In 2019, a family court judge in Tennessee ordered David Ihben and his estranged wife to vaccinate their three unvaccinated children as part of a custody battle, sparking a traumatic chain of events for the family.
Ihben, who had relocated from Chicago to rural Jamestown with hopes of a calmer life, saw those dreams unravel when his youngest son, Isaac, fell seriously ill after receiving 18 vaccines in one day.
Isaac was later diagnosed with severe regressive autism, changing the course of the family’s life.
The couple initially shared a religious exemption from vaccinations for their children.
However, during the divorce proceedings, the mother’s attorney raised the vaccination issue, capitalizing on Judge Todd Burnett’s strong pro-vaccine stance. Burnett made a controversial decision, stating that “not vaccinating your children is child abuse.”
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He told the parents that whoever agreed to vaccinate the children immediately would win custody. Although Ihben was shocked by this turn, his wife agreed, and the children were vaccinated that same day.
While the two older children, Hannah and Joseph, showed minimal adverse reactions, Isaac suffered severe complications. He developed a high fever, spent 12 days in intensive care, and was later diagnosed with regressive autism.
Now almost 11, Isaac requires constant care, with his development drastically impacted by the medical episode. Ihben described how his son, once a typical five-year-old, now needs to be bottle-fed, wears diapers, and requires speech therapy, among other challenges.
The situation worsened when Ihben’s wife abandoned the children, leaving him as their sole caregiver while he remains obligated to pay child support to the state. The court records concerning Isaac’s condition were sealed, leaving Ihben without official documentation of the medical ordeal, except for the records he managed to obtain when enrolling his daughter in school.
Local doctors confirmed that Isaac’s condition was linked to the vaccines, and one remarked that she had only seen one other child with similar symptoms.
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Ihben continues to face financial and legal challenges, including child support payments and the burden of caring for his son with little external support. Tennessee’s restrictive laws and limited funding for children with autism add to his daily struggles.
Ihben also described instances of harassment from local authorities, including an armed raid by the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation and being banned from his local Walmart due to Isaac’s behavior.
Despite the immense personal toll, Ihben remains committed to sharing his story through Children’s Health Defense (CHD) initiatives and the Vax-Unvax campaign. He believes that spreading awareness is crucial to preventing other families from facing similar situations.
Isaac has shown some signs of progress, but Ihben knows his children will carry the responsibility of caring for their brother long after he is gone.
For Ihben, the battle is about more than just his family — it’s about ensuring that other parents don’t experience the same loss. “I hope Isaac will be the last,” he said.