A Florida mother has drawn national attention after claiming that child welfare officials removed her daughter following a disagreement over cystic fibrosis treatment.
Joy Zuraff now faces a court hearing on Feb. 9 to determine whether her parental rights will be terminated, with adoption proceedings potentially beginning in May if the state moves forward.
Zuraff, a single mother, says her six-year-old daughter, Kenlee, was removed from her care on March 6, 2024, after she declined to immediately approve a medication with a black-box FDA warning for potentially life-threatening side effects.
Asserting “medical kidnapping,” she claims that her daughter was transferred between several hospitals before being placed in a medical foster home roughly six hours from her residence.
Speaking to Lindell TV about the experience, Zuraff described the impact on her family.
“My name is Joy. I am a single mom. My six-year-old has cystic fibrosis, and my daughter was removed from my care on March 6, 2024,” she said. “I lost my medical rights as a parent in Florida. I have no medical rights, and I lost my daughter.”
Zuraff alleges that the dispute began after her doctor reported her to the Department of Children and Families for refusing the drug, and she claims that state officials did not begin administering the medication until roughly three and a half months after Kenlee entered foster care.
She also asserts that she has provided evidence disproving claims that she has a history of mental illness or Munchausen by proxy.
While in foster care, Zuraff says her daughter was exposed to unsafe conditions, including black mold in a hospital room, and that troubling incidents occurred during supervised virtual visits.
She says these concerns have not been addressed in court, and DCF is now seeking to terminate her parental rights on the grounds that she has not “changed her way of thinking.”
DCF and Florida officials have defended their actions but cite confidentiality laws as a barrier to releasing full details, Florida’s Voice noted.
The agency said the child “is now safe and no longer in imminent danger” and emphasized that the video circulating online “does not capture the full scope or context of the situation.”
Alex Lanfranconi, communications director for Gov. Ron DeSantis (R), stated that the facts “do not support the accusations being made,” though he acknowledged that the conduct shown in the video was “inappropriate” and is being addressed.
The case has been closely followed on social media, particularly on X, where videos showing interactions between Zuraff and DCF employees have circulated widely.
Many users have shared her story, some tagging DeSantis to call for intervention, while advocates for parental rights and medical freedom say the case raises serious concerns about government overreach in family and medical decisions.
In response, Zuraff has launched a public fundraising campaign through the nonprofit We The Patriots USA to cover attorney fees and travel for visitation.
The organization confirmed that a Jan. 21 hearing on the termination motion was continued to Feb. 9, highlighting the ongoing nature of the legal battle and the financial strain on Zuraff’s efforts to maintain contact with her daughter.
The fundraising page also details the contested medication, noting its FDA black-box warning for serious side effects, including liver toxicity, and alleges that state officials waited more than three months to begin administering the drug after Kenlee was removed from her mother’s care.
Local press coverage confirms the case has drawn attention in Florida and frames it as part of a broader debate over parental rights and child welfare oversight.
Reports note that videos of Zuraff’s interactions with DCF have circulated online, though officials maintain they do not show the full context.
The Feb. 9 hearing will determine whether Zuraff’s parental rights are terminated, with adoption proceedings potentially moving forward in May.
Advocates for parental rights and medical freedom continue to monitor the case closely, framing it as a cautionary example of government overreach in family and medical matters.
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