Mom Fears DCF Will Take 400-Pound Son

[The Straight Story]

Mom Fears DCF Will Take 400-Pound Son
13-Year-Old Orlando Boy Refuses To Take Medicine, Mother Says

ORLANDO, Fla. -- An Orlando mother said on Tuesday that she's fearful the state will take custody of her 13-year-old 400-pound son after doctors called authorities about his condition.

Doctors contacted the Department of Children and Families after Josiah Lewis missed a few appointments, saying his condition is life-threatening.

The boy's mother, Brenda Lewis, said she's trying to help her son lose weight, but he refuses to take medicine and will not stop overeating.

"At 13, how can I make him? What do you want me to do?" Brenda Lewis said. "Because of his weight he has gained diabetes and has high blood pressure."

DCF officials said the case is rare, but the department has launched an investigation. The agency does have the authority to remove an obese or anorexic child from a home if the child's medical condition is life-threatening.

http://www.clickorlando.com/health/21289128/detail.html

[cali]

1. maybe it would be best if DCF does take physical custody of the kid-

he'll die where he is.

[WolverineDG]

25. He's more likely to die in foster care nt

[dugaresa]

28. i have a feeling that he will be admitted to a hospital or a clinic

because of his medical condition.

[lumberjack_jeff]

2. Lady, if you are powerless to assure minimal health/safety, then someone must step in.

If not dad, and if not other family, then DCF.

[TwilightGardener]

3. Sad, but it sounds like this mom is unable to manage her son's medical problems

and behavior--he needs more help than he's getting.

[dugaresa]

15. reading the article she doesn't seem to realize she is the parent

"Brenda Lewis said her son does not take his health seriously, putting her in a difficult position." this sounds to me like she doesn't understand that he is a child. He isn't yet old enough to appreciate issues like his health like an adult would.

""He didn't come with a manuscript or a guide. I (have) just been working my way through," Brenda Lewis said." This says it all, typically we learn to parent based on how we were parented. It is doubtful she had a good role model herself and when she became a parent herself didn't realize the responsibilities. Kid's aren't lego kits that come with instructions.

Overall it is sad but the kid is sick and he needs to be removed and she needs to go to a parenting class if she wants to keep him.

[TwilightGardener]

19. Yep. But you don't even need top-notch parenting skills to know that

when your son is 400 lbs. and ill with resultant diseases, you should probably take charge of what goes into the refigerator and what goes into his mouth, and his medication schedule. Either basic common sense eludes her, or she's overwhelmed by the challenges of raising him and simply gave up. On edit--read further that apparently she's obese, too. So she can't/won't control her own diet and health, guess she has no interest in controlling his either.

[dugaresa]

20. it is sad and depression could be a factor, for the mother as well as the kid

i had a cousin who died from being morbidly obese. She was clearly suffering from depression and from what other family members had told me she developed her eating habits as a way to soothe her depression. Can't treat the obesity without dealing with the mental health factors.

[TwilightGardener]

21. Sorry about your cousin--in trying to make herself feel better, she slowly did herself in.

That's just very sad. You're probably right, there may be some underlying mental-health issues here.

[Scout]

32. how does she force him to take medication? tie him down?

how does she force him to not eat food once he's outside the house?

[TwilightGardener]

33. Come on. I have a son that age, and when it comes to things

that they MUST do for their health and safety that they don't necessarily like, like taking medicine or going to the dentist...I always win. I know their weak areas (video games, cell phones, dessert, being allowed to go out with friends, etc.). All mothers do. It's not that impossible to get your kid to swallow a pill when a beloved privilege is threatened.

[OPERATIONMINDCRIME]

4. Not The Best Parent In The World Now Is She.

No excuse for allowing him to get that big by such an early age of 13. No excuse.

I don't necessarily think that he should be taken away outright, but I do think he should be under court protection and monitored.

[Incitatus]

22. You try getting between a 400 lb teenager and their food.

[RaleighNCDUer]

5. ...will not stop eating...

Ma'am, he's a thirteen year old child. You control his meals. You control his money. You have every right to enter his room and remove any foodstuff found there.

If he is 300 lbs overweight, it is YOUR fault, and YOU can correct it.

[LuckyLib]

6. At 400 pounds someone is buying, cooking and placing the food in front of him.

He can't do it himself. Mom needs help here -- unfortunately, DCF may be the only route to get this family the help they need.

[Dappleganger]

7. If he refuses to take his medicine and will not stop overeating

his life is obviously in danger and he needs to be admitted to a clinic. However, I would daresay that going into the foster care system will NOT solve his medical problems and only make them worse.

/ex-GAL volunteer

[liberal N proud]

8. At 13, can't the mother ration the food?

Lock the food up, only buy enough for dinner, something. But claiming the kid will not stop overeating is not entirely his fault at 13.

This mother has a problem and this poor kid is suffering because of it.

[Lone_Star_Dem]

9. Someone needs to intervene ASAP

She needs help learning how to parent and the child needs immediate medical attention.

Such a sad story. :(

[enid602]

10. Mom

Unless he´s growing all that food in the back yard, I´d say Mom is enabling the overeating.

[asdjrocky]

11. America is just killing itself in the kitchen and the drive through.

You have to wonder what this says about us as a country.

[dysfunctional press]

12. at 13- the kid isn't taking himself to the drive-thru.

parents have to parent.

[asdjrocky]

13. Of course not.

I mean, duh. I wasn't making that point. It's mom, it's dad, it's schools, it's TV. We are selling ourselves death wrapped up like a happy meal.

We've become a country with a vast majority of people seem to be incapable of telling themselves no.

[dugaresa]

14. I really hate judging other people and how they raise their kids, but I have been seeing a lot of

stuff recently that I wish I had not.

My children are in that kid's age range and we have been having more kids visit our home.

This is what I have noticed:

1. A lot of kids do not have basic table manners.
2. Some kids don't eat at a dinner table but are used to eating in front of TV's (sad)
3. Loads of people have TV's viewable from their dining room or eating area and watch them while they eat too.
4. Vegetables are not common in some households. I can't tell you the number of children I have had visit my home that won't even eat lettuce. One young man wanted only bacon on his sandwich and mayo. I told him that he had to have the lettuce at least or he couldn't have it and he agreed and ate it. (perhaps a bad thing for me to do)


My kids are both active and are considered "underweight" but they eat well and my pediatrician just says, "they can eat what they want" but my kids will cut up strawberries as a snack or have a pear. I know, they are odd.

[nadinbrzezinski]

23. Good job mom

:applause:

Serious, my nephews are a pain.

From the kid... an apple is NOT a snack...

[dugaresa]

27. thanks, but it takes both me and my husband to do it and to be honest parenting is really hard

to do it right you can't be your kid's best friend and sometimes your kids will really get on your nerves but you have to get past that.

i love my kids to bits, but they are turning out to be great kids because we tired ourselves out working to make sure that they are taken care of properly and following through on stuff like homework, manners, etc.

i just read an article today about some twit that left her 3 kids under the age of 2 home alone for a weekend with nothing but jello and came back to find one kid dead. i read stuff like that and think wtf. i think the majority of people are good parents but there are some folks out there that don't have enough energy to breathe and tie their shoes on their own let alone take care of kids.

[nadinbrzezinski]

29. As I like to put it

and this is what we do when we take care of nephews...

You do not negotiate with a terrorist.

Now I can hear it already...

But kids are HIGHLY manipulative and will do all they can to get away with what THEY want.

We took them to Legoland... a nightmare all on its own... they got hungry, we got fruit for a snack.

One ate it, the other skulked.

And what you said... yep, it takes both parents, a united front.

Now there will be a time for friendship with your kids... my mom and I have a very good relationship... but we are both adults.

[Stevenmarc]

16. Look at the mother, she's bigger than he is so it's clear she lacks the skill set needed to fix this

[vanlassie]

17. She IS asking for help....

"At 13, how can I make him? What do you want me to do?" Brenda Lewis said."

[Gwendolyn]

18. His mother is even bigger than he is. They both need help. n/t

[Sheepshank]

26. They have been provided with resources....

....and the kid is still calling the shots. Obviously she is unable to dole out tough love in this area when her own skill set and lack of impulse control is lacking.

[nadinbrzezinski]

24. And this is why what we feed people and being obese matters

all the libertarian bullshit to the side.

Oh and both mother and child need help.

[surrealAmerican]

30. You would think she would be more worried about ...

... his "life-threatening medical condition" than having him end up in state custody.

[scheming daemons]

31. "What do you want me to do?" ...um... HOW ABOUT STOP PROVIDING THE DAMN FOOD

Mom is an enabler here.