Forgive this OT posting to the list, but there were so many of you who
expressed concern about our grandson that I couldn't possibly respond individually
and many asked to be kept up-to-date.
The problem is still unresolved. The now six-week-old baby is in Children's
Hospital in Philadelphia with multiple fractures and a leading child abuse
expert claiming that they are the result of abuse. We know absolutely that he
was not abused so we are desperately trying to get someone to look at his
case more objectively, we think he must have brittle bone disease. He is now
out of my son's and daughter-in-law's custody and they are facing criminal
charges because supposedly some of the fractures could have been
life-threatening. They are able to visit him in the hospital but only under
supervision and
one of the doctors has been very difficult in confronting my daughter-in-law
when she was there alone and trying to break her down so she would implicate
my son.
The baby lacks many of the classic symptoms of child abuse and shaken baby
syndrome such as multiple bruises, subdural hematoma, broken blood vessels in
the retina, skull fractures, and internal injuries. He has ONLY broken
bones. He did have some bruises when taken in but we know how all but one
happened, and children with OI (brittle bone disease or osteogenesis imperfecta)
are
known to bruise easily. Also, the bruises were not in the same locations as
the breaks and there was no swelling around the breaks.
It seems so obvious that it could not be abuse, but we are fighting a
mindset. We have been praying desperately that someone would take an objective
look at ALL the facts. We have found out that this has happened to dozens and
maybe hundreds of families whose children have OI before it is diagnosed.
Child abuse is always the first thing suspected, the child is put in immediate
protective custody and is often returned to his parents only after subsequent
bone breaks while in foster care, sometimes years later.
There are some tests for OI, but the most reliable is only 80% accurate and
takes 3 months to get the results. We were told this test had been done,
then found out it had not and as of last night it still has not been done, we
don't know why.
We do have a good (and, of course, expensive) lawyer. He will put up an
excellent defense and we are working on finding unbiased experts in OI to review
the case. In the meantime we are all losing weight, sleep, and years off
our lives. I've actually started noticing my hair falling out - it's amazing
what stress does to the body. The legal process may take months.
The baby will be released to foster care as soon as he is considered well
enough. My husband and I have requested custody but it will take an
unspecified amount of time to approve our home as a foster home, IF they decide to
approve us (Child Protective Services thinks grandparents are too sympathetic to
parents and won't follow visitation/supervision rules) so he will go to a
stranger first. It is an unspeakable grief, compounded by knowing that the
care-giver is likely to inflict injuries unknowingly just as his parents did.
It's just a nightmare.
I appreciate your concerns, thank you all for caring so much. We have
literally felt your prayers and do believe that God is working in the situation.
It's just so hard to have patience.
We appreciate your continued support.
If anyone knows of a nationally known expert in osteogenesis imperfect, I
would very much appreciate the information.
Peg Merkley
Reading Specialist/LMS Graduate Student
NHUF Elementary School
Frederick, PA
_magiemae5@aol.com_ (mailto:magiemae5@aol.com)
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