Cancer Mother Loses Custody of Her Children-Because She Has Breast A woman with terminal breast cancer says she has lost custody of her children because doctors do not know how long she will live. A judge ruled that 37-year-old Alaina Giordano, from Durham, North Carolina, must give up both her children to her estranged husband after she was diagnosed with stage four breast cancer. Durham County Family Court judge Nancy Gordon ruled that Mr. Snyder should get the children after a psychiatrist recommended that they should live with him because of the "deteriorating condition of the mother's health." John Stevens, Daily Mail, May 10, 2011 A Facebook account was set up for Alaina, and within several weeks, 18,743 people linked to her page. The following is a sampling of the numerous posts on her Facebook page: D.D. MAY GOD HAVE MERCY ON YOU AND I WILL PRAY FOR YOU AND YOUR CHILDREN. NO ONE HAS THE RIGHT TO TAKE WHAT GOD HAS GIVEN YOU . .. "YOUR CHILDREN"M.A.B. she should not lose her family because she feel ill, Falling ill is not a lifestyle choice she made-it is a circumstance she is forced to endure she should not endure it without her children. mothers in prison may have their children with them for God's sake S.X. Came home to NC after a business trip to see this report. SHAMEFUL that a court and an "expert witness" could have so little compassion and rule like this. I'm shocked, J know the family. These kids belong with Mom! "We have learned that the North Carolina Supreme Court has denied my motion for a with their father. stay-this means that now, my children will be moving to Chicago to start the school year gong As I write today, I deal with the difficult recognition that my children will have to live 800 miles away from me, until my appeal can be heard. In the wake of this legal decision. my children and I now must grieve the pending loss of each other." http://www.facebook.com/friendsofalaina Comments by Danny Alaina, I have been a hospital administrator and later inspected more that 500 hospitals and 100 ambulatory sites from Alaska to Puerto Rico. I have never experienced such a travesty by a Judge who apparently has little knowledge of the law or an understanding of the horrors you have been put through. Judges of this sort need some major training in ethics. I quote Earl Warren, Chief Justice of the United States (1891-1974), "In civilized life, law floats on a sea of ethics." The Judge in your case failed to understand and practice the teachings of this most Honorable judge-Earl Warren. I wish you love and happiness always . . . and know that you are loved. DannyComments by L Alaina, I have been a hospital administrat and 100 ambulatory sites from Alaska to Puerto Rico. I have never experienced such hospitals travesty by a Judge who apparently has little knowledge of the law or an understand;d of the horrors you have been put through. Judges of this sort need some major training's ethics. I quote Earl Warren, Chief Justice of the United States (1891-1974), "In civil life, law floats on a sea of ethics." The Judge in your case failed to understand and pract the teachings of this most Honorable judge-Earl Warren. I wish you love and happiness always . . . and know that you are loved. Danny Mother With Terminal Cancer Can Retain Child Custody, Judge Holds In a case of first impression, a New Jersey judge has refused to strip a divorced mother of primary custody of her children even though she has terminal and inoperable breast cancer, Ocean County Superior Court Judge Lawrence Jones said granting the father's motion for an emergency change in the children's primary residential status could cause them emo- tional harm. "It would be fundamentally inequitable and inappropriate for this court to conclude that a person's illness, disability, or condition, even a condition as serious as Stage IV cancer, automatically renders a person unfit per se to continue serving as a custodial parent ...." Michael Booth, New Jersey Law Journal, November 22, 201340
