The Hernandez Story
On 5/23/25 Parents Behind The Pinwheels shared the update so many of us had been praying to hear for The Hernandez Family.
NOT GUILTY ON ALL CHARGES!!!
This morning, a jury found Matt and Tuckey Hernandez NOT guilty on all charges!
After more than 700 days, Emma and Arya will finally be coming home!
Thank you to every person who has supported the Hernandez family since we first shared their story back in 2023.
Thank you to You Are The Power for fighting alongside them, providing valuable resources and support.
Thank you Rebecca Lindstrom 11Alive for digging into this issue after learning about the Hernandez family’s story and continuing to shine a light on the medical misdiagnosis of abuse through Help That Harms.
And thank you to Jennifer and Jonathon Williams, incredible foster parents who didn’t hesitate to speak out for this innocent family and who were there with them every step of the way. Words can’t express how grateful this community is for everything your family has done.
Join us in celebrating the reunification of The Hernandez Family on Saturday, May 31, 2025 at 5:30PM in Alpharetta, GA at Vision Baptist Church.
Hernandez Family Story as told by Foster Mom Jennifer
This story is being told by foster parent, Jennifer, as she and her husband speak out on behalf of a Georgia family fighting to bring their daughters home. [This is the Hernandez family’s story which was originally shared without their names or pictures when the family wasn’t yet able to go fully public.]
“On June 5th, 2023 a husband and wife noticed their three month old daughter’s right leg was swollen. The next day at a pediatrician appointment they discussed their concerns about their baby’s leg as well as concerns about their baby’s soft spot on her head. Their pediatrician sent them to the hospital for X-rays, which showed the baby had a fractured right leg and a fractured rib. The parents were shocked. Their baby hadn’t shown any signs of pain. Even when the doctors were examining/moving her swollen leg she never cried.
Within two hours, doctors had determined that the cause of the fractures was most likely child abuse. Social workers showed up at the hospital and took away their baby and their three year old daughter as well. The girls were placed with their aunt and uncle who they were very close with.
Because the mom was the main caregiver, she was arrested for child abuse and went to jail for three days until her friends and family raised the money for bail. The bond agreement stated she couldn’t have contact with anyone in her family, including her husband and sister so she had to move in with friends.
On July 10th, the girls’ aunt and uncle noticed bruises on the baby’s right leg and her foot. They contacted DFCS and were told to bring the baby back to the same hospital, where the same situation happened all over again. Now DFCS was also investigating the aunt and uncle for abuse so the girls were removed from them and placed in a foster home.
In August, the girls’ foster family had to leave the state for a few days so both girls were placed with my family for respite foster care for 5 nights. My husband Jonathan and I soon noticed some concerns with the baby so I sent a message to the full time foster mom and also emailed DFCS. I told them I was concerned with the baby’s joints, how she held her arms and legs and the shape of her skull seemed off. I had also noticed the whites of her eyes have a blue/grey tint to them. I brought up the possibility of a brittle bone condition like Osteogenesis Imperfecta or vitamin D deficiency.
Something wasn’t right, so I wanted to connect with the girls’ parents. Reading their social media posts asking for help for their family was heartbreaking. I connected with them and got to know their story. They were sick with worry for both girls and for their baby’s health. They said they believed their baby has a medical condition causing the fractures and bruising. They had the same types of concerns I had noted. The mother told me she had tried to get her baby’s medical records, but had been denied (she ended up getting the records later after multiple attempts).
In August, the caseworker told the mom (a week after it happened) that the baby had been taken to the hospital because the girls’ daycare had notified the foster parents that the baby had a blue spot on her foot and was only laying on one side. This was the THIRD set of unexplained injuries, yet this time, the girls weren’t removed from the foster family or from the daycare.
In October, my husband and I attended the family’s three day trial. The child abuse pediatrician (CAP) from the children’s hospital testified that this was definitely abuse, but two doctors testified that the baby had a medical condition, Neonatal Rickets. The baby’s ribs have telltale curling/cupping at the end. The doctor expressed his concerns about their baby’s skull as well. We also found out that after the first hospitalization, the baby had been prescribed vitamin supplements (I wonder why…). In addition to the two medical experts, the family also had a forensic specialist, the therapist who supervises the dad’s visits with the girls, and several character witnesses, who testified in support of them. Wanting to do whatever I could to help, I testified as well.
But it didn’t matter. The CAP was calling the shots. The attorney appointed by the state to represent the girls agreed with the CAP that it was abuse and so did the judge. The parents received the devastating verdict that their girls would remain in DFCS care.
DFCS in Georgia has asked Partnership Parents (foster parents) to work alongside birth parents in putting the needs of the kids first, to work in unity whenever possible. No one is allowing that with this family. From July 10th to October 6th, DFCS kept the parents in the dark with all doctor appointments regarding the baby (when and where the appointments are and what they’re concerning, which we believe violates the parents’ rights). The father has asked for a phone number or app to just be able to say goodnight to the girls and that request still has not been made possible. They are not even allowing the mom to have visits with her children at all. Even guilty parents (guilty of neglect, abuse, drug and alcohol use) are allowed supervised visitations with their kids, because that is what is best for the children! My husband and I are trying to follow DFCS’s own beliefs in reunification being top priority. Putting the needs of the kids first.”
This part of The Hernandez Story first appeared on Parents Behind The Pinwheels
There are so many other families like The Hernandez Family who have been impacted by the misdiagnosis of child abuse. Their stories can be viewed on Parents Behind the Pinwheels.
Watch The Hernandez Family’s Videos from You Are The Power
You Are The Power released a series of videos featuring The Hernandez Family while advocating for their reunification.
2/25/25: View Part One
3/26/25: View Part Two
Help The Hernandez Family
