Erin Daugherty, RN | Rare Disease Patient, Pediatric Nurse & Parent Advocate

In 2017, while on vacation in Seattle, Erin brought her young child to Seattle Children’s Hospital due to a sudden high fever. The next day a critical diagnostic dispute erupted between the out-of-town hospital providers and the family’s established care team at Children's Hospital of os Angeles. Seattle Children's Hospital leveled allegations of Factitious Disorder Imposed on Another (FDIA)—formerly known as Munchausen Syndrome by Proxy—against Erin, setting off an agonizing two-year legal battle to be reunited with her children.

Entering the family court system, Erin experienced firsthand the terrifying reality facing parents accused of child abuse: a framework where accusing Child Abuse Pediatricians and social workers hold disproportionate influence, often operating as investigator, judge, and jury without standard constitutional safeguards. Despite verified, legitimate medical diagnoses for both herself and her children, Erin had to navigate an opaque system to clear her name and restore her family. Her family's harrowing journey and ultimate fight for accountability is documented in the feature film Complicated by Open Eye Pictures, currently streaming.

Today, Erin offers professional legal nurse consulting for families charged with Medical Child Abuse (MCA) and FDIA. Her services include meticulously reviewing and cataloging extensive medical records, as well as authoring formal letters and clinical reports for court submission.

Beyond her consulting practice, Erin serves on the Board of Directors for ElevateRare, the non-profit born out of Complicated. ElevateRare works to raise awareness of Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome (EDS) and other rare, complex, or difficult-to-diagnose conditions, while coming alongside families to provide the crucial support needed to endure MCA allegations.

Erin began her nursing career in 1999 at Children's Hospital of Orange County and has spent over 15 years working across various pediatric nursing settings. Both Erin and her two children, Zoë and Zachary, live with hypermobile Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome.

Today, Erin resides in Central Oregon with her husband Kevin, two Giant Flemish Rabbits, and a Golden Retriever. She remains dedicated to empowering families facing family court charges and delivers CEU/CME educational presentations on the critical intersection between rare diseases and medical child abuse allegations.