Just after midnight on Oct. 18, 2025, Dayna Mooney stood outside her son’s hospital room, demanding to take 17-year-old Presten home. Doctors refused, citing safety concerns, prompting Mooney to begin recording. Two weeks prior, a judge had issued a court order taking Presten into emergency custody due to his chronic myeloid leukemia; he had not been seen by oncology in over a year. Mooney had been caring for him at home using alternative treatments from an unlicensed practitioner, distrusting conventional medicine after a previous year of hospital treatment.

A conservative coalition quickly rallied around Mooney, framing her case as a battle for parental rights. Roberta Lewis of Moms for Liberty organized support, while Republican lawmakers, including Jake Merrick and Senate candidate Shane Jett, championed her cause. Jett claimed the case illustrated a government overreach restricting access to treatments like raw milk and ivermectin. Mike Mazzei, the Trump-endorsed gubernatorial candidate, encouraged donations to Mooney’s fundraiser. Lawyers and politicians argued the state was forcing liberal ideals on conservative families, turning the medical dispute into a broader fight for family autonomy and medical freedom in Oklahoma.