Investigations

Losing Harper: How a doctor’s accusation separated a mother from her child

Ajshay James sees her only child, Harper, just two times a month. The state took custody in 2017 after doctors accused her of medical child abuse. They believed Ajshay had exaggerated her daughter’s medical needs, leading doctors to prescribe unnecessary medications and treatments. But an investigation by NBC News and the Houston Chronicle raises doubts about the evidence used to separate them.