Teenager with Scolioisis & no support

[golfnut]

My sister-in-law just told me about a student of hers who has severe pain from scoliosis and can't participate many days in the P.E. class because of it. The girl went to my nephew, who is a chiropractor, to get some relief. He told her that her scoliosis was so severe that he couldn't help her. Now this is what upsets me . . . her parents told her that she was way too young to consider back surgery! I understand that it's a tough decision, but I would think they would at least take her to a spine doctor for an opinion. My sister-in-law is going to give her Dr. Lenke's web site, but without parental support, it would be difficult to make an appointment.

[kennedy]

Karen that really sad

[Mojo's Mom]

Sometimes, I'm sure, parents can go into denial. I wonder if your sister-in-law might try to contact the girl's parents directly, explaining about you and offering to give them some input, if they would be open to it. You wonder where the pediatrician is in this deal.

[LindaRacine]

Moved thread to Parents forum.

[jrnyc]

how old is the child?
i would just caution your sister in law...
as a special ed teacher and licensed social worker in NYC public schools (retired) it can be dangerous to give kids medical info...
parents can accuse teachers and other school staff of "interfering" in their child's life, education, etc...
it can get staff into a LOT of trouble...

i am not being callous...
i tried to help lots of kids both as a teacher and a social worker....
i just know how some parents can be....
rather than appreciate, they can resent, and complain bitterly to higher ups....
especially since these parents have already allegedly said they do not want their child to have surgery now...
the parents have the medical decision rights until the child is 18...
i doubt that a surgeon would see this child seriously without parents...
and the parents' insurance info would be needed...

jess

[golfnut]

Jess,
I'm sure you're right. My sister-in-law is a retired special education teacher who now substitutes. I know she will do no more than give her the web site so that she would at least know there is hope for her condition when she is old enough to have her own insurance.

[LindaRacine]

One of the most memorable people I've met during my years of scoliosis support, is a young girl whom I met probably 20 years ago. She had the largest rib hump, by far, that I'd ever seen. Her mother had been taking her to a chiropractor for treatment. The chiropractor had convinced the mother that the child was getting better. (The brain is truly amazing in terms of letting people only see what they want to see.) I'm not sure how it all came about, but the state actually stepped in, and forced the mother to bring her child to an orthopedic surgeon.

[golfnut]

Thankfully, my nephew knows his limits as a chiropractor and recommended she see an orthopedic surgeon.

[jrnyc]

was that in CA, Linda...???
i VERY rarely saw the state of NY step into anything...
in the public schools, we had kids with NITEMARE parents who kept their parental rights!!
it was amazing, discouraging, disgusting!
it took an army of people years of documentation to try to prove anything against parents who
should never have had kids...who abused them, neglected them...
neglect was a BIG thing...hard to prove, hard to do anything about!

i hope this poor kid gets a job and gets her own insurance soon...
even so, that is a tough road for a young person to handle....
maybe something can snap her parents out of their denial....

jess

[LindaRacine]

was that in CA, Linda...???

Yup, California.

[jrnyc]

i suspect CA steps in sooner than NYS does...

jess

[ecnw]

It is very hard for some parents to see what is going on with their children. They might be in denial because the child has other problems and this is just one more thing or maybe because it will limit the child and they won't be "perfect". I would suggest that you introduce them to this forum and let them hear from parents who have been through it. Maybe they need to see some young children who have had different surgeries to let them know it will be ok.

~Emily

[golfnut]

Thanks, everyone, for your replies. I have passed your suggestions on to my sister-in-law.

[Karen Ocker]

not treating a severe curve???

In my mind it looks like child abuse!! Some parents have been prosecuted for not treating a child with cancer. Does the child have to get cancer???
I wonder if an anonymous call to social services would work?

[jrnyc]

as a social worker, i can tell you that it is highly doubtful this qualifies as child abuse, despite what those on forum
may think...
many parents do not opt for surgery for their kids, and this young person will have the right to do as she
pleases once she is above legal age..though paying for her own health insurance so young may be hard...
child abuse must be documented to be proven in court...
i had times when i fought with principals about children i had reason to suspect were being abused, called them in to the state
against the principals' wishes, even when the child had visible marks on their bodies!
it is not quite as easy as it sounds...
and parents can make all kinds of pleas before a judge as to why they think surgery should wait..
as witness the religious types who believe in praying away disease rather than treating it medically....
those take time to get thru the courts when some think it should be a slam dunk case!

jess