Charlotte, NC — October 28, 2025 — Shelly and Shawn Boyce, parents of four from Charlotte, North Carolina, are under investigation by Child Protective Services (CPS) after a St. Jude Affiliate Clinic at Novant Health Hemby Children’s Hospital filed a referral accusing them of failing to administer chemotherapy to their 8-year-old son—who is in remission from acute lymphoblastic leukemia.
The Boyces were administering their child’s final maintenance protocol at home under doctor approval, including an integrative supplement plan. After recent lab work showed the boy’s health improving, the hospital accused the parents of “non-compliance,” claiming the child was “too healthy” to have received treatment correctly.
Acting on advice from PJI attorney Adam Draper, the Boyces hired a licensed nurse to administer chemotherapy at home, document the protocol daily, and record the process. This evidence, along with verified medication logs, lab results, and attorney contact information, was provided to the hospital. Despite this, the clinic proceeded with a CPS referral without contacting the parents, the nurse, or their attorney.
Adam Draper stated:
"We provided verifiable proof that every dose was administered as prescribed. The CPS referral was knowingly false and constitutes a malicious report under North Carolina law."
CPS reportedly spent ten hours in the Boyce home investigating the family, including all four children and the family farm.
Ann Vandersteel, host of Steel News and co-founder of American Made Action, called the referral:
"Medical bureaucracy punishing success. When recovery challenges the narrative, the system strikes back instead of celebrating healing."
Maureen Steele, co-founder of American Made Action, added:
"When hospitals weaponize child protection laws against parents saving their children’s lives, that’s not medicine—it’s tyranny in a lab coat."
Call to Action:
American Made Action and the United Law Coalition are calling for:
Immediate retraction of the CPS referral.
Legislative oversight of hospital-to-CPS reporting protocols.
Public transparency regarding the processes and incentives behind such referrals.
The organizations are coordinating legal review, media advocacy, and oversight to ensure the Boyce family is protected and Novant Health is held accountable for what they describe as a malicious and retaliatory referral.
