On July 2, an Illinois judge determined that a 16-year-old boy from Kansas City was to remain in protective custody and away from his mother for the next 90 days. According to the report, the decision was made after a doctor gave testimony indicating that it was believed that the boy was suffering from medical child abuse.
The teenager reportedly suffers from a condition that results in the growth of tumors on the body’s nerves. His mother brought him to Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago after three other facilities were unable to treat him. Once he was brought to Lurie, however, doctors determined that it was best if the teen was placed into protective custody as it appeared that his condition improved when his mother was not around.
Juvenile court lawyers believed that the teenager was being over-medicated by his mother. He was placed into foster care even though he posted on his Facebook page that he wished to return to his mother. At the time the report was released, the teenager’s mother had not been charged in association with the case. However, the court was reportedly seeking options for transferring the case to the state of Missouri.
When the state seeks temporary custody in a child custody case, they are usually attempting to do what is right for the child. However, this course of action may not always be in the child’s best interest, especially in a case where a sick child is not given the emotional support from a parent that they may need in order to fully recover. An attorney for a parent who believes that custody has been taken from them by the state unfairly may be able to help provide proof that their client was not knowingly abusing their child.
Source: NBC Chicago, “Judge Rules Against Mother in Sick Teen Custody Case “, Christian Farr, July 03, 2014
