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When Doug and Sally Stansfield took their eight-month old son Gabriel to Morristown Memorial Hospital, they thought their son was only being treated for a bowel obstruction. Instead, they found themselves under an intense investigation by social services.

Little Gabriel was born with spina bifida, a birth defect that results in an incomplete closure of the spinal column. According to the Spina Bifida Association, spina bifida is the most frequently occurring permanently disabling birth defect, affecting approximately one out of every 1,000 newborns in the United States. There are more than 70,000 people in the United States who are living with this birth defect.

Gabriel had been previously evaluated and treated for spina bifida by a doctor at Morristown Memorial Hospital. The family also continued treatment as prescribed by their family pediatrician, with no complications. But in the midst of their most recent visit to the hospital with Gabriel, Doug and Sally were shocked to learn that an allegation of child abuse or neglect had been filed against them.

A FRIGHTFUL HOME VISIT

Hospital officials informed the parents of the complaint as a way of explaining why they were refusing to release Gabriel to his parents after his visit. Shortly thereafter, a social worker and uniformed police officers appeared on the family’s doorstep, demanding admittance to interview Gabriel’s six siblings about the condition of their baby brother–without the presence of their parents.

The Stansfields refused, pointing out Gabriel had been treated for his bowel obstruction, was in good health, and was ready to be discharged from the hospital. When the social worker persisted, the parents agreed to allow their children to be interviewed, as long as their lawyer could be present and would have the authority to stop the interview. The social workers eventually backed down from this heavy-handed demand.

PRISONER OF THE STATE

After the social worker and police had left, the Stansfields called the hospital and were told that the staff had been informed of the situation. Hospital officials warned the couple that social services was planning to stop them from bringing Gabriel home, even though he was being discharged.

The Stansfields immediately directed the hospital to prevent the physician they suspected of generating the complaint from giving Gabriel any further treatment. Instead, they were informed that their parental rights had been terminated. The Stansfields went straight to the hospital, accompanied by their attorney, and asked to see the court order terminating their parental rights. The hospital had no court order, but did have a state social services form that allows children to be evaluated for three days. Even though they did not have the proper court order, the hospital consistently refused to release Gabriel to his parents.

HOMECOMING

Last Thursday, the Stansfields finally brought eight-month old Gabriel home, after a four-hour conference with social workers. The father, Doug, was overjoyed at the return of his son, but also expressed anger and frustration at the actions of social services in this case. “A doctor that doesn’t know my family at all and has never met them or been to my house can make one phone call which will cause this much harassment,” he told WorldNetDaily. Such a case “is outrageous and shouldn’t be allowed to happen.”

WHO DECIDES?

While the information and opinions expressed by physicians certainly help parents decide how best to treat their child, the role of primary decision-maker should be lodged first and foremost in the parent. Unfortunately, the Stansfields’ situation highlights a growing tendency among government and social service officials to second-guess the decisions that parents make for their children, and even to substitute their own judgments for those of the parents.

Action is needed if we are to protect the right of parents to make decisions concerning the upbringing and medical treatment of their children. Join with us by encouraging your friends to get involved in the battle to protect parental rights. Forward this email to your friends, and encourage them to join the campaign today and sign the petition at www.parentalrights.org/petition.

SOURCES

Baby Ordered Held by Social Services Returned to Family
www.worldnetdaily.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=58197

Spina Bifida Association
www.sbaa.org