OVO

Alayna May Wyland of Clackamas, Oregon. This young girl was burdened with a mass of blood vessels called a hemangioma at birth. Usually a minor surgery corrects this problem. But Alayna has parents that believe an invisible monster in the sky caused her to be born with a hemangioma, and only incantations and spells to the invisible monster would convince Him to make the hemangioma go away. So her parents said magic spells and rubbed magic oil on their little girl rather than take her to a doctor. The small hemangioma grew large, eroded her eye socket and likely damaged her ability to see.  What’s the harm in faith healing?  Ask Alayna when she’s a little older.  Oregon lawmakers are about one hundred dead children too late in passing this law, but better one hundred dead children too late than one hundred and one children too late.

Steve Mayes: Oregon Lawmakers Appear Ready to End Legal Protections for Faith-Healing Parents

Oregon lawmakers will take the first step today [21 February 2011] toward ending legal protections for parents who rely solely on faith to treat their dying children. The bill targets the Followers of Christ, an Oregon City church with a long history of children dying from treatable medical conditions. A previous crackdown restricted but did not eliminate religious immunity from state criminal statutes. Rep. Carolyn Tomei, D-Milwaukie, said deaths of three Followers children in recent years – all without medical intervention – prompted her to introduce the bill. “Such gross and unnecessary neglect cannot be allowed, even if the parents are well-meaning,” Tomei said. The legislation appears primed for approval. It has wide support both political parties, prosecutors, medical providers and child-protection groups, and there is no organized opposition. “I don’t think there’ll be anyone coming to testify against it,” Tomei said. House Bill 2721 would remove spiritual treatment as a defense for all homicide charges. Moreover, if found guilty, parents would be subject to mandatory sentencing under Oregon’s Measure 11.

Previously at OVO:
The True Face of Faith Healing (27 July 2010)
Ore. parents face charges in child’s death (16 June 2009)
Abusing Children in the Name of God (5 January 2008)
Child Sacrifice in Oregon (4 June 2007)