Where Weird Things Happen!

I love Wisconsin: I spent 3 of my best years there. In a way, I have come to consider it my home away from my home country India. But two recent incidents have me covering my face in shame and shock.

First, in Necedah township, police officials found a 90-year old woman stored in the only toilet of the house, with the children of the house being forced to live with the unbearable stench for 2 months since her death. In their defense, they said that 'God would raise their mother from the dead, and that they and their children prayed for days in hopes of that happening.' In the mean time, the children were using the pail for the bathroom and coerced into not telling anyone about grandmom. The parents face charges of causing mental harm to the children and obstructing justice. Child Protective Services (CPS) have seized the children from their care.

Second, 2 weeks ago, a peculiar couple in northern Wisconsin took the country by utter disgust when they failed to seek medical attention for their diabetic daughter (Type I Diabetes) who was suffering from a life-endangering complication of the disease. And she died at home! Died from something that was completely treatable and correctable by prompt medical intervention. They claim to have continued to pray for their daughter in a 'show of faith' but refused to take her to a hospital. They have been now charged of second degree reckless homicide. There are several complicated issues to this legality. Medical ethics in this multi-cultural country have agreed to honor religious and personal faiths, and such things as alternative and herbal medicine, chiropractics, reflexology, etc, even if it does not meet scientific criteria to be approved by the FDA for treatment. Then, whereas adults have the complete right to refuse any form of life-saving treatment (as long as they are mentally competent enough to make such a decision), children are bound by law to receive emergency treatment even if that means over-riding the wishes of their care-takers. That includes receiving blood transfusion and emergent surgery, say, in case of accidents, when parental approval is immediately not available or possible.