his wife. He walked over to her and sat down and asked her how she was doing.

But before Tiffany could say anything, a doctor carrying their baby's x-rays walked into the waiting room with a very grave look on his face. He asked Tiffany and Dave to please follow him, and then without waiting for them, he just turned around and walked into an empty exam room. Tiffany felt her chest tighten. When she'd first met this doctor, he'd seemed really friendly, but now he seemed cold and distant, like he was preparing himself for a very difficult conversation. She looked to Dave for encouragement, but Dave just kind of shrugged and whispered that, you know, maybe the doctor was having a bad day. A nurse was already sitting in the room when Tiffany entered carrying Alyssa, and then once she and her husband were inside the room, the doctor got up and closed the door behind them. Then he told Tiffany and Dave, very matter-of-factly, that he'd looked at Alyssa's x-rays,

and he discovered that she had 11 bone fractures in both of her legs, all in various stages of healing. They would have to fit Alyssa for splints on both legs. These spl in both of her legs, all in various stages of healing. They would have to fit Alyssa for splints on both legs. These splints would keep her legs in place and help the fractures heal. Tiffany was totally shocked and she instinctively turned to her husband, but he also looked totally shocked. Tiffany then turned to the doctor and asked what he meant. Surely this was a mistake? The doctor didn't answer. Instead, he clipped Alyssa's x-rays to the doctor and asked what he meant. Surely this was a mistake? The doctor didn't answer. Instead, he clipped Alyssa's x-rays to the light board on the wall and started pointing to all the dark lines across the child's bones.

Each of the lines represented a fracture. Tiffany and Dave looked at the x-rays and then back at each other in absolute horror. Then Tiffany said to the doctor and the nurse that she and Dave were both incredibly gentle with their baby and very attentive to her every whine and cry and so she didn't understand how they could have missed these injuries. The doctor frowned and said that so many bone fractures were a huge red flag and he said he'd actually already called the Adams County Human Services Department and they were actually waiting for Tiffany and Dave right now in the hallway and they wanted to ask them some

questions. Tiffany could scarcely find any words to respond and so she just kind of nodded and said she would do anything to help her baby. But then the nurse who was in the room came across and tried to take Alyssa from Tiffany's arms and suddenly it dawned on Tiffany and Dave that the doctor and really the staff at the hospital must suspect them of child abuse. And so not only was their baby seriously hurt, but now she might also be taken away from them. Tiffany's breath quickened as she turned back to look at her husband, who'd now gone white as a sheet. She couldn't believe this was happening. All she wanted to do was grab her baby back and run out the door. But instead, she ended up letting the nurse take Alyssa away from her, and then she and Dave walked

out into the hallway where the two social workers were waiting for them. Two hours later, Tiffany was back home with Dave, but without their baby. The parents sat at the kitchen table, Tiffany weeping uncontrollably and going over what happened at the hospital. After the doctor had spoken to them, a woman in a brown polyester suit had led Tiffany into a dingy conference room and spent the next 45 minutes grilling her on her mothering habits and her temperament. Then she had told Tiffany that the state social workers were not going to let her and Dave take their baby home.

Tiffany begged them not to take her child, but nothing she said made a difference. The social workers had already decided that it was in the best interest for the baby for her to be put in foster care. They wouldn't consider leaving Alyssa with Tiffany's mom either, since Jackie often babysat for Alyssa and therefore was a potential suspect as well if this was abuse. Tiffany was a wreck and felt like her heart had been pulled out of her chest. Meanwhile, her husband Dave was just furious. He kept pounding his fist on the granite countertop as Tiffany sobbed right next to him. The parents had told the doctor again and again that nobody in their family would ever hurt Alyssa, but the doctor said that Alyssa had what are called corner fractures, which would have been from violently yanking or twisting Alyssa's limbs,

which is consistent with abuse. During her interview, Tiffany had tried hard to think of some explanation for Alyssa's injuries. She'd mentioned that maybe every once in a while Dave would hold Alyssa upside down, kind of as a joke, but she assured the social worker that Alyssa was giggling and laughing the whole time and Dave only did it for like a second or two. There was no way that could have caused all these fractures in her legs. As Tiffany went over and over all the horrible things that had gone on that day, she just got up from the kitchen table and began pacing. Now she was worried that she might have accidentally said too much about the way they

parented Alyssa and that maybe she had unintentionally given more ammunition to the social workers to potentially charge them with child abuse. Tiffany and Dave would spend the rest of the night combing the internet for some explanation for Alyssa's injuries. Finally, after hours of researching, they found a condition called brittle bone disease, a rare genetic condition that causes bones to weaken and snap easily. Although Tiffany shuddered at the thought that their baby could have such an agonizing condition, she did hope that they had found something other than abuse that could explain their baby's injuries. At this point, all Tiffany and Dave cared about was just getting their daughter back. In terms of how to protect her and keep her safe

from more fractures, that was something they could figure out down the road. But for now, they just wanted their kid back. Two days later, on June 19th, Tiffany and Dave stood at a defendant's table at the Adams County Courthouse for a hearing on the next steps in their baby's case. Across the small courtroom were the two social workers who'd interviewed Tiffany and Dave at the hospital two days earlier. Tiffany's blood boiled when she looked over at them. She knew they were just doing their jobs, but she couldn't help feeling totally furious inside. She tried to stay calm, but she worried whether Dave could do the same.

At home, he was an emotional wreck, full of rage and heartbreak at the same time. He'd barely been able to get dressed just to come to this hearing. When the hearing finally began, Tiffany's hands shook as she pulled her internet research out of her purse. She handed the printouts to the bailiff, who then walked them over to the judge. While the judge scanned the research, Tiffany began to explain how much she and Dave loved their daughter, and she begged the judge to please make the hospital test their baby for brittle bone disease. Then, Tiffany did her best to remain calm, while the social workers argued that because of how the breaks in Alyssa's leg looked, there was almost no chance she had brittle bone disease.

Instead, they felt that Alyssa's injuries were absolutely from non-accidental trauma. In other words, they were saying Tiffany and Dave had purposefully harmed their daughter. This suggestion made Tiffany feel sick, and the social worker's attitudes enraged her. It would be so easy to test Alyssa for brittle bone disease or any other possible medical reasons for all these leg fractures, but it just seemed like they were outright refusing and they weren't even doctors. It felt outrageous for them to dismiss her concerns so out of hand. It seemed to Tiffany that the social workers were far more concerned with being proven right

than they were about just reuniting a baby with her family. Tiffany was fighting back tears until she heard the judge say that other causes should be explored. Relief washed over Tiffany as the judge ordered emergency medical testing for their baby. Tiffany was so relieved that she felt lightheaded. For the first time in two days, it felt like she could finally breathe again. But the judge did say that Alyssa would have to remain in foster care until that new testing was done. Tiffany nodded and took Dave's hand, doing her best to maintain her composure. The last thing she needed right now was to come off as unstable. At least now she had a glimmer of hope that soon they would know what

actually happened to Alyssa and hopefully she'd be allowed to come back home where she belonged. I'm Tristan Redmond and as a journalist I've never believed in ghosts. But when I discovered that my wife's great-grandmother was murdered in the house next door to where I grew up, I started wondering about the inexplicable things that happened in my childhood bedroom. When I tried to find out more, I discovered that someone who slept in my room after me, someone I'd never met, was visited by the ghost of a faceless woman. So I started digging into the murder in my wife's family, and I unearthed family secrets nobody could have imagined. Ghost Story won Best Documentary Podcast at the 2024 Ambees, and is a Best True Crime nominee at the British Podcast Awards 2024. Ghost Story is Best Documentary Podcast at the 2024 Ambies and is a Best True Crime Nominee at

the British Podcast Awards 2024. Ghost Story is now the first ever Apple Podcast Series Essential. Each month, Apple Podcast editors spotlight one series that has captivated listeners with masterful storytelling, creative excellence, and a unique creative voice and vision. To recognize Ghost Story being chosen as the first series essential, Wondery has made it ad-free for a limited time, only on Apple Podcasts. If you haven't listened yet, head over to Apple Podcasts to hear for yourself. This is the emergency broadcast system. A ballistic missile threat has been detected inbound to your area. Your phone buzzes and you look down to find this alert. What do you do next? Maybe you're at the grocery store, or maybe you're with your secret lover,

or maybe you're robbing a bank. Based on the real-life false alarm that terrified Hawaii in 2018, Incoming, a brand-new fiction podcast exclusively on Wondery Plus, follows the journey of a variety of characters as they confront the unimaginable. The missiles are coming.

What am I supposed to do? Featuring incredible performances from Tracy Letts, Mary Lou Henner, Mary Elizabeth Ellis, Paul Edelstein, and many, many more, Incoming is a hilariously thrilling podcast that will leave you wondering, how would you spend your last few minutes on Earth? You can binge Incoming exclusively and ad-free on Wondery+. Join Wondery in the Wondery app, Apple Podcasts, or Spotify. The next morning, Tiffany was in her kitchen pouring water into the coffee maker for her and Dave. Dave was so depressed that he'd called in sick for work and had not gotten out of bed. Tiffany was up but yawning from exhaustion after another sleepless night. Then the phone rang and

any hope that their life was about to return to normal flew out the window. It was a nurse from the hospital who was calling, and she told Tiffany that the social workers had scheduled Alyssa's emergency medical testing. However, they had scheduled it for early October, more than three months away. Tiffany could not believe it. Tiffany knew the social workers were trying to put off the tests as long as possible because they were already convinced that she and Dave were the ones abusing Alyssa. Tiffany knew the tests they were going to do would very likely prove that she and Dave really were innocent. But now they had to wait three months to do those tests?

These were three months they could never get back with their daughter who was so young they needed to be with her. A week later, on the evening of June 26th, Dave couldn't stop his hands from shaking as he left work. He was on his way to visit Tiffany's grandfather, Charles Cooper. The two had become close friends over the years. Charles was a great listener, and the two men could discuss just about anything as they played pool and drank beer in Charles' basement. Dave was in a dark mood as he knocked on Charles' door. Then, after Charles opened it up and welcomed Dave inside, Dave followed the older man downstairs. Charles then handed Dave a beer and asked how he and Tiffany were holding up,

and Dave immediately started talking a mile a minute. He said things were getting worse and worse and worse. He told Charles that he'd heard through the grapevine at the police station that Alyssa's social workers believed that he, Dave, was the one who'd broken Alyssa's legs. And if that was true, he would be charged with child abuse, which was a felony.

Which meant there was a very real chance that in a matter of days, Dave was going to be arrested. And the reality of this was so overwhelming, Dave felt like he was losing his mind. Charles just shook his head in disbelief and asked what had made Dave the lead suspect. But Dave just shrugged. All day he had been replaying in his mind the interview he had done at the hospital with the social worker, and the only thing he could think of that made him look kind of guilty was the fact that both he and Tiffany had mentioned that Dave periodically held his daughter upside down just to make her laugh. Dave had stressed that he did this totally gently,

but clearly the social workers did not believe him and they thought that whatever Dave was doing when he flipped his daughter upside down was hurting her. Charles walked over and gave Dave a hug and told him to just keep the faith. But Dave shook his head. In a little more than a week, he'd gone from being the proud father of a happy family to an alleged child abuser facing a steep prison sentence. Dave took a sip of his beer and told Charles that he was terrified of going to prison. He'd heard horror stories of what happened to cops who wound up behind bars, and he was also scared that Tiffany would leave him if he was incarcerated. Charles

tried to offer some comfort, but Dave was just too upset and scared to be reasoned with. Dave knew enough about the criminal justice system to understand that he would need money for a good lawyer, plus about $50,000 for bail. And if he did really go to trial and was found guilty, he'd lose his job, he'd lose his house, he'd lose his family. He just knew this whole ordeal was going to totally destroy him. Dave apologized to Charles and said he just needed to go. He wanted to be home with his wife or maybe walk the neighborhood and clear his head. And without another word, Dave hopped up, he jogged up the basement stairs, and left out the front door of the house. Two days later, Tiffany was at her

parents' house for breakfast. She tried to eat, but mostly she just moved the food around her plate. She told her parents that she was really worried about her husband. Over the past couple of days, he'd been growing more and more despondent, and he didn't want to talk. He was convinced that his life was about to be over. Tiffany was trying to be strong and hold their family together, but it was proving to be a

nearly impossible task, because as much as she wanted to reassure Dave, she was growing increasingly worried too. She told her parents that she had to be realistic. Even if she was not charged with abuse, Dave's legal fees could cost them their house. And if he went to prison, she couldn't afford to live on her own. She'd be a single mother raising Alyssa in her parents' basement. Tiffany turned to her father, Paul, and begged him to please help her save her family. She didn't know what they could do exactly. Her parents didn't have a ton of money, and nobody could convince the social workers to remove Alyssa from foster care.

But Tiffany was desperate. All she wanted was to hear her parents say, everything is going to be okay. Paul laid his hand on Tiffany's forearm and promised her he would do everything he could. But realistically, the gesture just didn't make Tiffany feel any better. She felt like if she wanted to save her family, she'd have to do it herself. A few hours later, Tiffany sat inside of a small beige office in Denver with a dark wood desk and matching bookshelves. The shelves were cluttered with legal books, an old encyclopedia set, and all sorts of awards and honors.

Behind the desk, an older attorney with a balding head sat leafing through Alyssa's case file. After talking with her parents that morning, Tiffany had realized she really needed to start looking out for herself and Alyssa in case Dave did go to jail. So she'd made this appointment in the hopes that this lawyer could help her get her child back. The lawyer kept periodically wrapping his knuckles on his desk like he was totally lost in thought trying to think something through, to the point where Tiffany wondered if he'd actually forgotten she was in his office too. But then the lawyer coughed and kind of leaned back in his leather chair and looked at Tiffany. Finally, he spoke. He told Tiffany he had an idea. She should file for divorce. Tiffany felt like she'd been punched. She just stared at the lawyer saying nothing, expecting him to admit that

somehow this had been a joke. But then the lawyer explained that no, in his professional opinion, Dave did not stand a chance and was going to be imprisoned, and so if she wanted any shot of getting custody of their baby once Dave was incarcerated, this was a necessary first step. Tiffany felt totally outraged. She wanted a lawyer who would help keep her family together, not try to break it up. She told the lawyer she did not need to think about this. There was no way she was going to do this. But the entire ride home, her mind just continued to race.

She knew that Dave had never touched their baby, and certainly the court would have to see that too. She couldn't just abandon her husband. How would she even talk to him about a divorce? And yet, when it came to thinking about Alyssa, Tiffany was just not willing to leave anything to chance. Tiffany knew she had a big decision to make here. She just hoped that when the time came, she'd make the right one. Two days later, Alyssa's foster mom rushed into the ER at the Denver Children's Hospital and asked to speak with the doctor, who initially saw Alyssa for bone fractures. Alyssa was in the foster mother's arms, and both her legs were still in splints and she was crying

as though she was in pain. The foster mom tried to rock Alyssa back and forth and shush her, but nothing seemed to be working. In fact, the foster mother would tell the medical team that Alyssa had been crying all morning no matter what she tried to do to calm her down. Finally, the doctor walked into the waiting room and he called the foster mother and Alyssa into an exam room. The doctor gingerly took Alyssa out of the foster mother's arms and asked what seemed to be the matter here. As Alyssa continued to cry, the foster mom stroked Alyssa's forehead and explained that she was really concerned about Alyssa's lack of development. Ever since she came to the foster house two weeks ago, she hadn't been moving her

limbs very much. Plus, her legs still seemed extremely sensitive to the touch, like they were not healing at all. She'd also developed a rapid breathing pattern that sounded raspy and forced. The doctor nodded and told the foster mother that she had done the right thing in bringing the baby back to the hospital. The doctor laid Alyssa on a tiny examination table and then began gently moving the baby's arms and legs. And as he did this, and as Alyssa on a tiny examination table and then began gently moving the baby's arms and legs. And as he did this, and as Alyssa continued to cry, the doctor would tell the foster mother that it did seem like Alyssa did not have the reflexes she should be developing by three months of age. The foster mother watched as the doctor tried to get Alyssa to grasp his pen, but the baby

could not hold it. The doctor turned back to the foster mom and told her that he wanted to run a few genetic tests. And in fact, these were the exact tests that Alyssa was supposed to receive by court order, but not for another three months. The doctor also mentioned to the foster mother that he was supposed to meet with Tiffany and Dave earlier that morning, but they had not shown up. And so he told the foster mother that he was supposed to meet with Tiffany and Dave earlier that morning, but they had not shown up. And so he told the foster mother that he would be sure to update Tiffany and Dave on this new plan to run these new tests sooner, as soon as they talked again. While the doctor continued to examine Alyssa, her foster mom stepped into the hallway. She called the social workers on Alyssa's case to let them know that Alyssa was back at the ER

and that the doctor did seem to think that something else could be going on here with the baby. The social worker thanked her and then promised they would update Alyssa's parents. The foster mom hung up and then went back into the room to wait. But about 30 minutes later, one of the social workers called back to say that they'd tried to contact Tiffany and Dave, but both their phones went right to voicemail. The foster mom nodded and said that she just hoped everything was okay. Around 3 p.m. that same afternoon, June 30th, Tiffany's mother, Jackie, was also trying to get a hold of Tiffany and Dave.

She'd been calling them all morning, but neither had picked up. Their radio silence really worried Jackie. She knew the parents had several important meetings that day that they could not afford to miss. At 8 a.m., they had an appointment at the hospital about their child abuse case. Jackie had expected some kind of update afterwards, but had not heard a thing. Then, at 11 a.am, Dave was supposed to meet with his lawyer who was going to take him to the police station to be questioned by the detective on Alyssa's case. Then at 1pm, Tiffany had an appointment with her own lawyer. Tiffany had not updated Jackie about what she was going to do yet with regards to filing for divorce or not,

and as much as it pained Jackie to admit this, she did think that Tiffany would have to divorce Dave in order to get her baby back. Tiffany had promised to stay in touch with her mom, Jackie, all throughout the day, but now it was going on 3pm and Jackie hadn't heard a peep. Jackie called Tiffany and Dave's house and their cell phones again, but still nothing. Jackie went upstairs to her bedroom where her husband, Paul, was napping, and she tapped him on the shoulder. Paul woke up and asked if she'd heard from Tiffany, but Jackie just shook her head and said she didn't know where they were and couldn't get in touch with them. And then she suggested that, you know, maybe Paul should drive over to their house and see if they were okay. Paul didn't hesitate. He jumped out of bed, grabbed the keys,

and then he and Jackie headed out the door towards the car. A few minutes later, Jackie and Paul pulled up outside of their daughter's house, and immediately, Jackie got a sinking feeling in the driveway, which meant they had to be home. And yet, their dog was sitting on the front porch, as though she'd been waiting to be let in for hours. Jackie and Paul made their way to the front door and rang the bell, but nobody answered. Jackie's chest tightened as she pounded on the door and called to Tiffany and Dave, but nobody called back. Paul had brought along a spare set of keys, so he pulled them out of his pocket and he unlocked the front door. And the second they stepped inside of that house, Jackie sensed something was wrong. It was just too quiet. Paul went ahead of her and headed down the hallway to the bedroom. Jackie hung back in the foyer and

just decided to call 911. And just seconds later, Jackie heard Paul let out a blood-curdling scream. Paul had just discovered his own daughter and her husband dead inside of their bedroom. There was no note, but it was obvious what had happened. Dave had shot and killed Tiffany, and then he had taken his own life. A week later, Alyssa's test results came back and one thing was absolutely clear. She had never been abused by her parents. She was diagnosed not with brittle bone disease, like Tiffany and David thought, but instead with something even more rare.

The baby had spinal muscular atrophy, a debilitating genetic disease that causes muscles to steadily shrink and weaken. Tragically, there's no treatment for spinal muscular atrophy, and in newborns, the disease is always fatal. Doctors concluded that Alyssa's bone fractures either came during her birth or just from normal handling after birth. In short, Dave and Tiffany had done nothing wrong. But the situation had spiraled so out of control that Dave felt like there was just no more hope, that he'd never get his daughter back, that he'd have to go to jail, and that everybody would think he and his wife were child abusers

when they really were not. And so this is very likely why he chose to end his life and his wife were child abusers when they really were not. And so this is very likely why he chose to end his life and his wife's life. It's just this horribly tragic thing that was totally avoidable. After Alyssa's diagnosis, the court would grant custody of Alyssa to Tiffany's parents, Jackie and Paul. But they never received an apology or any acknowledgement that Alyssa should have never been taken away from her parents. But for Jackie and Paul, their focus was on the baby, and over the next few months, they did their best to care for Alyssa. However, as the doctors had predicted, Alyssa grew progressively weaker and her body continued to break down. And by the time Alyssa was just

seven months old, the stress and pain were too much for her little body and she would die in her grandparents' arms. You can listen to new episodes of Mr. Ballin's Medical Mysteries early and ad-free on Amazon Music. Download the app today. And also, Wondery Plus subscribers can listen to Mr. Ballin's Medical Mysteries ad-free. Join Wondery Plus today. Before you go, tell us about yourself by completing a short survey at listenersurvey.com. From Ballin Studios and Wondery, this is Mr. Ballin's Medical Mysteries, hosted by me, Mr. Ballin. A quick note about our stories. We use aliases sometimes because we don't know the names of the real people in the story.

And also, in most cases, we can't know exactly what was said, but everything is based on a lot of research. And a reminder, the content in this episode is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. This episode was written by Aaron Land. Our editor is Heather Dundas. Sound design is by Ryan Petesta. Our coordinating producer is Taylor Sniffen, and our managing producer is Sophia Martins. Our senior producer is Alex Benidon. Our associate producers and researchers are Sarah Vytak and Tasia Palaconda. Fact-checking was done by Sheila Patterson. For Ballin Studios, our head of production is Zach Levitt. Script editing is by Scott Allen and Evan Allen. Our coordinating producer is Matub Zair. Executive producers are

myself, Mr. Ballin, and Nick Witters. For Wondery, our head of sound is Marcelino Villapando. Senior producers are Laura Donna Palavoda and Dave Schilling. Senior managing producer

is Ryan Lohr. Our executive producers are Aaron O'Flaherty and Marshall Louis for Wondery. You don't believe in ghosts? I get it. Lots of people don't.

I didn't either, until I came face to face with them. Ever since that moment, hauntings, spirits, and the unexplained have consumed my entire life. I'm Nadine Bailey. I've been a ghost tour guide for the past 20 years. I've taken people along with me into the shadows, uncovering the macabre tales that linger in the darkness, and inside some of the most haunted houses, hospitals, prisons, and more. Join me every week on my podcast, Haunted Canada, as we journey through terrifying and bone-chilling stories of the unexplained. Search for Haunted Canada on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, or wherever you find your favorite podcasts.