Opinion ID: 1908241
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: The mother's mental illness.

Text: The trial judge found, on the basis of essentially undisputed evidence, that the mother suffers from a delusionary disorder, persecutory type. This diagnosis was confirmed by the District's expert witnesses [1] and by the mother's experts [2] as well. [3] The mother had been admitted to St. Elizabeths Hospital for this affliction for a month during the autumn of 1994. For purposes of the present case, the principal expression of the mother's delusionary disorder was her steadfast belief that there were toxic fumes in her apartment and that these fumes were endangering her daughter's health and her own health as well. The mother reported these fumes on a number of occasions to the police and to the fire department, but no public agency confirmed the presence of fumes. [4] When the DHS social worker, Ms. Nguyen, was unable to detect any fumes in the apartment, the mother reported that she (the mother) and her daughter were the only persons who could smell them. [5] Although she was offered the opportunity to move to a different apartment, G.H. declined to do so. She stated that there had also been toxic fumes in her previous residence, and that the fumes would probably follow her if she moved. The mother testified that new pipes had been installed under her sink while she was at St. Elizabeths Hospital, and that some of the fumes were coming into the apartment through these pipes. At various times she assigned blame for the fumes to her brother and to her landlord, to the occupants of units above and below hers, and to unknown conspirators. G.H. attributed remarkable effects to the toxic fumes. According to Dr. Missar, the District's psychiatric expert, the mother told him that the fumes were putting her daughter into a deep sleep from which she was difficult to awaken. She stated that they also clouded her ears, her hearing, her own hearing. She stated that she would put baking soda on her daughter's mouth in an attempt to revive her when she could not awaken her [6] and ... she made several statements about the incident that seemed to me to be peculiar and possibly bizarre in terms of animals dying in her apartment, particularly cockroaches that died standing up, that were reportedly killed very quickly by these toxic fumes. And Ms. H. also commented that her family did not believe her. The mother's preoccupation with toxic fumes was not the only manifestation of her delusionary condition. She was of the opinion that the other members of her family were ganging up on her and plotting to destroy her. [7] The mother claimed that on one occasion she had been poisoned at her brother's house and that her daughter had ingested the poison while breastfeeding. She also alleged that E.H.'s father had attempted to drug or poison her (G.H.) by putting something in her drink. According to Ms. Nguyen, the mother did not permit E.H. to play with other children because the other children were making fun of her. [8] G.H.'s apartment was tested for fumes, and E.H. was tested for lead poisoning and neurological disorders, all with negative results. The trial judge found, on the basis of substantial evidence, that the mother's beliefs about toxic fumes and about her persecution by others were the product of the mother's delusions.