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5 Issues L. & Med. 371 (1989-1990)
In the Matter of Cabrera

handle is hein.journals/ilmed5 and id is 391 raw text is: In the Matter of Cabrera HELD: A state's interest in the health of a child with sickle cell anemia overrides the parents' religious objection to the pre- scribed course of medical treatment. Six year old Tara Cabrera entered the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia for diagnosis and treatment of a fever, a limp, and a pain in her hip. In re Cabrera, 381 Pa. Super. 100, 552 A.2d 1114, 1115 (1989). Tara was diagnosed as having sickle cell anemia. Id. at 1115. Tests re- vealed that Tara had previously suffered a stroke and that the fever, limp, and hip pain were symptoms of that stroke. Id. Dr. Kwaku Ohene-Frempong, Director of the Sickle Cell Program and Hematol- ogy at Childrens Hospital of Philadelphia, recommended Tara un- dergo a blood transfusion to reduce the number of sickle cells in her system, thereby allowing a more accurate assessment of any stroke damage and concomitant treatment. Id. Frank and Virginia Ingram, Tara's parents, refused to consent to the transfusion on both religious and medical grounds. Id. As Jeho- vah's Witnesses the Ingrams professed to a tenet which does not permit the use of blood in any form. Id. at 1115-16. Moreover, Mrs. Ingram failed to see a medical need for the transfusion since Dr. Frempong could not guarantee that Tara would not die after the transfusion. Id. at 1116. At the initial hearing the court ruled that Tara undergo a transfu- sion to determine possible brain damage and whether more transfu- sions were necessary to minimize the recurrence of another stroke. Id. At the follow-up hearing Dr. Frempong testified that test results indi- cated that Tara had sustained blood vessel damage to both sides of her brain, which was consistent with sickle cell children who have had strokes. Id. Dr. Frempong also stated that the recurrence of a stroke would be in the 70-80% range. Id. Consequently, there existed the pos- sibility of more brain damage, more potential for crippling brain dam-

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