In re Pope

Rachel Pope's (Pope) daughter was hospitalized starving and failing to thrive at nine months old after Pope had taken her only to naturopaths and chiropractors rather than a pediatrician, and doctors ruled out any medical cause for the child's condition. Pope consented to a neglect adjudication, completed a psychological evaluation and parenting classes, and visited regularly, but continued to deny any wrongdoing, blamed her sister for the department's involvement, showed a personality disorder unlikely to change, and continued to bring inappropriate food to supervised visits — testifying that the only thing she'd change if the child returned would be getting a pediatrician. The trial court terminated Pope's parental rights based on the original neglect adjudication and a finding that neglect would likely recur, and Pope appealed.