A family struggling with its daughter’s rare blood disorder faces a new, different kind of struggle. The ill child’s mother was told last week that Texas authorities have decided to take custody of her daughter. According to reports, the authorities cite evidence of neglect as the reason behind stripping the mother, at least temporarily, of child custody.
The Texas mom has other kids, and she is also not allowed to see them unless the visits are properly supervised. She is only allowed visitation with her sick daughter under supervision and for only short stints throughout a given day. The mother insists that she has been misunderstood in this case and that she has not neglected nor abused her daughter. But Texas authorities are not risking the chance that the mom is lying.
While all cases of abuse and neglect are serious, causing authorities to step in and help, this Texas child custody case is especially sensitive. The child in the middle of the neglect allegation is extremely vulnerable. According to sources, she suffers from a blood disorder that can lead to cancer, and the mother allegedly has failed to properly treat her in order to keep her safe from further health problems.
Reports indicate that after the mother had spent a mere day alone with her daughter outside of a hospital, she then returned her daughter to a hospital in critical condition. The child was reportedly dehydrated, and the hospital found it suspicious that a significant amount of bacteria was found within the child’s bloodstream. The alleged lack of care for her daughter could have fatally harmed the child’s overall health.
The child is currently being treated in a Boston hospital, and when her health improves she will not go home with her mother. She will be handled by a Texas case worker and be admitted into a Dallas hospital.
Source
boston.com: “Texas takes custody of Children’s patient,” Maria Cramer and Carolyn Y. Johnson, 18 Oct. 2010
