SHOCK: Hospital Takes Custody Of Girl After Parents Argue Diagnosis

[tailfins]

After a long history of medical problems, a West Hartford teenager is now “trapped” inside a hospital with seemingly no way out.


http://foxct.com/2013/11/19/hospital-holds-west-hartford-girl-for-9-months-after-parents-argue-diagnosis/

[jimnyc]

I'd probably end up in jail if I were the father. Short of irrefutable proof of abuse, there is no way a child and parent should be separated from one another. This hospital and doctors can contact all prior doctors of hers and verify her medical history. Unless they were medicating her with illegal drugs, or drugs not prescribed by one of her doctors, then it sounds to me like they were simply trying to help their daughter and following the advice of the healthcare professionals. I can't believe they won't return her to her parents. At the very least, let her go home and monitor her. But I think "kidnapping" her and not barely letting her even speak to her family, is going to cause more problems than necessary.

[tailfins]

I think my sons would try to run away and seek refuge in the Brazilian embassy since they are legally dual citizens. Say what you will about Brasilia, but they are quite active about protecting their citizens. Remember what Ronnie Biggs got away with so that his son wouldn't be deprived of his father:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ronnie_Biggs

[Arbo]

Once they parents win this case (as it appears they should), there should be ZERO bills from the hospital and those at the hospital involved should be fired.

[WiccanLiberal]

Has anyone considered that there may be more here than meets the eye? I am referring to the phenomenon known as Munchausen's by proxy. The parents of course present as just concerned but put a child through unnecessary procedures. I don't have any great faith in the DCS system but the medical team would be in a position to have suspicion of they felt the child was not being treated correctly. Just offering another POV.

[Arbo]

Has anyone considered that there may be more here than meets the eye? I am referring to the phenomenon known as Munchausen's by proxy. The parents of course present as just concerned but put a child through unnecessary procedures. I don't have any great faith in the DCS system but the medical team would be in a position to have suspicion of they felt the child was not being treated correctly. Just offering another POV.

Oh, I agree this could be the case. It's not for sure the whole story is being told. But from what little there is, it seems that the parents are not the one's in the wrong on this one. But that could change.

[WiccanLiberal]

I'll have to try and follow this one and see what comes out. It could be interesting no matter what the result.

[Arbo]

I'll have to try and follow this one and see what comes out. It could be interesting no matter what the result.

If you hear more of the story or some sort of outcome, let us know. I know I'm no good at keeping up with stories like this.

[DragonStryk72]

Has anyone considered that there may be more here than meets the eye? I am referring to the phenomenon known as Munchausen's by proxy. The parents of course present as just concerned but put a child through unnecessary procedures. I don't have any great faith in the DCS system but the medical team would be in a position to have suspicion of they felt the child was not being treated correctly. Just offering another POV.

The only issue with that is this isn't BCH's first rodeo with this accusation by parents. From comment's I'm reading coming out of CT, they've done this a number of times before. What gets me is that even the girl's doctors, both her shrink and her medical doctor that have been treating that past few years, are shocked by what the hospital is doing, and that part worries me, because it means that they were left out of the loop in their own patient's medical evaluation and care by the hospital.

[Abbey Marie]

Whether the parents are wrong here or not, keeping this girl in a hospital for 10 months is outrageous. She should be free to live as normal a life as she can. The DCS is taking her life away from her.

[Drummond]

Has anyone considered that there may be more here than meets the eye? I am referring to the phenomenon known as Munchausen's by proxy. The parents of course present as just concerned but put a child through unnecessary procedures. I don't have any great faith in the DCS system but the medical team would be in a position to have suspicion of they felt the child was not being treated correctly. Just offering another POV.

.. and it's an interesting suggestion. I go along - generally speaking - with the other comments here. Even so, it's just possible that you have a point.

One thing I will say, though ... the British experience, and mindset, differs from what I'm seeing here. We've had cases of neglect and cruelty perpetrated by parents which are so extreme that I think that, in hindsight, many would've felt grateful if those child victims HAD been kept in a hospital instead.

Here's a link to an infamous example of what we in Britain have seen. It's an especially bad one, though by no means unique ...

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1084972/Treated-like-dog-used-punchbag-The-life-death-baby-boy-called-Smiley.html

I'm not going to produce a quote from it .. the details are THAT bad.

[DragonStryk72]

.. and it's an interesting suggestion. I go along - generally speaking - with the other comments here. Even so, it's just possible that you have a point.

One thing I will say, though ... the British experience, and mindset, differs from what I'm seeing here. We've had cases of neglect and cruelty perpetrated by parents which are so extreme that I think that, in hindsight, many would've felt grateful if those child victims HAD been kept in a hospital instead.

Here's a link to an infamous example of what we in Britain have seen. It's an especially bad one, though by no means unique ...

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1084972/Treated-like-dog-used-punchbag-The-life-death-baby-boy-called-Smiley.html

I'm not going to produce a quote from it .. the details are THAT bad.

I get what you are saying, but the parents aren't being investigated for abuse, and have lost their daughter for almost a year now. While there do have to be safety nets to keep a child from abuse, and hospitals are often the first place that discovers abuse, there must also be procedures that must be observed in investigating whether or not abuse has, in fact, occurred, and if evidence does not exist to support the abuse charge, then the child needs to be returned in a reasonable amount of time. A full school year is not reasonable by any estimation.

[jimnyc]

I say in cases like this, have someone independent come in IMMEDIATELY. Have them meet with the family, the hospital and their current doctors and all paperwork. Work quickly and in the benefit of this child and her family. Without proof of danger to this child, and providing it quickly, NO ONE should be able to separate the parents and the child without some damn good proof and a judges orders based on all of the facts, from their own doctors in addition.

[Gaffer]

So who pays for her hospital stay? Hospitals are not cheap.

[jimnyc]

So who pays for her hospital stay? Hospitals are not cheap.

We all do, she's using Obamacare! :beer:

[darin]

Nobody would steal my daughter from me. I hope the parents sue and get BILLIONS; at least hundreds of millions. What's happening to them is a violation of their rights.

[Arbo]

I have found no updates to this story, but I did find that this is not the first kid that Boston Children's Hosptial has done this to:

http://fightingpandas1.blogspot.com/2012/10/parents-lose-custody-in-battle-over_8.html