>> Leslie: WELCOME BACK.
YOUR TIME NOW IS 9:21.
HER SON WAS KILLED IN TRAGIC
ACCIDENT, BUT THE INVESTIGATION
INTO ITS CAUSE MEANT THAT SHE
AND HER HUSBAND WERE NOT ALLOWED
TO SAY GOOD-BYE TO HIM.
>> Mark: SO THIS SAN ANTONIO
MOTHER IS PUSHING TO INCREASE
DECEASED CHILDREN.
IT'S A BATTLE THAT WAGES ON MORE
THAN FOUR YEARS AFTER THE BOY'S
DEATH.
DILLON COLLIER REPORTS.
DANIEL
NIGHTMARE BEGAN IN LATE 2014.
>> MY PHONE RINGS AND IT WAS
JUST CHAOS.
>> Reporter: HER 7-YEAR-OLD SON
WYATT WAS BURIED ALIVE.
THE MOUNTAIN HE AND HIS BROTHER
WERE CLIMBING COLLAPSED.
HE WAS AIRLIFTED TO THE
HOSPITAL, BUT PRONOUNCED DEAD.
HIS PARENTS, OVERWHELMED WITH
GRIEF, WERE TOLD BY
INVESTIGATORS THEY WEREN'T
ALLOWED TO SEE THE BODY.
>> IF WE WERE NOT SUSPECTS, WHY
DID YOU TAKE THAT AWAY FROM US?
>> Reporter: INVESTIGATORS
McDANIELS GOT HOME.
THE COUPLE'S REMAINING CHILDREN
WOULD BE TAKEN AWAY UNLESS
ANOTHER ADULT COULD PROVIDE
AROUND THE CLOCK SUPERVISION.
>> I CAN'T IMAGINE FROM HIS
VIEWPOINT WHAT IT WOULD BE LIKE
TO WATCH YOUR BROTHER DIE IN
FRONT OF YOUR EYES BASICALLY AND
THEN BE RIPPED OUT OF THE ONLY
ONE EVENING.
>> Reporter: A FAMILY FRIEND
STEPPED UP AND AGREED TO MOVE IN
THAT NIGHT, PREVENTING CPS FROM
REMOVING THE KIDS.
YOU KNOW?
SHE WAS A BLESSING TO US.
>> Reporter: CPS AT NO POINT
TOLD THE McDANIELS WHAT THEY
WERE INVESTIGATED FOR, BUT
CLOSED THE CASE FOUR MONTHS
NEGLECT.
ALTHOUGH YEAR'S HAVE PASSED
SINCE WYATT'S DEATH, THE WOUND
OF NOT BEING ALLOWED TO SEE HIM
ONE LAST TIME NEVER HEALED.
>> I'LL BE HELL BENT IF ANOTHER
THIS.
>> Reporter: NOW THEY HAVE HELP
FROM REPRESENTATIVE KYL LARSON.
EACH FILED BILLS LAST MONTH WITH
THE SAME INTENT -- TO ALLOW
PARENTS TO VIEW THE CHILD BEFORE
IT IS EXAMINED BY THE JUSTICE OF
THE PEACE OR A MEDICAL EXAMINER.
>> THERE'S HALLOWED MOMENT THAT
SHOULD BE PROTECTED FOR PARENTS.
>> WHEN YOU HEAR THE STORY, IT
IS REALLY TWO TRAGEDIES.
THE TRAGEDY OF LOSS OF LIF OF
YOUR CHILD COMPOUNDED BY T
BUREAUCRATIC NIGHTMARE OF WHAT
SHE HAD TO GO THROUGH.
>> IT WASN'T ABLE TO SEE HIM
UNTIL THREE DAYS LATER.
>> Reporter: McDANIEL HAS
REPEATEDLY TESTIFIED IN AUSTIN.
ALTHOUGH THE BILL WAS AT FIRST
OPPOSED BY SOME MEMBERS OF THE
LAW ENFORCEMENT OVER CONCERNS
CURRENT VERSION IS WIDELY
SUPPORTED AND HAS BEEN EXPANDED
TO INCLUDE ALL CHILD DEATHS.
NOT JUST ONES THAT OCCUR IN
HOSPITALS.
>> YOU JUST CAN'T ACCEPT THAT
YOUR CHILD IS THERE ONE MINUTE
AND THEN GONE THE NEXT BECAUSE
OF AN ACCIDENT.
BUT THERE IS AT LEAST AN
OPPORTUNITY TO HUG YOUR CHILD
AND TO KISS YOUR CHILD GOOD-BYE.
SHE DIDN'T GET THAT.
AND EVERY PARENT DESERVES THAT.
>> Leslie: WOW.
WATCHING THAT.
>> Mark: WHAT HAPPENED INSIDE
THE HOSPITAL THAT KEPT LAUREN
McDANIEL FROM SEEING HER SON'S
BODY?
>> IT'S ONE OF THE MOST HEART
TOLD.
HORSE FARM TO UNIVERSITY
LAWYE
LAUREN AND HER HUSBAND DROVE
SEPARATELY.
SHE WAS TOLD SHE WAS NOT ALLOWED
TO SEE THE BODY AND LATER IN THE
EVENING THE BODY WAS TAKEN FROM
THE HOSPITAL AND GIVEN TO THE
MEDICAL EXAMINER'S OFFICER
WITHOUT HER EVER GETTING TO SEE
IT.
HE DIED UNDER SUSPICIOUS
CIRCUMSTANCES, SO THAT WAS THE
SHERIFF'S OFFICE, THEIR
REASONING THAT NIGHT FOR WHY SHE
COULDN'T HAVE ANY KIND OF
CONTACT WITH THE BODY ONCE WYATT
WAS PRONOUNCED DEAD.
AND THAT HAS REALLY SET OFF A
FOUR-MONTH CPS INVESTIGATION
THAT THEY DIDN'T LEARN WAS ABOUT
CLOSED.
SAYING, YEAH, THE INVESTIGATION
IS CLOSED.
BY THE WAY, IT WAS FOR NEGLECT.
>> Leslie: IT TURNS OUT THEY
ANYTHING.
ACCIDENT.
>> Leslie: THERE'S NO WAY THERE
ISN'T A PARENT AT HOME WHOSE
WATCHING.
>> A DOUBLE HAYMAKER AND
SOMETHING NO PARENT SHOULD EVER
GOTHROUGH.
>> Leslie: THE TEXAS SENATE AND
THE HOUSE BOTH PASSED THE BILL.
WHAT'S THE NEXT STEP?
>> IT'S ON A CALENDAR TO HAVE
THE LANGUAGE JOINED.
THERE WERE TWO VERSIONS OF IT
INTRODUCED BECAUSE THEY WANTED
DURING THE SESSION.
THEY HAD TO EXPAND THE BILL TO
INCLUDE DEATHS THAT DID NOT
OCCUR IN THE HOSPITAL.
THEY NEEDED THE LANGUAGE IN THE
BILL.
THEN L
IT WILL GO TO GOVERNOR
ABBOTT FOR HIS SIGNATURE.
>> Mark: WE HEAR OF COMPLAINTS
THAT CHILD PROTECTIVE SERVICES
DOESN'T INVESTIGATE DEEP ENOUGH.
THAT.
>> WHICH IS WHY I THINK IT WAS
SO IMPORTANT TO TALK ABOUT THAT.
THIS WAS A CIRCUMSTANCE WHERE
THEY THOUGHT THERE MAY HAVE BEEN
SOME WRONGDOING BY TWO PARENTS
WHO WERE TRYING TO MOURN THE
LOSS OF THEIR OLDEST CHILD.
AND THIS RESULTED IN THEM NOT
GETTING TO SAY GOOD-BYE TO THE
CHILD, NOT BEING ABLE TO SEE
WYATT'S BODY UNTIL AFTER AN
AUTOPSY WAS PERFORM AND HE WAS
AT A FUNERAL HOME, AND THEN
RETURNING TO A HOSPITAL TO BE
GREETED BY SHERIFF'S OFFICE
INVESTIGATORS AND CHILD
INVESTIGATORS.
THEY WERE IN DANGER OF LOSING
THE REMAINING TWO KIDS.
>> Leslie: THANK GOODNESS SHE
HAD A FRIEND WHO STEPPED UP.
HAPPENS.