Florida Senator Dr. Barbara Shareif has filed legislation which could change how child abuse investigations are handled. The legislation is named for a South Florida couple whose twins inherited their Mom’s genetic disorder, Ehlers-Danlos syndrome, and were taken into state custody.
Inspired by cases where parents were wrongly accused or physicians or medical workers misunderstood symptoms of rare conditions, Florida’s “Patterson’s Law” legislation — Senate Bill 42 (SB 42) and House Bill 47 (HB 47) — has passed its first Senate committee unanimously and is actively moving through the 2026 legislative process. Both bills focus on ensuring child‑protective investigators consider rare medical conditions (including Ehlers‑Danlos Syndrome) before concluding abuse.
The proposed legislation is named after Michael and Tasha Patterson, whose children were taken – despite medical evidence showing their injuries were linked to EDS and other health issues. Tasha says her twins inherited EDS from her.
EDS are a group of 13+ inherited genetic disorders that weaken the body’s connective tissues, cause easy bruising, and spontaneous injuries – amongst other symptoms. The symptoms can mimic signs of abuse, leading to misdiagnosis without proper medical context.
Patterson’s Law would:
- Allow parents to request a second medical opinion — at their own expense — if their child is removed due to suspected physical abuse.
- Apply when children may have preexisting genetic conditions, such as Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome, that can cause bruising, joint dislocations, or fractures mistaken for abuse.
- Seek to close gaps in Florida’s child welfare investigations, which may not account for rare medical conditions.
Michael & Tasha Patterson with their twin sons, who are now 3 and living with her brother
According to Tasha, in 2022, she and her husband had fraternal twin boys who were born prematurely. The twins had some fussiness which was initially thought to be colic. One of the twins, who had been inside a velcro swaddle, was taken to the ER on Sept., 18, 2022. Although the couple had noticed bruising on his left leg, they were more concerned about the fussiness. Soon thereafter the other twin was discovered to have fractures. A DCF abuse case was opened up, beginning their nightmare with the Florida Department of Children and Families.
The twins were taken into state custody. The twins are now in the care of Tasha’s brother. She & Michael get supervised visits with them.
Tasha says the physician at Joe DiMaggio Children’s Hospital in Hollywood, Florida is reportedly no longer on the Child Protection Team. “It’s her diagnosis that we’ve been fighting against this whole time,” Tasha told South Santa Rosa News this morning.
“A lot of people have told me just be glad they let your brother get them. I am grateful, but right is right and wrong is wrong. They should have been giving back,” she said.
WANT TO HELP? Contact your state legislators and ask them to support Senate Bill 42 and House Bill 47. Ask for a DCF/foster care investigation and reform by emailing GovernorRon.DeSantis@eog.myflorida.com. Join the peace assembly taking place at 8 am on Monday, February 9 at Santa Rosa County Courthouse, located at 4025 Avalon Boulevard in Milton.
WANT TO LEARN MORE? Watch the Take Care of Maya documentary on Netflix (a Florida case) and the Never in America documentary on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PhEAfUdI0fs
