Re: Read our story in the New Yorker magazine!

[Guest guest]

Good memory, Kathy - it's been a long time since I've posted here.

The author for the New Yorker was doing a story on MSBP and spoke with

Mart from NH - he's a doctor who has written a book on it who

believes MSBP is being overused (and in many cases by doctors who try

to get rid of what they believe are " pesky " parents or use it because

they're afraid to be sued). We had provided Dr Mart a binder of

information when the child protection services were harrassing us. Dr

Mart told the author about us and that we were well-documented - the

rest is history.

Eurico

> Eurico:

>

> Just our of curiosity, how did the New Yorker find out about your

story???

>

> I hope the article sheds a positive light on your story, as I

remember you

> telling us what you and your family were going through with this

mess with

> Munchausen by proxy.

>

> Congratulations (if it's good news.)

>

> Kathy

> Read our story in the New Yorker magazine!

>

>

> >

> > The current issue of the New Yorker magazine (Aug 9 & 16 issue) has a

> > story called, " Diagnosis: Bad Mother " , by Margaret Talbot. It's fairly

> > lengthy at about 8 pages or so.

> >

> > In it you'll find an account of the horror we went through in

trying to

> > obtain the best possible medical care for our child's serious medical

> > problems, which consisted of Chiari Syndrome, Tethered Spinal

Cord, and

> > life-threatening liver Hemangiomas. The article is about MSBP

> > (Munchausen Syndrome by Proxy) and how parents (usually mothers)

seeking

> > the best care for their ill children are being accused of it more and

> > more by medical (even educational) professionals and how there is

little

> > scientific basis for many such accusations - it seems that often, all

> > that's needed is a knowledgable and demanding parent and the so-called

> > " professional " can wreak havoc into the life of a family.

> >

> > Unfortunately, the article does not seem to be available at the New

> > Yorker web site so you'll either have to buy or borrow a copy, perhaps

> > from a library, if you're interested.

> >

> > Best regards,

> >

> > Eurico

> >

> >

> >

> >

> > Not Medical Advice. We Are Not Doctors.

> > Need help with the list? Email

> kathy@t...,michelle@t..., rick@t...

> >

[Guest guest]

Eurico

This is what i found.

Jan-Willem

http://www.newyorker.com/press/content/ (only this week)

" In recent years, " Margaret Talbot writes, in " The Bad Mother, " " Munchausen

syndrome by proxy " -M.S.B.P., a bizarre psychological disorder in which

mothers sicken their children, or subject them to unnecessary medical

interventions, like surgery- " has seeped into popular culture, with a

rapidity and a fervency that recall the fascination with child sexual abuse

in the nineteen-eighties....Just as, " Talbot continues, " in the

nineteen-eigthies, satanic ritual abuse represented the worst fears of what

could happen in day care, so M.S.B.P. has come to represent the danger posed

by mothers who are excessively involved with their children. " Talbot reports

on the history of Munchausen syndrome by proxy, and focusses on its most

recent trend: false allegations. Talbot examines in detail the case of a

Canadian woman named Nicola de Sousa, whom officials began investigating in

2002 as a possible M.S.B.P. perpetrator. De Sousa had been seeking surgery

for her daughter Katerina, who was born with serious spine and liver

defects. Talbot writes, " Over the years, psychologists have steadily

loosened the narrow definition of an arcane syndrome-a phenomenon known as

'definitional creep.' In an effort to prevent Munchausen abuse by drawing up

a standard portrait of the perpetrator, they fashioned a profile that was

broad enough to cast suspicion on many mothers whose children were genuinely

ill. " De Sousa certainly seemed to fall into this category. Shortly after

their daughter was born, she and her husband were told that she might die.

They ended up seeking an experimental treatment in Boston, which the doctor

who administered it said saved Katerina's life. Talbot writes, " The de

Sousas, for their part, began to think of the American medical system as

more responsive than the Canadian system. Some of the de Sousas' Canadian

doctors, however, thought they were seeking care in the States unnecessarily

and habitually-almost addictively. " The de Sousas later sought a

neurosurgical operation, also in the States, to correct Chiari syndrome, a

brain abnormality that their Canadian doctor did not believe Katerina

exhibited. Two prominent surgeons, one in Brooklyn and the other in Chicago,

both concluded that she did suffer from the syndrome, and in fact the

child's symptoms cleared up soon after she underwent the recommended

surgery. It seemed to be Mrs. de Sousa's personality as much as her

therapeutic quest that prompted health-care workers' suspicions of

Munchausen by proxy. Her daughter's pediatrician wrote that the mother

seemed " driven " and " anxious. " Similar subjective remarks appear in other

medical files. Talbot points out that " it is no accident that the rise of

the Munchausen by proxy diagnosis has run parallel with the rise of

aggressive behavior in medical patients....These patients, caught up in

their conceptions of themselves as 'empowered advocates,' can come into

conflict with doctors and caseworkers. " The Canadian M.S.B.P. inquiry went

on for more than a year, and the de Sousas racked up fifteen thousand

dollars in legal fees; they finally received a curt letter telling them that

" the Children's Aid Society of Ottawa will be closing its file....I trust

the above is satisfactory. " " Though the accusations against Nicola have been

shelved, " Talbot writes, " she is still shaken, and bewildered. She said, 'I

asked them, " How could you say we put our daughter under the knife for

surgeries that are unnecessary? How could you be threatening to take our

child away? " We went to the ends of the earth to help her. I just hope

they'd do the same if it were their child.' "

Read our story in the New Yorker magazine!

>

[Guest guest]

Great job finding this Jan! Thank you so very much. Good article Eurico.

I'm really happy to see that you're story is out there. It was absolutely

horrid what they did to you, your wife and your daughter. I only hope that

by others reading this, someone else is saved the pain and horror you went

through.

Kathy

Read our story in the New Yorker magazine!

>

>

> >

>

>

>

>

> Not Medical Advice. We Are Not Doctors.

> Need help with the list? Email

kathy@...,michelle@..., rick@...

>

[Guest guest]

That's only a short summary. The full article is much longer.

Eurico

> Eurico

>

> This is what i found.

>

> Jan-Willem

>

>

> http://www.newyorker.com/press/content/ (only this week)

>

>

> " In recent years, " Margaret Talbot writes, in " The Bad Mother, "

" Munchausen

> syndrome by proxy " -M.S.B.P., a bizarre psychological disorder in

which

> mothers sicken their children, or subject them to unnecessary

medical

> interventions, like surgery- " has seeped into popular culture, with a

> rapidity and a fervency that recall the fascination with child

sexual abuse

> in the nineteen-eighties....Just as, " Talbot continues, " in the

> nineteen-eigthies, satanic ritual abuse represented the worst fears

of what

> could happen in day care, so M.S.B.P. has come to represent the

danger posed

> by mothers who are excessively involved with their children. " Talbot

reports

> on the history of Munchausen syndrome by proxy, and focusses on its

most

> recent trend: false allegations. Talbot examines in detail the case

of a

> Canadian woman named Nicola de Sousa, whom officials began

investigating in

> 2002 as a possible M.S.B.P. perpetrator. De Sousa had been seeking

surgery

> for her daughter Katerina, who was born with serious spine and liver

> defects. Talbot writes, " Over the years, psychologists have steadily

> loosened the narrow definition of an arcane syndrome-a phenomenon

known as

> 'definitional creep.' In an effort to prevent Munchausen abuse by

drawing up

> a standard portrait of the perpetrator, they fashioned a profile

that was

> broad enough to cast suspicion on many mothers whose children were

genuinely

> ill. " De Sousa certainly seemed to fall into this category. Shortly

after

> their daughter was born, she and her husband were told that she

might die.

> They ended up seeking an experimental treatment in Boston, which the

doctor

> who administered it said saved Katerina's life. Talbot writes, " The

de

> Sousas, for their part, began to think of the American medical

system as

> more responsive than the Canadian system. Some of the de Sousas'

Canadian

> doctors, however, thought they were seeking care in the States

unnecessarily

> and habitually-almost addictively. " The de Sousas later sought a

> neurosurgical operation, also in the States, to correct Chiari

syndrome, a

> brain abnormality that their Canadian doctor did not believe

Katerina

> exhibited. Two prominent surgeons, one in Brooklyn and the other in

Chicago,

> both concluded that she did suffer from the syndrome, and in fact

the

> child's symptoms cleared up soon after she underwent the recommended

> surgery. It seemed to be Mrs. de Sousa's personality as much as her

> therapeutic quest that prompted health-care workers' suspicions of

> Munchausen by proxy. Her daughter's pediatrician wrote that the

mother

> seemed " driven " and " anxious. " Similar subjective remarks appear in

other

> medical files. Talbot points out that " it is no accident that the

rise of

> the Munchausen by proxy diagnosis has run parallel with the rise of

> aggressive behavior in medical patients....These patients, caught up

in

> their conceptions of themselves as 'empowered advocates,' can come

into

> conflict with doctors and caseworkers. " The Canadian M.S.B.P.

inquiry went

> on for more than a year, and the de Sousas racked up fifteen

thousand

> dollars in legal fees; they finally received a curt letter telling

them that

> " the Children's Aid Society of Ottawa will be closing its file....I

trust

> the above is satisfactory. " " Though the accusations against Nicola

have been

> shelved, " Talbot writes, " she is still shaken, and bewildered. She

said, 'I

> asked them, " How could you say we put our daughter under the knife

for

> surgeries that are unnecessary? How could you be threatening to take

our

> child away? " We went to the ends of the earth to help her. I just

hope

> they'd do the same if it were their child.' "

>

>

>

>

>

> Read our story in the New Yorker magazine!

>

>

> >

[Guest guest]

Dear Eurico,

Maby they publised after the paper is not for sale anymore.

This says anough for most that know the story by youself.

I hope this is something that let you go futher with your family live.

And your trust in the law that makes you and your family not a victim.

This isseu is also hot in Europe now ,also here were people wrong diagnosed.

On the BBC and Dutch TV they let see the story when it goes wrong.

I know you was talking about more pages.

Something is beter than nothing !!!

If i go to Amsterdam Next week maby the papershop have it here

also,otherwise i hope you can send me a copy.

Re: Read our story in the New Yorker magazine!

> That's only a short summary. The full article is much longer.

>

> Eurico

>

>

> > Eurico

> >

> > This is what i found.

> >

> > Jan-Willem

> >

> >

> > http://www.newyorker.com/press/content/ (only this week)