BACKGROUND: DOCTORS JOHN COX AND SADIR DOBROZSI: “Dr. John Cox knew as soon as he heard the baby’s cry that he had hurt his 1-month-old adopted daughter. He’d accidentally fallen asleep while cuddling the girl in bed early one morning last May, he said, and must have turned on top of her. Cox, 39, a pediatric emergency room doctor at Children’s Wisconsin hospital, sat up, panicked. His hands shook as he assessed the baby, he said, fearing that he’d smothered her. She wasn’t in distress, but he said he could tell from the way she was moving her left arm that he might have broken her collarbone, a common injury in infants that typically heals on its own without medical treatment. Cox called his wife, Dr. Sadie Dobrozsi, who was out of town with their two older children, and cried as he explained what had happened. Dobrozsi, a pediatric oncologist at the same hospital, said she told him to calm down and asked to video chat. The baby appeared fine to her, but to be safe, Dobrozsi suggested that Cox take her to see her pediatrician. “That’s what normal parents who aren’t doctors would do,” she told him. What followed, according to more than 15 medical experts who later reviewed Cox’s case, was a series of medical mistakes and misstatements by hospital staff members that has devastated Cox’s family and derailed his career. A nurse practitioner on the hospital’s child abuse team confused the baby’s birthmarks for bruises, according to seven dermatologists who have reviewed the case. A child abuse pediatrician misinterpreted a crucial blood test, four hematologists later said. Then, two weeks after the incident, armed with those disputed medical reports, Child Protective Services took the child. “In hindsight,” Cox said in a recent interview, “taking her to our own hospital was the single most harmful decision that we made for our baby.”
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STORY: "Loved ones rally in Luverne for charged doctor," by reporter Dan Santella, published by Keloland.com on February 5, 2020.
GIST: "A doctor with strong ties to KELOLAND is facing a felony child abuse
charge, but his friends and family are rallying to support him. Pediatric emergency room doctor Dr. John Cox lives in Wisconsin, but
is originally from Luverne, MN. His family told KELOLAND News on Tuesday
that he has been charged with felony child abuse. Cox fell asleep while
holding a baby girl he was in the process of adopting. The family isn’t
able to share all details for legal reasons, but there are reports the
child was taken away by authorities. Different people spoke at the rally, including Dr. Cox’s father. “All of you have shown John your support through these false
allegations,” Dr. Cox’s father Mike Cox said. “Your public outcry is
being heard. Our son may be the gentlest, most caring, passionate,
intelligent individual we know. Obviously we are biased, but I think we
have good reason.” “The goal for tonight is for John and Sadie’s supporters, which it’s
obviously all of us here, to add pressure to everyone out there in
Wisconsin,” friend Bill Schneider said. Placed prominently at this afternoon’s rally was the #bringherhome hashtag. “We’re here to support John and Sadie, and we feel like it’s just
mind-boggling and heart-breaking at the same time to hear and see what
they have to go through, just to get their little girl to come home,”
Dr. Cox’s aunt Cindy Cox said. “To support my cousin John. He’s my older cousin, he’s always kind of
been a role model to me,” Dr. Cox’s cousin Mitchell Cox said. “It was an outpouring of support for John,” Schneider said.
“Basically we wanted to rally people together and just get some more
information out on how everyone here who wants to help can help.” Schneider feels good to have seen this crowd for his close friend. “Seeing this many people come out and support John is absolutely
amazing,” Schneider said. “We knew that it would be a great showing.” The event Tuesday also featured an opportunity for anyone to take a microphone and share their thoughts about Dr. Cox. "
The entire story can be read at:
PUBLISHER'S NOTE: I am monitoring this case/issue. Keep your eye on the Charles Smith Blog for reports on developments. The Toronto Star, my previous employer for more than twenty incredible years, has put considerable effort into exposing the harm caused by Dr. Charles Smith and his protectors - and into pushing for reform of Ontario's forensic pediatric pathology system. The Star has a "topic" section which focuses on recent stories related to Dr. Charles Smith. It can be found at: http://www.thestar.com/topic/charlessmith. Information on "The Charles Smith Blog Award"- and its nomination process - can be found at: http://smithforensic.blogspot.com/2011/05/charles-smith-blog-award-nominations.html Please send any comments or information on other cases and issues of interest to the readers of this blog to: hlevy15@gmail.com. Harold Levy: Publisher: The Charles Smith Blog;
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FINAL WORD: (Applicable to all of our wrongful conviction cases): "Whenever there is a wrongful conviction, it exposes errors in our criminal legal system, and we hope that this case — and lessons from it — can prevent future injustices."
Lawyer Radha Natarajan:
Executive Director: New England Innocence Project;
