Cisions Decisions

Seems there’s a Chicago boy at the middle of a very bitter court fight between his divorced parents.

According to the Associated Press:

The child's mother wants him circumcised to prevent recurring, painful
inflammation she says he's experienced during the past year.

But the father says the boy is healthy and circumcision, which removes the foreskin of the penis, is an unnecessary medical procedure that could cause him long-term physical and psychological harm. "The child is absolutely healthy," the father said during a break in a court hearing on the matter Wednesday. "I do not want any doctor to butcher my son."

The mother testified that her son has had five bouts of painful inflammation and has begged her to help him. Her son cannot wear underwear or jeans during the bouts and is comfortable only in loose-fitting pajamas, she said.

The couple's 2003 divorce decree gave the father the right to offer input on medical decisions. Earlier this year, he sued to block the surgery and Cook County Judge Jordan Kaplan ordered the mother not to have the boy circumcised until he could hear from both parents and the opinions of doctors who've examined the boy.

Now, I’m not advocating allowing eight-year-olds have the right to make all decisions about their welfare, but I really do think that judge should interview the child and determine how much he understands about his medical condition and what course of action he would like to take.

As for the rest of us, I think this should be a warning to anyone divorcing to get it in writing that they can make medical decisions without the input of the other parent. Otherwise, down the road a little, you may just find your ex getting, well,…snippy.