January 23, 2006 1:15 PM
Jackson Bortz update
Those of you who are moved to help the family of Jackson Bortz, the three-year-old son of Rachel and Don, who was removed from custody of his parents following the accidental death of his 5-month old brother (Can you even imagine the pain of losing one son accidentally only to have the state swoop in to place your other child - first with grandparents, but then with a secret identity family?), please help in whatever way you can.
This is a battle with greater ramifications - the philosophical divide between parents who claim our children are ours and those who regard our children as property of the state. This is a place where a stand must be made.
Find the latest updates here.
Posted in Culture, Current Affairs, Family, Pro-Life Issues | Permalink
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CHARMAINE SMITH (MOTHER OF TIMOTHY ISIAH-BLAIR JENKINS
770-552-9068
TODAY 2 YEARS LATER WE HAVE REPORT THAT MY SON NEVER HAD FRACTURES THAT THE HOSPITAL REPORTED TO DFACS. WE HAVE BEEN FIGHTING FOR 2 YEARS AND WE STILL DO NOT HAVE OUR LITTLE ONE. THE REPORT WAS GIVEN BY THE CLEVELAND CLINIC FOUNDATION THAT “NO EVIDENCE OF RECENT OR PREVIOUS FRACTURES ON THESE FILMS.” For 2 years we have not had our son Timothy Isiah. He stayed in the foster care system for 18 months, he was just sent home to my grandmother in October 2005. We were robbed of our son’s infancy due to the negligence of the hospitals radiology department and my son’s pediatrician.
FACTS
www.spcpi.homestead.com//files/timothy.htm
January 28, 2004 was the beginning of a nightmare. My first-born son was ripped away from his father and I due to false reports made by Scottish Rite Children’s Healthcare Of Atlanta. Prior to this, my son Timothy Isiah-Blair Jenkins was born to his dad and I by emergency C-section at Northside Hospital. He was delivered early because I had severe Pre-eclamisia Toxemia. After he was born the doctors had certain dates he was due in for his check-ups. They always sent Timothy home with a good report of health. I was a fulltime breastfeeding mom, and Timothy Isiah would vomit his food after each feeding. His pediatrician (Gabriella Drake Forte of Tender Care Pediatrics) said this was normal. On December 28 the doctors in the emergency room thought my son had spinal meningitis because of unexplained high fevers, lethargy and vomiting. The doctors already recognized something was wrong with the soft spot of my son’s head but a CT SCAN was not performed. (Possibly because, Timothy was only a Medicaid patient, allowing for less coverage for the needed operation or possibly to protect the pediatrician, who had not diagnosed the condition or possibly just plain common negligence.) Instead of checking further the doctors in the ER performed a spinal tap to see if he had spinal meningitis. The test came back negative. No further tests were done to see if something was wrong, they told me to follow up with his pediatrician. In any case, the child's pediatrician, Dr. Gabriella Drake-Forte, appears to have been negligent in not measuring the baby's head regularly, especially in the third month following the emergency care of Timothy. I took him to Dr. Forte and informed her of the ER visits Dr. Forte said she was not going to measure his head until his 4 month checkup (Timothy Isiah was 3 months old). Dr. Forte said since he was not holding his head up yet Timothy Isiah was needing to go to Physical Therapy for his developmental delay The pediatrician started sending my son and I to a Physical Therapist to help in holding up his head.
January 16, 2004 was the first visit to the Physical Therapist. The second was January 21, 2004. Jenny Martin the physical therapist undressed him down to his diaper. Jenny, Timothy Isiah and I would work on his motor skills and practice lifting up his head. The therapist then put him on his tummy to practice him lifting his head. On January 23, 2004 he had his 4 month checkup and Dr. Forte said he was doing really well after voicing my concern in regards to his head Dr. Forte had her nurse measure his head. Dr. Forte stated there was something wrong with his head, because there was a significant increase in size from the last well baby checkup. [fn6]
She then gave me a referral to a Pediatric Neurosurgeon. On January 26, 2004 upon meeting the Neurosurgeon Dr. Kevin Stevenson, Timothy (my son's father) and I were told that he (Dr. Stevenson) could see Timothy Isiah had Hydrocephalus. He explained what it was and gave us a book on it along with the names of some support groups. He said it was nothing, I could have prevented because a lot of children are born with the disease. I began to cry because my son had already gone through so much. I know, he was tired of going to the hospital, and having staff poke him with needles. I also asked Dr. Stevenson, the Pediatric Neurosurgeon, why the hospital had not done a CT-scan when Timothy Isiah was hospitalized on December 28, 2003. He informed me he did not work for the hospital, and he apologized the condition had not been detected earlier but he wanted to fix it right away.
After the CT-scan was done Dr. Stevenson stated I want to show you something he then proceeded to show us the CT-scan results and informed us there was no Hydrocephalus. Timothy Isiah had "old blood mixed with fluid on his brain." Dr. Stevenson said it looked like it has been there for a while and surgery was needed right away to prevent brain damage. Timothy Isiah was admitted to Children's Healthcare of Atlanta immediately. [fn7]
As soon as Timothy Isiah, his father and I were in the room a Social Worker entered the room and started asking questions. I answered all questions to the best of my ability. I was then informed by her they were going to do a skeletal survey of Timothy Isiah, and a optimology report to check for retinal hemorrhaging. These tests were done the next day. The optimology report showed there was no bleeding behind the eyes.
I waited in the hallway and in the room waiting and asking to speak to doctor's no one ever came and talked to me the entire day. Finally I called a patient representative (Nora) and explained to her how I felt my rights as a parent were being violated (according to HIPPA). Nora promised a doctor would come in and talk to me. No doctor ever came. At 4:00 PM a man in a leather jacket with no identification showing came into the hospital room with a notepad. He introduced himself as Gary Davis, Special Investigations with Fulton County DFACS. He began to interrogate me as to where I live, my social security number, Timothy Isiah's father and all things in regards to our lives. He then asked "what do you know about multiple fractures to your son's body!" [fn9]
I then asked him who, my son because, I was in shock because my son had been seen by various physicians during every month of his life and they all assured me up until the present time that he was fine. Mr. Davis finished his questions and left the room. I asked the nurses why a doctor had not come and talked to me about my son. She informed me they did not have the results back yet. [fn8/9]
The entire day went by and no doctor came and talked to me. On January 28, 2004 he was taken to have surgery to have a shunt put in his head. Timothy Isiah's father and I were approached in an elevator on the way to the cafeteria by a social worker named Monica who said, we have to talk to you both right now. We agreed. A lady with no visible identification in a coat came in and had a CD in her hand. She did not identify herself. She walked us over to a computer and put the CD in.
She pointed with the mouse and said, "these are the fractures that your son has. When we began to ask her for a further explanation, she immediately removed the CD. We then went to the administration room of the hospital. Mr. Davis, Monica (the social worker), and a security guard were present, also with the lady, who showed us the x-rays.
Mr. Davis addressed the lady with the x-rays as Dr. Degrandi and asked "could these injuries have happened from a fall?" Dr. Degrandi stated "no." (Dr. Degrandi is a Medical Director of Advocates for children for Children's Healthcare of Atlanta).
Dr. Degrandi stated (he was slammed to have sustained these types of injuries). My son has beautiful skin with no bruises. He has shown no signs of pain. Various doctors have seen him and not one of them has mentioned or suspected any of this type of trauma.
Mr. Davis again asked, "How did your son get these fractures?" [Fn9] I told him I did not understand, because he has no bruises, I do not have an x-ray machine to show me these things. All a mother can go by is the Pediatrician's report and the ER doctors report.
At the Deprivation hearing none of the accusers, that alleged my son was physically abused, even showed up. [It is understandable that they would not like to say anything under oath under the circumstances of this case.] I contacted Dr. Harold E. Buttram, M.D., F.A.A.E.M. Diplomat, American Board of Environmental Medicine http//www.woodmed.com. in Quakertown PA and familiarized him with Timothy Isiah's condition. Judge Sanford Jones ordered that Timothy Isiah be evaluated by the doctor (Dr. Harold E. Buttram) that wrote the letter to the court about his condition. We raised money for Dr. Buttram's airfare. He had planned to be in Atlanta February 21, 2004 to examine and evaluate Timothy Isiah's condition. It was blocked by DFACS. They did not let the doctor get Timothy Isiah privately x ray him.[fn11]
In the beginning the hospital would not give me any of my sons medical records. [fn12] Only by subpoena did the hospital release the medical records to me. Finally the hospital decided to release them to me for a high price. They also would not give me the x-rays on the CD. I had to call the manager Carl Saylors of Radiology to get the film. I have been charged over $600.00 for all of the records. When I got the medical records I read every single page. Dr. Kevin Stevenson the same Pediatric Neurosurgeon that said my son did not have Hydrocephalus, wrote on the records at the top of each one of them it said DIAGNOSIS: HYDROCEPHALUS.
We were arrested on April 19th 2004 and thrown in jail with a bond of 100,000.
00 a piece. A family in Smryna Ga released me; strangers used their property to bail me out. 3 months later another stranger created an awareness site and she also bailed Timothy out of Fulton County. For 2 years we have been fighting for our child, our freedom.
ON JANUARY 6, 2006 AS REQUESTED BY THE STATE MY SON WAS X RAYED BY ANOTHER CHILDREN’S HOSPITAL IN ANOTHER STATE AND THE DOCTORS THERE REPORTED THEY FOUND NOTHING. HIS BONES WERE NEVER FRACTURED. THE FINDINGS ARE BEING MAILED TO MY MOTHER AND I WILL HAVE A COPY MYSELF.
For 2 years we have not had our son Timothy Isiah. He stayed in the foster care system for 18 months, he was just sent home to my grandmother. We were robbed of our son’s infancy due to the negligence of the hospitals radiology department and my son’s pediatrician.
The whole facts to the case can be found at www.spcpi.homestead.com//files/timothy.htm
Posted by: charmaine smith | January 24, 2006 10:35 AM
