Congratulations on (Your) OUR new Baby!

Last week in Nevada, Lincoln and Cecilia Rogers found out the hard way just how little “parental rights” can mean in some situations. Their newborn daughter Lilia was slightly jaundiced, so the staff at Summerlin Hospital recommended she be kept overnight. The couple received a second opinion from a pediatrician at the hospital, who agreed with the couple that they could care for little Lilia at home. “We really wanted to take the natural approach if we could,” Cecilia is quoted as saying in a KTNV report. But their original nurse disagreed – and called Child Protective Services (CPS). When CPS arrived with a police officer, they made it clear that baby Lilia would not be going anywhere. “If you leave the hospital,” the officer told Cecilia, “I will have to arrest you and your husband.” While there are times when a medical worker needs to step in to prevent abuse or neglect, this was not such a case. The fact that the couple could readily secure a second opinion permitting the child’s release demonstrates that the child’s life was not obviously in danger. The parents also were clearly mindful of the child’s condition and concerned for her needs. They simply disagreed with the nurse that her hospital was the only way those needs could be met. Thankfully, Lilia is now at home with her parents, where she is doing just fine. The hospital, meanwhile, maintains that they have not violated any patient’s rights. Sadly, stories like this happen far too often, as the extent of parental rights in America remains vague. The proposed Parental Rights Amendment offers to lend much-needed clarity, and protection for our children and families.