My October 7 email to the
CHILD AT RISK-FAITH HEALING WORKING GROUP
of the Idaho Legislature
Dear Committee Members:
I understand the concept of wanting to protect children from negligence. However, I don’t feel that creating a law that forces all parents to comply with the beliefs of a select group is the solution.
Although I had been introduced to some alternative options such as herbs and muscle testing, when I was a young parent I had complete and total faith in the medical profession. That was the main solution I went to. Until my 3-year old daughter had a series of seizures. That’s when I saw a completely different view and my faith in the medical system was significantly lessened. After weeks of fear and confusion that included two ambulance rides, several days in pediatric ICU, test after test (two of which were done wrong and had to be redone), lack of compassion, a medication that completely changed the personality of my child, and thousands of dollars in medical bills, we were sent home with a statement something like this: We don’t know why she’s having seizures but if she continues to have them, come back and we’ll diagnose with epilepsy. Keep her on this anti-seizure medication for two years and we’ll reassess then.
I didn’t want a name for it and I certainly couldn’t keep her on the medication that so severely changed who she was. So I started looking for other options. My second child was born about a year and a half later and the issue with her was ear infections. We would meet our deductible by late January/early February every year. We would visit the doctor when she had ear infections sometimes twice a week because the first prescription didn’t work. This was the only “solution” we could see and after two burst eardrums, a lot frustration and money spent, my faith in the medical world was about gone. We dealt with this pattern for 4 years.
That’s when I really decided it was time to learn more about the human body and what can be done to help it really heal instead of just masking the symptoms and I was lucky enough to have found something that works for us—a combination of faith and natural techniques. I have seen amazing healing take place and a significant increase in the health of me and my family using these methods. Because we know how to support the body, keep a strong immune system and be healthy, we rarely have a need to use the medical world. My oldest, who is now 23 has not had a seizure since that time and she was not on medication that altered her personality. We have only been to the doctor once for an ear infection for my youngest, who is now 19. I contribute the increase in their health to having a deep faith in God and the ability of the human body to heal itself as well as using natural methods given to us by God.
NOTE: the only reason we went to the doctor that one time was when she was 17 and decided she didn’t want to do the things she normally did when her ears start to hurt. She wanted to go to the doctor. So I took her – it IS her body and therefore her choice. She was given an antibiotic which made her nauseous every time she took it so after two doses she decided she was ready to go back to the natural methods we had used for years.
I do believe there is a place for the amazing doctors and technology that the medical profession offers and I am very grateful they are available. But like any other profession, there are good ones and not-so-good ones. I also believe that the medical world doesn’t have all the answers or solutions.
IF there was a 100% absolute GUARANTEE that a particular way WOULD save a life or cure an ailment, then by all means enforce that. But there’s not. No side – whether faith, allopathic or holistic – can GUARANTEE without a doubt that a life will be saved.
It is about personal beliefs. It is about personal choice. It is about making choices based on what I believe is best for MY child and about you making choices based on what you believe is best for YOUR child. Just because I believe differently than someone else about what options I go to for illness, doesn’t make me right and them wrong or vice versa. And just because I may NOT choose medical care doesn’t mean I am negligent as a parent, just as someone who chooses TO use medical care may not be negligent as a parent. That is a matter of perspective – of personal belief.
Put the shoes on the other foot – what if the law-making group believed in health care other than allopathic and passed a law that you had to try faith or natural methods first or you could be considered negligent. How would those who strongly believe in the medical world feel about being forced to go against their beliefs?
Again, I understand the need to pass laws to protect children but parenting choices like these are not the responsibilities of the government.
Thank you for your service, time and consideration of these comments.
Stacie Farnham
4949 W. Tournament Dr.
Meridian, ID 83642
208-863-7986
I understand the concept of wanting to protect children from negligence. However, I don’t feel that creating a law that forces all parents to comply with the beliefs of a select group is the solution.
Although I had been introduced to some alternative options such as herbs and muscle testing, when I was a young parent I had complete and total faith in the medical profession. That was the main solution I went to. Until my 3-year old daughter had a series of seizures. That’s when I saw a completely different view and my faith in the medical system was significantly lessened. After weeks of fear and confusion that included two ambulance rides, several days in pediatric ICU, test after test (two of which were done wrong and had to be redone), lack of compassion, a medication that completely changed the personality of my child, and thousands of dollars in medical bills, we were sent home with a statement something like this: We don’t know why she’s having seizures but if she continues to have them, come back and we’ll diagnose with epilepsy. Keep her on this anti-seizure medication for two years and we’ll reassess then.
I didn’t want a name for it and I certainly couldn’t keep her on the medication that so severely changed who she was. So I started looking for other options. My second child was born about a year and a half later and the issue with her was ear infections. We would meet our deductible by late January/early February every year. We would visit the doctor when she had ear infections sometimes twice a week because the first prescription didn’t work. This was the only “solution” we could see and after two burst eardrums, a lot frustration and money spent, my faith in the medical world was about gone. We dealt with this pattern for 4 years.
That’s when I really decided it was time to learn more about the human body and what can be done to help it really heal instead of just masking the symptoms and I was lucky enough to have found something that works for us—a combination of faith and natural techniques. I have seen amazing healing take place and a significant increase in the health of me and my family using these methods. Because we know how to support the body, keep a strong immune system and be healthy, we rarely have a need to use the medical world. My oldest, who is now 23 has not had a seizure since that time and she was not on medication that altered her personality. We have only been to the doctor once for an ear infection for my youngest, who is now 19. I contribute the increase in their health to having a deep faith in God and the ability of the human body to heal itself as well as using natural methods given to us by God.
NOTE: the only reason we went to the doctor that one time was when she was 17 and decided she didn’t want to do the things she normally did when her ears start to hurt. She wanted to go to the doctor. So I took her – it IS her body and therefore her choice. She was given an antibiotic which made her nauseous every time she took it so after two doses she decided she was ready to go back to the natural methods we had used for years.
I do believe there is a place for the amazing doctors and technology that the medical profession offers and I am very grateful they are available. But like any other profession, there are good ones and not-so-good ones. I also believe that the medical world doesn’t have all the answers or solutions.
IF there was a 100% absolute GUARANTEE that a particular way WOULD save a life or cure an ailment, then by all means enforce that. But there’s not. No side – whether faith, allopathic or holistic – can GUARANTEE without a doubt that a life will be saved.
It is about personal beliefs. It is about personal choice. It is about making choices based on what I believe is best for MY child and about you making choices based on what you believe is best for YOUR child. Just because I believe differently than someone else about what options I go to for illness, doesn’t make me right and them wrong or vice versa. And just because I may NOT choose medical care doesn’t mean I am negligent as a parent, just as someone who chooses TO use medical care may not be negligent as a parent. That is a matter of perspective – of personal belief.
Put the shoes on the other foot – what if the law-making group believed in health care other than allopathic and passed a law that you had to try faith or natural methods first or you could be considered negligent. How would those who strongly believe in the medical world feel about being forced to go against their beliefs?
Again, I understand the need to pass laws to protect children but parenting choices like these are not the responsibilities of the government.
Thank you for your service, time and consideration of these comments.
Stacie Farnham
4949 W. Tournament Dr.
Meridian, ID 83642
208-863-7986
Protect YOUR parental rights!
Email your comments to the committee:
COMMITTEE MEMBERS:
Senator Johnson, Co-chairman
Senator Siddoway
Senator Hagedorn
Senator Harris(32)
Senator Schmidt
Representative Palmer, Co-chairman
Representative Harris
Representative Kauffman
Representative Trujillo
Representative Gannon
Here are the email addresses:
djohnson@senate.idaho.gov, jsiddoway@senate.idaho.gov, mhagedorn@senate.idaho.gov, sharris@house.idaho.gov, dschmidt@senate.idaho.gov, jpalmer@house.idaho.gov, ckauffman@house.idaho.gov, jtrujillo@house.idaho.gov, jgannon@house.idaho.gov, mharris@senate.idaho.gov
Email your comments to the committee:
COMMITTEE MEMBERS:
Senator Johnson, Co-chairman
Senator Siddoway
Senator Hagedorn
Senator Harris(32)
Senator Schmidt
Representative Palmer, Co-chairman
Representative Harris
Representative Kauffman
Representative Trujillo
Representative Gannon
Here are the email addresses:
djohnson@senate.idaho.gov, jsiddoway@senate.idaho.gov, mhagedorn@senate.idaho.gov, sharris@house.idaho.gov, dschmidt@senate.idaho.gov, jpalmer@house.idaho.gov, ckauffman@house.idaho.gov, jtrujillo@house.idaho.gov, jgannon@house.idaho.gov, mharris@senate.idaho.gov
