Thursday, July 06, 2006
Help Baby Riley
This is not about adoption, but it is such a travesty of justice and such an outrageous abuse of power...involving a mother and her baaby, I just had to spread the word...
Tina Carlson's son Riley was born with poorly functioning kidneys and will likely need a kidney transplant in the future. His doctor wanted to prepare him for dialysis by surgically implanting equipment to connect him to a dialysis machine. His mother, whose family has a history of kidney disease, questioned why the operation and the dialysis could not wait until the procedures were really needed.
Tina did what any mother would do if she had concerns about the safety of her baby. She talked with other women she trusted in her community. She shared her frustrations that she was unable to find advocacy organizations to support her rights to seek alternative care for her child. She was distraught that she was being cornered to make a decision she could not agree with. She knew she had done the best that could be done by making conscious choices to breastfeed exclusively, to take only organic foods in her diet to make the best breast milk and even during hospitalizations she used glass bottles to feed her baby knowing that the nutrients of the expressed milk would not cling to the bottle. She used cloth diapers to prevent diaper rash and the possibility of infection. She made all of the appointments that were assigned to Riley to check his blood work for the possibility of a failing kidney. She had been reassured by the medical community that these measures would be adequate to prevent something life threatening from going undetected. Riley had not had even a runny nose, cold, fever or an episode of diarrhea while in her care.
Tina Carlsen was a concerned mother exploring natural alternatives to surgery for her 9-month-old infant.
As Tina began to assert her well researched opinions regarding her child’s care, steam gathered to push back at her resistance. A judge refused Carlsen's request to block the surgery, and on Jult 1st the procedure was done.
Carlsen, 34, of Sumner, spent five days in jail after she took her son, Riley Rogers, out of a Seattle hospital on June 22, prompting a two-day statewide Amber Alert. She was freed from jail but still faces trial on a charge of second-degree domestic violence kidnapping. She could face a maximum year in jail if convicted.
KIDNAPPING! She is ger child;s mother and took her child, not from his father, but form a DOCTOR!
The case has put her at the center of a battle testing the rights of parents and the roles of doctors and judges in disputes over children's medical treatment. State judges can override a parent's wishes concerning such treatment, but the child's life typically must be in imminent danger.
The state took custody of this breastfeeding baby on June 9 after Carlsen refused to go along with doctors' advice that Riley needed the surgery. How cruel is that?
The next step, folks: Parents will be jailed for not giving their ADD kids Rittlin!
YOU CAN HELP! Go to http://www.helpbabyriley.com/
Write to Governor CHRISTIE Gregoire http://www.governor.wa.gov/contact/govemail.htm
WRITE LETTERS TO: rgletters@guardnet.com and opinion@seattletimes.com and editpage@seattlepi.com
Tina Carlson's son Riley was born with poorly functioning kidneys and will likely need a kidney transplant in the future. His doctor wanted to prepare him for dialysis by surgically implanting equipment to connect him to a dialysis machine. His mother, whose family has a history of kidney disease, questioned why the operation and the dialysis could not wait until the procedures were really needed.
Tina did what any mother would do if she had concerns about the safety of her baby. She talked with other women she trusted in her community. She shared her frustrations that she was unable to find advocacy organizations to support her rights to seek alternative care for her child. She was distraught that she was being cornered to make a decision she could not agree with. She knew she had done the best that could be done by making conscious choices to breastfeed exclusively, to take only organic foods in her diet to make the best breast milk and even during hospitalizations she used glass bottles to feed her baby knowing that the nutrients of the expressed milk would not cling to the bottle. She used cloth diapers to prevent diaper rash and the possibility of infection. She made all of the appointments that were assigned to Riley to check his blood work for the possibility of a failing kidney. She had been reassured by the medical community that these measures would be adequate to prevent something life threatening from going undetected. Riley had not had even a runny nose, cold, fever or an episode of diarrhea while in her care.
Tina Carlsen was a concerned mother exploring natural alternatives to surgery for her 9-month-old infant.
As Tina began to assert her well researched opinions regarding her child’s care, steam gathered to push back at her resistance. A judge refused Carlsen's request to block the surgery, and on Jult 1st the procedure was done.
Carlsen, 34, of Sumner, spent five days in jail after she took her son, Riley Rogers, out of a Seattle hospital on June 22, prompting a two-day statewide Amber Alert. She was freed from jail but still faces trial on a charge of second-degree domestic violence kidnapping. She could face a maximum year in jail if convicted.
KIDNAPPING! She is ger child;s mother and took her child, not from his father, but form a DOCTOR!
The case has put her at the center of a battle testing the rights of parents and the roles of doctors and judges in disputes over children's medical treatment. State judges can override a parent's wishes concerning such treatment, but the child's life typically must be in imminent danger.
The state took custody of this breastfeeding baby on June 9 after Carlsen refused to go along with doctors' advice that Riley needed the surgery. How cruel is that?
The next step, folks: Parents will be jailed for not giving their ADD kids Rittlin!
YOU CAN HELP! Go to http://www.helpbabyriley.com/
Write to Governor CHRISTIE Gregoire http://www.governor.wa.gov/contact/govemail.htm
WRITE LETTERS TO: rgletters@guardnet.com and opinion@seattletimes.com and editpage@seattlepi.com
# posted by Senior Mom @ 6:30 PM 
