 Help!
My client was denied
the right to be treated with dignity
Patricia Villagomez
August 20, 2004
iranian.com
Please forward this to any Iranian or American
newpapers company.
I am a Registered Nurse in Orange County, southern California.
I am trying so hard to advocate for my Iranian client. They accused
her of
being
suicidal,
but
she
did nothing. She wrote a note, but it was misinterpreted. They
didn't
give her an interpretor to find out what the problem was. My client
isn't crazy, psychotic, or a drug abuser. She has been evaluated
by a clinical social worker, a psychologist, and a registered nurse
(me). We all believe she is being treated unfairly.
They told her at the hospital that she needed a secerean so that
the medication wouldn't cause the baby harm. They never gave her
any medication. The Social Services Agency has taken her baby away,
a few days after it was born.
Now they are treating her very badly. I'm afraid for her baby's
life also.
Please read:
The Social Services Agency alleged that my client intended to
harm her unborn baby by allegedly attemping suicide. The newborn
boy was removed shortly after birth, placed in an emergency shelter
home where he developed a severe case of thrush, a bleeding diaper
rash, and neurological impairments. The newborn was then transfered
to another foster home where he devloped severe respiratory compromise
and had to be hospitalized at CHOC six days later.
The birth mother,
my client, was denied the right to have an advocate of her choice
(a County of Orange Registered Nurse) accompany her to the monitored
one-hour visits with her baby. In addition, my client was denied
the right to breastfeed, bottle feed, take pictures, and change
the baby's diaper during these one-hour monitored visits.
 My
client was denied the right to attend her baby's medical evaluations
with
pediatricians and specialists. My client was denied the right
to know and understand the conditon of her infant, treatment,
plan of care, medical follow-up, and denied the right to participate
in the making of these medical decisions. My client was denied
the right to obtain in writing, in her native language, a copy
of her rights, expectations, or responsibilities regarding
the
involved Social Services program. Finally, my client was denied
the right to be treated with dignity.
My client has been in the U.S.A. approximately 3 years. She
was born in Iran, raised in Iran, and primarily speaks Farsi. She
also speaks some English, Greek, and Arabic. Her speach is comprehensible
most of the time, but her comprehension of the English language
is limited, and she frequently uses a Farsi to English dictionary.
At times, she has difficulty verbalizing, and under duress, one
would have increased difficulty.
My client, who was nine months pregnant on July 10, 2004, with
a due date of July 17, 2004, had been suffering from heart ache
since the discovery of her pregnancy. The father of the baby did
not want to continue their relationship after she had gotten pregnant
and she was heart-broken. The strain of the relationship
and the pregnancy cause my client to suffer occasional "panic
attacks" or "anxiety attacks."
On July 10, 2004, my client went to Newport Beach to clear her
mind, relax, and be at peace with herself. She reported that she
waded in the water from her chest to her knees and finally sat
in the sand at the edge of the water, relaxing and thinking of
the life she will make with her baby. After a short while, she
left the water and layed in the sand close to the lifeguard tower.
Then it hit her: an "anxiety attack."
She began to breath
deeply and lay still. A concerned female noticed her distress
and asked if she needed help. She called the lifeguard to the scene
who provided my client with oxygen. The lifeguard then called
for
the paramedics. While the paramedics provided assistance, they
found a note in her purse, and they gave this note to the Hoag
Hospital staff upon arrival.
The erroneous interpretation of this note, the construed reports
by the Social Servies Agency, and the complete disregard for my
client's cultural diversity and language barrier led to the downward
spiral and the destruction of a loving family.
 Many thing have happened since, but it takes me so long to write
it.
My client's first date of trial is August 24, 2004 at Orange
county Family Court. Please call if you can help or provide support:
714-720-1783.
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