Question
What is the name of your state? Illinois
My 12yr old daughter was brought to the emergency room by her step-mother for a severe case of strep-throat. Insurance is held in the childs fathers name which is same as the step-mother but different than the childs. My daughter was evaluated and given medicines and was admitted into the hospital. All without biological father there. When I called the hospital - the nurses had no clue a different mother existed.
I have full custody and she was with her father during scheduled "vacation" time.
Can a person admit a child into the hopsital that is not theirs. I understand she is the step-parent - but she has no legal say over this child. How can a hospital perform anything other than life/death care to a minor child without a legally responsible parent present?
Answer
In the state of Illinois, a child can receive emergency medical care without the consent of a parent. In this case the step mother was standing in for the father. In Illinois when an age of consent is required, such as for birth control, etc, the age of consent is 12 years of age.
Now custody issues aside, why on earth would you be objecting to your child who was so ill as to require admission to the hospital, challenge her receipt of care? If she was admitted, it obviously was an emergency?
If the step-mother had failed to to take the child to the ER what would you be complaining about?
Both the Step-mother and the hospital were acting in the best interest of the child.
Answer
I'm not complaining that she was admitted - I just thought a parent needed to be there, especially with the HIPPA laws of privacy. Plus, my daughter was very uncomfortable with the step mom being present and would have preferred her mother or father to have been there (father didn't want to wake up to take her so that's why step mom did). This was the first time she had ever been to the ER or admitted to the hospital and she does not have a comfortable relation with the stepmom.
And of course she should have been taken to the ER....but I'll go a step further and say my daughter should have never needed to go to the ER if she had been taken to the doctor 2 days prior when she first told dad/stepmom her throat hurt.
I just thought they - meaning stepmom/father/hospital had some obligation to call the cutodial parent when their child is being admitted to the hospital!
Thanks for your reply though
Answer
Look, I didn't read your other thread until after I responded to this one, nothing in my answer changes.
Quite frankly it looks like you have more of a problem with the step-mother than your daughter, and more likely you are trying to prolong your anomosity towards her and instill that in your daughter so naturally she will be uncomfortable when the two of you are present because you are jealous. Why should the step mother be condemed because she tries to treat your daughter as her own, attend social and school functions related to your child, who knows, maybe she is the one making sure he does those things for your daughter? Have you ever considered that?
You say that you didn't mind that your ex be there or admit your child to the hospital, and he did call and informed you.
You blame the step-mother because your child wasn't taken to the hospital/doctor 2 days earlier for her sore throat, where was your ex then?
The Step-Mother took your daughter to the hospital because your Ex couldn't wake up to take her, hummmmmm sounds like you are upset with the wrong person.
So, you arrive at the hospital with inaccurate information communicated to you by your ex, and you find the step mother sitting in the room with your child, at least she was not alone, she was doing what any mother would do for her hospitalized child and you are getting all upset and looking for things to challenge everything she does instead of thanking her for taking care of your daughter which would have been an appropriate action.
Please remember it is the best interest of the children, not your personal feelings toward the step-mother, getting along is in everyone's best interest.
But, you can continue this and keep things stirred up if it makes you feel better or take a higher road.
Answer
Considering you know nothing more than a few sentences of me and my situation you are out of line in your response.
The child is uncomfortable with step-mom because step-mom has smacks her in the head, calls her dumb blond, has beat her neice & nephew with a belt in front of my daughter, carried a wooden spoon in her purse to scare her own small children. NONE of those things has anything to do with me. My daughter is 12 and sees and hears things on her own. She doesn't need to be influenced by me to understand things.
And yes, I'm happy step-mom took her to the ER. No I'm not happy dad didn't - especially because my daughter went in and asked him to be the one to take her. But again, someone should have taken her to the dr 2 days prior to being in the hospital. My daughter does not need me to tell her they didn't want to spend the money on a doctor appointment. My daughter doesn't need me to make her feel bad that her siblings get ATV's & playstations for holidays and she gets a pair of used jeans along with a few laughs in her face.
And when her father (and his family) does not show up for school functions, activities, sporting events, etc......that has nothing to do with me. My daughter is old enough to ask him herself to attend these things. She doesn't need me to sit and tell her that he never shows up - she sees it. When my daughter made it state finals - she didn't need me to tell her her father was an idiot for not even calling to see how she did. Or letting her go to any parties/dances/sporting stuff that falls on his weekends.
So don't assume you know a situation when you don't.
Answer
It appears I called it pretty accurately considering I didn't have all the information, just the little bit you gave. Your displeasure should be directed at your ex, not at his wife, you are making her a scapegoat. None of this is helpful to your daughter and you should still thank the step mother for doing what should have been done by your ex, taking her to the hospital.
You can whine and cry all you want about how the stepmother this and that but it still doesn't change the fact that she did what she should have done for your daughter, nor did she abandon her.
Have you thanked her yet? Not in a sarcastic manner, but a real thank you?
Why don't you relese some of the venom in your heat and let soem healing in.
Answer
Funny - this is a legal advice forum where people ask for legal advice.
You are not on this site to help with legal questions or situations, you are on here to vent and cause conflict with people.
I feel sorry for you - you must live quite an unhappy life if this is how you treat people you don't know and if this is how you choose to spend your time.
It must make you feel good to be rude to people over the computer who you can't see and who are unable to confront you in person.
Actually you remind me a lot of my daughters step mother - Out of line, creating conflict, rude, butting your nose/opinions into areas that don't concern you and just a wicked person to communicate with.
And don't think I'll even give the time of day to check this thread again. You are obviously on here to create "conflicts" and I will not participate in that.