Mom Horrified After Finding Out Ex-Husband And His New Wife Made Her Daughter Wear A Wooden Back Brace

Co-parenting after a divorce is already difficult enough, but when your ex-husband and his new wife start making decisions about your child’s health without your input, it can feel like a betrayal of trust.

That’s what one mother discovered when she learned her daughter was forced to wear a back brace made out of wood and steel, created by her ex-husband and his wife without any medical justification. Now, her daughter is experiencing pain and numbness, leaving her mother scared and unsure of what to do next.

With a doctor’s appointment already scheduled, the mother is trying to stay calm, but the situation has escalated quickly. She’s concerned about her daughter’s safety and wants to take immediate action. Scroll down to see how she’s planning to address this issue and if there’s anything she can do to protect her child from further harm.

A mother is furious after her ex-husband and his new wife made her daughter wear a harmful wooden and steel back brace

Mom Horrified After Finding Out Ex-Husband And His New Wife Made Her Daughter Wear A Wooden Back Brace — not the actual photo

OP later provided an update:

As a parent, when you feel your child’s safety is compromised, your fear and protective instincts become urgent. In this case, the OP believes her daughter’s health and well‑being were put at risk by her ex‑husband and his new wife, forcing her to wear a back brace without medical justification.

The daughter’s complaints of pain and tingling, combined with a suspect device and non‑medical intervention, trigger every parent’s alarm.

Emotionally, the situation is deeply destabilising. The OP is caught between the trauma of believing her child is being harmed and the legal complexity of custody arrangements. She sees the back brace as an act of neglect or misuse of control; her daughter’s distress confirms her feeling of violation.

At the same time, her ex‑husband exercises his parenting time and physical access, leaving the OP powerless in those moments. This imbalance creates intense emotional strain, not only over the child’s health but over the broken dynamic of trust and shared responsibility.

The story also reveals how custody systems can sometimes lag behind urgent protective needs. Many parents assume custody schedules and exchanges are safe by design, but when a parent, new spouse, or caretaker intervenes in a child’s physical health without consent, the situation may escalate into a legal emergency.

The OP’s instinct to seek immediate court action is not just emotional; it can be legally supported. Florida law recognises “emergency custody” or “emergency child pickup orders” when a child faces imminent danger, neglect, or abuse. (traviswalkerlaw.com)

Expert legal insight confirms this pathway. One attorney explains: in Florida, you can file an emergency custody order ex parte (without prior notice to the other parent) when there is credible evidence that the child is in immediate harm. Documentation such as medical records, police reports, or witness testimony strengthens your case.

Also, there is a Florida Supreme Court–approved form (12.941(d)) you can use for a Child Pick‑Up Order in emergencies.

This directly applies to OP’s situation. The child has reported physical symptoms (back pain, tingling), and the brace was forced without medical supervision.

Combined with her ex‑husband’s refusal to explain and his wife’s unconventional intervention, there is a basis for seeking expedited legal intervention.

Importantly, the “best interests of the child” standard in Florida (see Florida Statute § 61.13) means that if the court finds actual or imminent harm, they can grant temporary orders to protect the child.

So, the OP is on legally solid ground to pursue emergency custody if she documents the incident. She should gather medical appointments, statements from the child, any messages/texts about the brace, and file an “Emergency Verified Motion for Child Pick‑Up Order” or similar.

Seeking counsel from a family law attorney in the relevant Florida circuit is highly recommended to move quickly and protect her daughter’s safety.