Maybe sometimes, the only option is...
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brie k
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Location: where the wild things are
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 Posted: 12/15/04 - 08:24 Post subject:
Very sad. I hope he gets the help he needs. Poor bug.
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keltic63
the kilted one
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Posted: 12/15/04 - 09:21 Post subject:
| HYPERASHEL wrote: |
can social services be called in? |
made even stickier by the fact that his mother is a teacher here in the district. the person who would make the call, our principal, is not likely to do that.
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copteacher
Adjunct
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Posted: 12/15/04 - 09:22 Post subject:
| keltic63 wrote: |
made even stickier by the fact that his mother is a teacher here in the district. the person who would make the call, our principal, is not likely to do that. |
that stinks. Aren't the calls anonymous anyway?
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gretriever
Hipster Doofus
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Posted: 12/15/04 - 09:28 Post subject:
| keltic63 wrote: |
made even stickier by the fact that his mother is a teacher here in the district. the person who would make the call, our principal, is not likely to do that. |
Can you (or someone) go to someone higher in authority than the principal? Someone directly at the district HQ?
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Cappy
Excelent
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Posted: 12/15/04 - 09:31 Post subject:
| gretriever wrote: | | Can you (or someone) go to someone higher in authority than the principal? Someone directly at the district HQ? |
That's a good idea. I would think the child's best interest overide the interest of a co-worker
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keltic63
the kilted one
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Posted: 12/15/04 - 09:32 Post subject:
I should also say that I don't suspect that the child isn't receiving the care he needs, only that the parents deny to the school that he has a problem. It may very well be that he is under the care of a physician. This may be an attempt to give the kid as normal a life as possible. Strange, but there are stranger things that have happened.
I'm not in that building today, but I'll try to find out what I can.
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mickeyvw98
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Posted: 12/15/04 - 09:46 Post subject:
| brie k wrote: | | Very sad. I hope he gets the help he needs. Poor bug. |
 
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keltic63
the kilted one
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Posted: 12/15/04 - 14:29 Post subject:
I have just spoken with the school nurse about this. so far today there is no word about the little child.
I spoke at length with her about the parents' denial of his condition and whether he is receiving adequate care. I can't tell you how frustrating this is. The nurse has asked the parents for authorization to administer tylenol on at least 4 occasions. Parents are maintaining that there is nothing wrong. I asked about the boy's pediatrician, and how he could even have been admitted to public school without a doctor noticing the obvious symptoms.
I then talked to her about our obligation to report child abuse (neglect) and whether this could be done anonymously. I would have to call a hotline, but I'd do that. She has asked me to wait until tomorrow to make that decision.
now reading between the lines: nurse has been fighting this battle for 4 years now. it is not clear that the parents have even had this child diagnosed. the nurse has been told to drop the issue on more than one occasion. she is frustrated by the whole thing. she told me of 1 episode last year in which the child screamed and cried for 1.5 hours, and because of not having authorization, she could not even give an aspirin. she has described it as having her hands tied, being thrown in a river, and being told to swim. There is plenty that she is not allowed to tell me because of confidentiality, and even rephrasing questions to get some info is tough.
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genie
Master of Prissface
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Posted: 12/15/04 - 14:35 Post subject:
| keltic63 wrote: | I have just spoken with the school nurse about this. so far today there is no word about the little child.
I spoke at length with her about the parents' denial of his condition and whether he is receiving adequate care. I can't tell you how frustrating this is. The nurse has asked the parents for authorization to administer tylenol on at least 4 occasions. Parents are maintaining that there is nothing wrong. I asked about the boy's pediatrician, and how he could even have been admitted to public school without a doctor noticing the obvious symptoms.
I then talked to her about our obligation to report child abuse (neglect) and whether this could be done anonymously. I would have to call a hotline, but I'd do that. She has asked me to wait until tomorrow to make that decision.
now reading between the lines: nurse has been fighting this battle for 4 years now. it is not clear that the parents have even had this child diagnosed. the nurse has been told to drop the issue on more than one occasion. she is frustrated by the whole thing. she told me of 1 episode last year in which the child screamed and cried for 1.5 hours, and because of not having authorization, she could not even give an aspirin. she has described it as having her hands tied, being thrown in a river, and being told to swim. There is plenty that she is not allowed to tell me because of confidentiality, and even rephrasing questions to get some info is tough. |
This is horrible....I would definitely call that hotline, if everything you are saying is accurate, and it sounds like it is, neglect IS considered a form of child abuse, and it doesn't sound like they are trying to "give him a normal life"...because of confidentiality, they could still have the nurse treat him quietly, to whatever degree she is able, and not make a big public deal of it. I don't like the sound of this AT ALL. Why is the principal covering up if it is only a medical condition, unless the kid has pediatric AIDS or something and the parents "don't want the shame" on them? Are they very affluent?
Are you absolutely sure this is what it is and not something worse, i.e. some kind of really twisted abuse going on in the house?
And something else I wonder, why hasn't SHE called this in if the hotline is truly anonymous? I would think the school nurse is bound under even stricter duty to report laws than the teachers, no? Has anyone talked to the school counselor or is the kid too young to have seen her?
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gretriever
Hipster Doofus
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Posted: 12/15/04 - 14:35 Post subject:
Could it be the parents are Christian Scientists? Usually unless a child's life is in imminent danger, they don't treat condition through conventional means.
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keltic63
the kilted one
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Posted: 12/15/04 - 14:44 Post subject:
| genie wrote: |
This is horrible....I would definitely call that hotline, if everything you are saying is accurate, and it sounds like it is, neglect IS considered a form of child abuse, and it doesn't sound like they are trying to "give him a normal life"...because of confidentiality, they could still have the nurse treat him quietly, to whatever degree she is able, and not make a big public deal of it. I don't like the sound of this AT ALL. Why is the principal covering up if it is only a medical condition, unless the kid has pediatric AIDS or something and the parents "don't want the shame" on them? Are they very affluent?
Are you absolutely sure this is what it is and not something worse, i.e. some kind of really twisted abuse going on in the house?
And something else I wonder, why hasn't SHE called this in if the hotline is truly anonymous? I would think the school nurse is bound under even stricter duty to report laws than the teachers, no? Has anyone talked to the school counselor or is the kid too young to have seen her? |
this isn't a case of some form of starvation, the symptoms are that of progeria, and if you followed the link that someone posted earlier in this thread, this boy looks just like the pics of those kids.
as far as reporting, even anonymously, there is still a fear of being found out as the one who made the call.
parents enjoy some level of affluence, and perhaps there is a sense of shame.
principal is not the most ethical person I've ever met, and I'm not going to guess his motivations.
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keltic63
the kilted one
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Posted: 12/15/04 - 16:40 Post subject:
I just got an email from the boy's classroom teacher. she too had a difficult evening, saying that she slept about 4 hours last night. the teacher called the mom this morning and the boy was still sleeping. he wasn't in school today.
I also talked to our union president who is a teacher in this building. she understands the concern we have, and also sees how this could be considered abuse. The problem is that we don't know for sure if he is getting the medical attention he needs. It may be that he is under the care of a physician and the parents see no need to inform the school about that. In that case, they have every right to do that, even if it isn't helpful to us. Mom is very unapproachable about the subject.
so as it stands now: I am waiting for a report from the nurse. our teacher's union president knows family and friends of this particular teacher/mom and will ask discreetly about care and medication. so based on the info I get from them i will make a decision about calling CYS.
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shelee
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Posted: 12/15/04 - 16:47 Post subject:
My goodness that is upsetting. It's just so frustrating to think that even when a child is trying to let adults know his pain he isn't being helped or cared for. Keltic, it's so great there are teachers like you, trying to make a difference.
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genie
Master of Prissface
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Posted: 12/15/04 - 18:01 Post subject:
| keltic63 wrote: | I just got an email from the boy's classroom teacher. she too had a difficult evening, saying that she slept about 4 hours last night. the teacher called the mom this morning and the boy was still sleeping. he wasn't in school today.
I also talked to our union president who is a teacher in this building. she understands the concern we have, and also sees how this could be considered abuse. The problem is that we don't know for sure if he is getting the medical attention he needs. It may be that he is under the care of a physician and the parents see no need to inform the school about that. In that case, they have every right to do that, even if it isn't helpful to us. Mom is very unapproachable about the subject.
so as it stands now: I am waiting for a report from the nurse. our teacher's union president knows family and friends of this particular teacher/mom and will ask discreetly about care and medication. so based on the info I get from them i will make a decision about calling CYS. |
That sounds like a good approach, and good that there are others who are sharing your concerns. A team effort might make all the difference.
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