A splendiferous hello! Welcome to another issue of Inspiration from a Blind, brought to you by the one and only
www.ShirleyCheng.com!
Last month, I talked about the importance of listening to your parents; in this issue, I would like to focus on parental rights, specifically the lack of parental rights in children's medical care in the United States. This serious issue has affected my mother's and my lives in a horrifying way, and July 13 will mark the 18th anniversary of the day I was snatched away from my mother for the second time only after she bravely stood by my side.
Did you know that in America, parents risk losing custody of their children forever if they disagree with doctors' recommended treatments or even when they want a second opinion?
This nightmare has happened to multitude of parents and children, especially in the past decades. Below is what happened to Tina Phifer when she only wanted her daughter to receive the best treatment for her disease.
Tina Phifer, a New York City accountant and single mother, lost custody of her nine-year-old daughter, Amkia, and all visitation and contact rights, when she wanted to seek a second opinion for her daughter's treatment. She disagreed with doctors at Montefiore Hospital over the correct course of treatment for Amkia's gastrointestinal condition, which was first diagnosed as anemia, then as irritable bowel disease, then finally as ulcerative colitis.
Amkia's health deteriorated only after doctors began treating her with drugs she could not tolerate. Tina wanted to take Amkia to see other doctors, but the hospital promptly charged her with medical neglect. Tina said that for blood drawings, they had student interns who could not find veins and would stick her daughter four times, damaging her arms. She informed the hospital that Amkia was allergic to Amoxicillin in the past, but they still administered it to her.
The court ordered that all communication between mother and daughter be audible to the social worker monitoring their weekly one-hour visits; she lost visitation and contact rights when she violated the order.
Before the custody loss, Tina had taken Amkia to three different specialists in late 1996 and early 1997 to find the right diagnosis. Tina was also accused of "educational neglect" because she homeschooled Amkia, even though her education has been tested to be superior than other children her age.
Amkia had lived in six foster homes in two years, among rats and roaches. After two years of the living nightmare, she was finally allowed to live with her mother again on a trial basis, but had to receive biweekly visits from child protection authorities.
The above case is an example of an average case. There have been some farfetched cases, such as the one below (but aren't all cases where parents are forced to give their consent for unwanted treatments farfetched?).
One February day in 2000, five-year-old Anthony Mitchell accidentally stepped on a nail playing with his brother. Anthony's mom, Pam Anderson, took him to the emergency room at Terre Haute's Union Hospital. While there, a mix-up of words led to the forced treatment of a negative disease. Anthony called the nail a needle, prompting the doctor to give him a dose of AZT, the DNA-chain terminator widely prescribed as an anti-AIDS drug, without performing any test, and called CPS. The doctor automatically thought that since they are black, they were using drugs (black-needle-drug-AIDS). Pam heard the doctor saying the f-word when he realized he had made a mistake, after speaking to the child's father over the telephone, but did not withdraw his diagnosis or treatment plan.
Child Protective Services (CPS) decided that Anthony should keep taking AZT, just in case he had stepped on an AIDS-infected needle, and ordered Pam to take Anthony to see a doctor at a clinic to see how he was doing on the medicine. Pam took her son to the clinic but did not put him on the drug. CPS called her, and armed police with dogs surrounded Pam's mother's house. Pam then got in touch with Deane Collie, executive director of Coalition for Medical Justice, who spoke with CPS. CPS then dropped the case, but warned that if Anthony were to come back with a positive HIV test within the next twelve months, Pam would be charged with felony criminal intent to harm.
Patients already have more than enough to deal with. It hurts parents a great deal when their children are suffering from illnesses. Snatching their flesh and blood away from them at such times is cruel, ruthless, and heartless.
"We want to protect the children's interest; since children cannot defend themselves, we have to speak for them.," is the #1 defense doctors, social workers, and the state have for taking away parental rights.
Well, then I would like to know: how would they know what children want when children do not have the right to speak out? How would they know they are speaking for them and defending them? During my mother's custody case in 1990, absolutely not a single person from the side who took me away from my mom's loving arms ever asked me what I wanted. I did not want the surgery from the start, but who listened?
Of all the cases I have read so far, not a single child had the right to pose their own opinions, not even those minors who were sixteen and seventeen at the time of dispute!
Parents have no right to say no, children have no voice to say no, and strangers have the right to say yes for them. What is wrong with this picture?
If you support my cause, please by all means sign my "Give Parents the Right to Say No" petition at: www.petitiononline.com/parentr7/petition.html
Please pass the petition on to anyone you know! Parents and children need all the support they can get. By uniting our power, we can move mountains.
This could happen to you or someone you love. Prevent another case from happening by signing my petition.
In my advocacy book, "Parental Rights in Children's Medical Care: Where Is Our Freedom to Say No? A Look at the Injustice of the American Medical System," I have included some of the common arguments to my issue, and I am pasting a few below.
1) We can't let children suffer for their parents' poor choices.
Are children not the victims of martyrdom when doctors force treatments on them?
2) Doctors are more qualified than parents to make medical decisions.
Out of the one hundred doctors graduating from the same class with the same degree, ten percent may be excellent doctors; seventy percent may be average skilled; and the rest of them may be not that smart at all. All one hundred of those doctors are well-educated, holding the same degree from the same college. Should we listen to all of them? Do all of them know best? Plus, as every individual is different, each doctor is different, so will recommend different treatment for the same disease.
3) Doctors are human, too; they can make errors in judgment.
So you would call forcing unwanted or unnecessary—and sometimes harmful—treatments on children a mistake? You would call forcing a parent to give his or her legal consent a mistake, too? And I suppose opposing a parent's disagreement is a mistake as well. Well, even if they are mistakes, what do you think these mistakes cost parents and children? What if my mother had lost custody of me the first time?
I wrote the advocacy book not to vent about what happened to my mother and me personally, but for the entire American society to 1) make parents aware of the problems that could affect them and warn them of the legal consequences if they disagree with a medically recommended treatment, 2) to advocate for parents, and finally, 3) to put an end to this crime against humanity.
When doctors ask yes or no, parents should have the right to say no.
I repeat, this nightmare can strike anyone. It could be you on your next visit to your child's doctor, it could be your loved ones, or your neighbor.
Grab an autographed copy of my book at www.shirleycheng.com
Shirley's Corner
On a lighter side—actually, on a very sparkling side—I have been notified that my book, "Embrace Ultra-Ability! Wisdom, Insight & Motivation from the Blind Who Sees Far and Wide" has been placed as a finalist in the 2008 Next Generation Indie Book Awards in the Motivational category! After winning eight awards, I am practically left speechless. What else is there to say? What words could possibly describe how I feel right now?
As you know, this book has received many rave reviews (and more are to come, I'm sure), and here are a couple of them:
Review by Dr. Paul A. Johnson, Ph.D., Clinical & Consulting Psychologist:
"Shirley Cheng is new to my awareness and very unique, to say the least! This young lady has not only accepted, but embraced her physical handicaps in a way that gives hope and inspiration to all of us human beings. Her book, Embrace Ultra-Ability, is filled with wise, practical, and eminently usable advice and guidance that can be utilized as a whole, or in discrete segments, depending upon the reader's needs and situation. Everything Shirley talks about has a backdrop of deep spirituality and strong ethics, which convinces anyone who reads her carefully, that here is a person who works every hour of every day to practice her faith, to celebrate her blessings, and to constantly resist falling into self-pity or bitterness. This is an inspiring book and can be used daily by most readers to keep their spirits uplifted and their love of life, reinforced!"
Review by Ann Heizer, Functional Fitness Expert:
"Embrace Ultra-Ability! by Shirley Cheng was such a joy to read, and feel Cheng's energy, wisdom and insight for this life we have to live.
Cheng is such an inspiration to so many people through her forthright way of truthful communication —lovingly describing what we face and how to respond. The dance of life has so many melodies and she have found the words
for us to hear the music and really dance.
Cheng's techniques focusing on faith, love and gratitude are so pure and simple that they speak to the very soul of a person. This allows us to learn by experience and become more conscious every moment.
I especially loved the language in which Cheng wrote and it almost felt like she was talking to me as I read it.
This is a book everyone needs to have in their collection —to review often and be inspired every time!"
Denise Mistich invited me to submit my personal testimony on how God has affected my life, and I am honored that she has posted it on her site to share it with you: www.spiritual-health-source.com/christian-authors2.html
If you are a Christian writer and would like to share your own story, you may do so on that page.
This is all for the June issue. Until July warmly pokes its head through our windows, I wish you much peace, happiness, love, and justice in your life; and may you share all those goodies with others. You can start spreading good now by signing my petition at:
www.petitiononline.com/parentr7/petition.html
Thank you in advance, and best wishes always!
Content Copyright by Shirley Cheng; All rights reserved
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Best regards,
Shirley Cheng
Award-Winning Author
Miracle survivor, inspiring author and contributing author of seventeen books by age 24, poet, motivational speaker, self-empowerment expert, advocate, and a co-author in the bestselling Wake Up...Live the Life You Love book series
Board member of World Positive Thinkers Club
http://www.shirleycheng.com
Having a bad day? Then meet Shirley Cheng, A.K.A. the modern day Helen Keller, to inspire, empower, and motivate you to go for the gold medal in life!
"Although I'm blind, I can see far and wide; even though I'm disabled, I can climb high mountains. Let the ropes of hope haul you high!"
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Please sign the Parental Rights in Children's Medical Care: Give Parents the Right to Say No Petition:
http://www.petitiononline.com/parentr7/petition.html
