Tina Carlsen Loses Battle to Postpone Riley’s Surgery
Today, a Tacoma judge refused Tina Carlsen’s request to block surgery on her son, Riley, who has had a kidney ailment since birth.
TACOMA, Wash. — A judge refused on Friday to grant a mother’s request to block surgery she opposes on her baby son.
Tears rolled down the cheeks of Tina Carlsen, 34, of Sumner, after she heard the decision of Pierce County Superior Court Judge John McCarthy, KIRO Radio reported.
Carlsen had wanted more time to pursue alternative natural treatments for 9-month-old Riley. The boy is in state custody because doctors say he needs surgery for kidney treatment.
Carlsen spent five days in jail after she took her son out of the hospital last week, prompting a two-day statewide Amber Alert.
She was freed on bail Thursday after a hearing in King County Superior Court and is awaiting trial on a charge of second-degree domestic violence kidnapping. She could face up to a year in jail if convicted.
Late Thursday, the state Department of Social and Health Services, which has custody of the baby, agreed to allow Carlsen supervised visits with Riley. She will be allowed a two-hour visit with her son after the surgery.
“We believe it is important for Riley to have time with his mother and for the mother to have time with her son,” DSHS spokeswoman Kathy Spears said in a statement.
On June 22, Carlsen took Riley from Children’s Hospital & Regional Medical Center in Seattle because she opposed kidney surgery that doctors say he needs.
Earlier this week, McCarthy said he was convinced that the surgery was in Riley’s best interest and granted Child Protective Services’ request that he authorize the operation.
The court hearing Thursday morning was promted by a call from a group called Citizens for Safe Birth, which asked for an emergency injunction to stop the surgery while a full hearing can be conducted. Carlsen’s supporters have also set up a Web site to raise money for her legal defense.
The state took custody of the baby on June 9 after Carlsen refused to go along with doctors’ advice that Riley needed a surgery that would prepare him to start dialysis. The surgery was scheduled for Friday.
I can only hope they made the right decision regarding Riley’s kidney treatment.
I know they’ve made a completely irrational decision regarding their “right” to use force against others. It is not in the best interest of anybody to have our lives run by people who cannot distinguish between what exists and what doesn’t.
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July 6th, 2006 at 7:14 am
Tina Carlsen has my full support. How can anyone think this mom is trying to hurt her son? She obviously loves him. I can only imagine her fight and I hope that all these ‘do-gooders’ will just leave her and her son alone and let them live their lives.
July 6th, 2006 at 6:59 pm
Just because she loves him doesn’t mean she knows what’s best for him medically.
There are plenty of mothers who have thought they were doing the best for their children but killed them in the process. Andrea Yates comes to mind.
It seems like she was doing a good job of taking care of him, however, if he survived for nine months without needing the emergency dialysis that doctors said he would need right after birth.
I don’t think we’re getting all the facts in this case from either side.