Pediatrician response letter.

August 31, 2009

****** Pediatrics
******
******, Texas 76248

Re: CRR# **** 1300 000 0403 ****
Bentley ******
Audi ******
Jaguar ******
Mercedes ******

Dear Dr. ******,

We would like to take this opportunity to thank you for your impersonal, generic, informational letter informing us that you “will no longer be responsible for the medical care” of our four children. The letter is dated August 4, 2009, and we received the letter on August 28, 2009. The postmark on the envelope is dated August 25, 2009, twenty-one days after the letter was written.

In all honesty, we are strongly puzzled by the decision you have chosen to make. Over the course of almost six years (services began 10.6.2003!) we have been visiting your office, we have only refused/declined one immunization. As you are aware, a second dose of the Varicella vaccine is now required by the Texas Department of State Health Services. Audi entered Kindergarten this year and unfortunately, needed a second dose. Because he has been vaccinated once, we decided it was not necessary to administer yet another chemical into his small body. If it were so detrimental for him to have this particular vaccination, we presume it would not have been so simple to retrieve the required ‘Exemption of Immunizations’ paperwork, so we could opt out of this vaccine. Which we utilized, as did many others.

Over the years, our children have been seen by yourself, Dr. ******, and more frequently, ******, C.P.N.P. Along the way, Mel has built friendships and maintained a cordial rapport with everyone at your office, even though we didn’t always agree with treatment. One quick example is the way Audi was diagnosed/treated for RSV (he was one year old, at the time). Four days after he was seen at your office, we were finally sent for chest x-rays, where it was discovered he had pneumonia in addition to RSV. At that time, we had already given our tiny boy approximately 40 treatments of Albuteral (more than twice the recommendation, as printed on the directions of the medication) - which he did not respond to due to having pneumonia - in a four day span. We guess it is deemed appropriate when your doctors and/or office does something different than recommended, but as parents, we are not permitted to make the same choice.

Anyone can have a difference of opinion with any one person, company or even a doctor. But to be dismissed from your practice, because we made a decision that directly effects our child, greatly disturbs us. We are extremely disappointed, that after all these years of our children (and ourselves) getting to know you and those at your practice, you didn’t even have the courtesy to personally phone us to discuss and/or inform us of your decision. Years ago we spoke with you personally regarding Thimerosal and the possible connection with Autism. We listened to what you had to say - we respected and appreciated your opinion. We would have expected the same respect from you. As it stands, we had no opportunity to discuss the situation with you, and we find that very unprofessional. In addition, we would have greatly appreciated an explanation as to why you dismissed “all” of our children, when in actuality, we have only one child who is now lacking one vaccination.

Our children have grown to be very comfortable at your practice and with most of your employees. As parents, that is comforting to us. It is very disheartening to find out in actuality our children were just a ’number’, and nothing more. They deserve more than that. We assumed through the years we were building a trusting relationship. Obviously, we were not.

We believe in treating people with respect, honesty and dealing with ethical and trustworthy organizations. We are wise enough to know that what may be right for one person or family, certainly may not be for another. We are not a family of followers; instead, a family who does the best we can do by being individuals and making the best possible decision(s) we can. By your harsh decision of dismissing our children because we declined one single vaccination, you have confirmed that it is more than time for us to move on. It is apparent you have no respect for parental rights.

In closing, we feel quite confident that had the shoe been on the other foot, you too would feel the very way we do now. We want to express that we firmly believe you have done us a service, and not a disservice. Sometimes disheartening and hurtful situations are a blessing in disguise.

Warmest Regards,



Husband and Melissa ******
817.***.****