To: Medical Executive Committee Boston Medical University
From: Adrian l Date: September 13, 2020
Approximately seven police officers came into my home at 2am, December 3rd, 2015, took me into custody, and charged me with “Fugitive from Justice” and “Aggravated Child Abuse”.
It was about 2am. I heard loud banging and went to see what the commotion was about, and to my surprise and shock, in front of my home were five police vehicles and what appeared to be the entirenighttime police shift at my doorstep. I opened the door and asked if I could help them. They asked for my name in which an officer stated that they had a warrant for my arrest and to allow them to come into my home. As what appeared to be a squad of soldiers entering my home, a few of them asked me if I was a“poser” as they saw my military uniforms hanging up in the closet. I spent the next 11 days in three separatecounty jails, one city jail, and 17 hours, hands and feet shackled, in the back of an extradition van as I was being extradited from Alabama, where I was stationed, back to Florida where this horrible, traumatic event began.
I was held at one county jail, for about seven days, in which I was one of five people in a four-person cell,sleeping on the floor less than three feet from the toilet. I was placed under a no contact order with our son, but not our three daughters. I was alone, and reverted to a military mind-set for survival, unafraid. But not now. I am terrified daily of what could have happened. This has traumatized me more than seven combat tours.
Our son was born almost three months early, at 3 pounds and 2 ounces. However, he arrived right ontime. My mother had passed away three weeks before he was born, and he was a welcome distraction to ourfamily, to help us remember that when one life leaves this earth, it is making space for another one to come in.
At the time of our son’s birth, my wife was of advanced maternal age, with multiple health conditions including, but not limited to, hypertension and osteopenia. The result was her developing preeclampsia, resulting in reverse diastolic flow, and the hospital staff determining that mom and baby would have a higherprobability of surviving labor if they performed an emergency C-section. All of this was occurring less than three weeks from having just buried my mother. Not to mention that at the time, I had been in the military 17 years and accumulated seven combat tours in support of the Global War on Terrorism.
Nothing. Absolutely nothing– military training, up-bringing- nothing- can prepare someone to be taken outof their home in the middle of the night and tossed into jail. Nothing can prepare an individual to be detained for almost two weeks, extradited, attend court, docket hearings, and depositions, every month for almost three years.
Nothing can prepare a wife, a family, their children, and their family to watch their loved one beprosecuted, poked and prodded, for three years and their freedom, their health, and their well-being be attacked by a false accusation.
Nothing can prepare a family, emotionally, mentally, or psychologically, to have their child removed fromtheir care. Nothing can prepare a career soldier for the probability of losing the freedom that they have served over a decade and a half to ensure that their fellow citizens enjoyed theirs.
In the midst of uncertainty, my wife began researching our sons’ condition and injury, and found multiple medical explanations. Unfortunately, many medical professionals hear about this type of injury and discreetlyshut their doors, and advise their colleagues to follow suit. My wife, Angel, contacted another angel, Dr. Michael Holick.
Dr. Holick provided us the opportunity to present him a general overview of our situation. He was respectful, kind, and extremely professional. With the rapidly escalating debt we were incurring due to legal counsel, associated fees, and life in general, Dr. Holick took our case pro bono. In months, he was the onlyperson we spoke with that didn’t treat us as criminals and bad parents. He was the only medical professionalthat didn’t look down his nose at us. He never said it would be easy, nor that this was an open and closed case, but he did base his findings on science, peer reviewed medical journals, and experience. He was an absolute godsend.
We lost three Christmases together. I wasn’t able to be there for my only son’s first three birthdays. I missed his first steps. I wasn’t able to attend his doctor appointments, or change his diapers, or watch himlearn and explore things that made him curious. I was stripped of my privilege to be his dad. I was restricted from being who I was good at being- a husband and a father. My wife was forced to be a single parent.
As a service member, credibility, especially as you become more senior, becomes the thing that you rely upon the most to get things done. I was a field grade officer at this chapter of my life. My career was put on pause. Suddenly, once the rumor of the accusations against me spread around my workplace, I was isolated.No one wanted to be associated with a [an accused] child abuser.
But we won. We powered through this significantly emotional event. We are still married, our children were never removed, our son has thrived and experienced no further injuries, and we have a testimony to share. Please realize that this was not easy. Dr. Holick and his experience were instrumental in our accomplishment. His multiple testimonies, depositions, conferences with our legal counsel, and expertreports aided our legal team to successfully represent me during trial.
This win didn’t come without a loss. To date, I have yet to sleep without medication. To date, I have been seen by cardiologists, neurologists, psychologists, and psychiatrists. To date, the word “investigation” torments me and the sight of the police or “county jail” distresses me. My family has suffered. They have losttime. They lost a part of me that died trying to survive the State of Florida vs. Adrian. I often wondered why I would see homeless veterans. How did that person end up on the side of the road with a sign “will work for food” or “homeless vet-please help”? I understand now.
22 veterans commit suicide every day. That could have been me. But, by the grace of God, my wife and family, and Dr. Holick’s help and patience, we made it through.
Please strongly consider this letter as our utmost endorsement of the professionalism, respect, andpatriotism of Dr. Holick.
Very Respectfully,
Adrian