Homeothopy strikes again, mother under arrest

[Battman]

This makes me sick. A local mother has been arrested in the death of her 7 year old son. The child died from a treatable strep infection, but had never been to a doctor.

http://www.calgarysun.com/2013/11/2...m-who-used-holistic-treatment-before-son-died

I may not be father of the year, but when my kids are really sick, we get them to the doctor's office.

 

[joesixpack]

That is heartbreaking. I don't know how a parent could recover from such a thing.

 

[bigred]

Not that it mattered in the end of course, but it's unclear if this was a "homeopathic" or as they also call it, "holistic" treatment. I wish people would get their terminologies straight (PS that's aimed at the article, not you).

But charges being brought against her are dicey at best. She was giving what she considered appropriate treatment; it's not like she felt a going to a doctor was best and blew it off. That's just people with bloodlust wanting revenge for the child's loss...which I can understand, but that doesn't make it right. And yes it nauseates me too. But I think losing a child, to say nothing of realizing you were the cause, will be more than enough punishment.

 

[Orphia Nay]

Not that it mattered in the end of course, but it's unclear if this was a "homeopathic" or as they also call it, "holistic" treatment. I wish people would get their terminologies straight (PS that's aimed at the article, not you).

But charges being brought against her are dicey at best. She was giving what she considered appropriate treatment; it's not like she felt a going to a doctor was best and blew it off. That's just people with bloodlust wanting revenge for the child's loss...which I can understand, but that doesn't make it right. And yes it nauseates me too. But I think losing a child, to say nothing of realizing you were the cause, will be more than enough punishment.

The article does say the mother was using homeopathy.

But in this case, Staff Sgt. Mike Cavilla said the mother opted for alternative medicine, like herbal remedies, despite numerous friends and family urging her to take the boy to a doctor.

“There was a belief system in homeopathic treatments,” he said.

 

[joesixpack]

I have to agree with bigred. Any judicial punishment will be meaningless when compared to living with the knowledge that her stubborn refusal to see a real Dr cost her child his life.

 

[bigred]

The article does say the mother was using homeopathy.

That doesn't mean it's true. Shockingly, the media has been known to get things wrong All we know is she used "herbal remedies."

 

[Battman]

Not that it mattered in the end of course, but it's unclear if this was a "homeopathic" or as they also call it, "holistic" treatment. I wish people would get their terminologies straight (PS that's aimed at the article, not you).

By the sounds of it, she was using various woo treatments. On the radio, they even mentioned naturopathy.

 

[Cool Hand Luke]

Any judicial punishment will be meaningless when compared to living with the knowledge that her stubborn refusal to see a real Dr cost her child his life.

.
But it will generate press and, hopefully, help to avoid such tragedies in the future.

 

[Battman]

But charges being brought against her are dicey at best. She was giving what she considered appropriate treatment; it's not like she felt a going to a doctor was best and blew it off.

You're probably correct, but it might open the eyes of others that seek these types of treatment like the recent local measles outbreak just did.

 

[fuelair]

I have to agree with bigred. Any judicial punishment will be meaningless when compared to living with the knowledge that her stubborn refusal to see a real Dr cost her child his life.

Not if it is combined with clear statements that A) Homeopathic medicines do not and cannot work on any real physical disease and B)that for those who do not wish to accept that, look closer: if you act on your belief they do and your child dies or is harmed you go to jail branded "child-killer!!!"

This is harmful ignorance that needs to be stamped out along with those who practice it on anyone but themselves. They deserve what they get - their victims do not.......

 

[joesixpack]

.
But it will generate press and, hopefully, help to avoid such tragedies in the future.

I think knowing that killing your child is a real possibility when refusing "western Medicine" is something that should be widely published.

 

[fuelair]

Note: this applies to all the idiot 'pathys and other maltreatments issued by true believers, frauds and charlatans (shortens your cold my ass)......

 

[bigred]

By the sounds of it, she was using various woo treatments. On the radio, they even mentioned naturopathy.

Again:

naturopathy
"woo"
homeopathy
holistic
herbal remedies

None of these have definitions interchangeable with any of the others, though more than one can often apply in any given situation.

.
But it will generate press and, hopefully, help to avoid such tragedies in the future.

? The tragedy has already generated press, but realistically it won't help avoid such things in the future, because she felt like she was doing the right thing, and all others who do so are similar (with rare exception at most).

 

[Cool Hand Luke]

? The tragedy has already generated press, but realistically it won't help avoid such things in the future, because she felt like she was doing the right thing, and all others who do so are similar (with rare exception at most).

.
I disagree. Public service campaigns targeting child abuse have proven themselves to be highly effective. Any publicity is an educational opportunity.

I once had a client who had a two year old that was a "biter". The mom tried to break that behavior by biting the kid back. She honestly didn't know that this was considered abuse. That was the way her parents raised their kids and she just followed the example. She was absolutely stunned when the kid's doctor reported the abuse and the child was removed from the home. In this case a little exposure to modern child rearing principles would have gone a long way for both child and parent. One news article could have saved a lot of pain.

I have met many people out there who don't have the benefit of education and IQ that you find among people on this board. I think you're overestimating the general populace. Some people just don't get it. A little "do this and go to jail" publicity can go a long way.

Cheers,
Luke.

 

[Freddy]

Not that it mattered in the end of course, but it's unclear if this was a "homeopathic" or as they also call it, "holistic" treatment. I wish people would get their terminologies straight (PS that's aimed at the article, not you).

But charges being brought against her are dicey at best. She was giving what she considered appropriate treatment; it's not like she felt a going to a doctor was best and blew it off. That's just people with bloodlust wanting revenge for the child's loss...which I can understand, but that doesn't make it right. And yes it nauseates me too. But I think losing a child, to say nothing of realizing you were the cause, will be more than enough punishment.

I think you are right about the lack of malice, and I would take that into account at sentencing if I were the judge, or a prosecutor making a sentencing recommendation. But I also think that her conduct was criminally negligent, and can't just be excused.

 

[yodaluver28]

I have to agree with bigred. Any judicial punishment will be meaningless when compared to living with the knowledge that her stubborn refusal to see a real Dr cost her child his life.

Not necessarily. You'd be surprised how many people chalk up the death of a child as inevitable or "god's will" regardless of the negligence that actually caused it. There are parents who even double-down on the crazy because they think their child's death was caused by them not believing in or committing strongly enough to the woo. Hopefully that's a minority but it is still extremely important for it to be common knowledge that woo over medicine is dangerous especially when the lives of children, whose bodies are so much more fragile, are at stake. It's also important to make it common knowledge that if you let your child die because of superstition or willful ignorance, you will be held accountable for the consequences.

 

[Mojo]

The article does say the mother was using homeopathy.

But in this case, Staff Sgt. Mike Cavilla said the mother opted for alternative medicine, like herbal remedies, despite numerous friends and family urging her to take the boy to a doctor.

“There was a belief system in homeopathic treatments,” he said.

On the other hand the same person is quoted elsewhere as saying (my emphasis):

"The treatment rendered at home was homeopathic in nature. This would include herbal remedies. The mother refused to take the child to a medical professional. No excuse given — just her belief system," said Staff Sgt. Mark Cavilla.

 

[Charlie Wilkes]

Not if it is combined with clear statements that A) Homeopathic medicines do not and cannot work on any real physical disease and B)that for those who do not wish to accept that, look closer: if you act on your belief they do and your child dies or is harmed you go to jail branded "child-killer!!!"

This is harmful ignorance that needs to be stamped out along with those who practice it on anyone but themselves. They deserve what they get - their victims do not.......

This kind of thing drives me up a wall.

I live in a community where a lot of people believe in this stuff.

"The medical establishment exists to profit from disease, not to cure it."

I will never forget the guy living in a cabin near me, who lectured me about this all one summer. Allergies were making him sicker and sicker. His solution was to put weeds under his pillow, with the idea he would desensitize his body.

He would come over to my house looking like death warmed over.

"I think it's working!"

Finally he got hauled off the island and he landed in the ER. I doubt they turned much of a profit.

 

[ddt]

Again:

naturopathy
"woo"
homeopathy
holistic
herbal remedies

None of these have definitions interchangeable with any of the others, though more than one can often apply in any given situation.

You're right. The article, though, is too light on details to determine for us which one she actually used - if it was actually an "official" woo treatment, and not her own concoction. The mention of herbal remedies and homeopathy is not necessarily a contradiction: people often confuse the two and label the use of non-homeopathic herbal stuff with "homeopathy", simply because they don't know what homeopathy is.

? The tragedy has already generated press, but realistically it won't help avoid such things in the future, because she felt like she was doing the right thing, and all others who do so are similar (with rare exception at most).

In a year, this case is completely forgotten and the same happens again. It also sounds from the articles linked that this woman was too far down the rabbit hole of alternative medicine to be convinced in the first place. The best that could have happened is mentioned in the article:

Although it was not only the single mother who saw him deteriorating, no one contacted authorities.

“I think there is a moral responsibility, if you see a child in medical (or any other distress) to make a phone call to police or child and family services to notify people there may be a problem,” Cavilla said.

You may end up with a soured relationship with a friend or family member, but you may also save a child's life. But it's still a tough call to make.

 

[Caper]

Anyone remember that case of the Aids dinialist woman? Her daughter died of Aids and she still refused the daughter had AIDS... and then she died of AIDS and her husband now refuses to believe she ever had it?