This entry was posted on Thursday, July 13, 2006 3:27 PM and is filed under Parental Rights Advocacy.
So, today, sixteen years ago, they ruthlessly snatched me away from my mother only because she refused the treatment recommended by the doctor. I, a 7-year-old back then, was immediately pushed away from my mother—my primary source of love and security—and into another room. I shed no tears, knowing it would be fruitless. Instead, I kept calm and quiet, and I colored in the coloring book handed to me by the lady who pushed me away.
Thus began the battle that lasted for five horrible months. My fate solely depended on my mom's winning the case. There was no option of losing—she must win in order to save my life.
The doctor wanted to operate on six of my joints (both hips, knees, and ankles) in one operation. At that time, I was very ill, and he did not even have any medicine to control my inflammation. "You have to fix it from the inside first," my mother said.
Her love for me conquers everything, and she has always had this invincible stamina to fight for me till she wins, and she did just that during this custody case. She and her lawyer, George Athanson—former mayor of Hartford, Connecticut, for 11 years—appeared on CBS This Morning with Paula Zahn. This case made international headlines.
At last, my mom won me back five months later...
This is why I feel so strongly about parental rights in children's medical care. I'm advocating for parents—when doctors ask yes or no, parents should have the right to say no.
