Opinion ID: 1494070
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 8

Heading: Mother's Judgment Regarding Her Child's Medical Care

Text: Mr. Kendrick asserts that a material change in circumstances has occurred in that, since the decree, Mrs. Shoemake has failed to exercise sound judgment with respect to Jordan's medical needs. Mr. Kendrick cites an incident occurring in 1998 when Mrs. Shoemake had scheduled surgery for Jordan to correct problems with his feet. Mr. Kendrick was not consulted in the decision and learned of the planned surgery from his daughter. After asking Mrs. Shoemake to forgo the surgery, which she refused to do, Mr. Kendrick obtained an injunction to prohibit Mrs. Shoemake from seeking any unauthorized, elective surgery for Jordan. At the hearing in this case, Mrs. Shoemake testified that she sought the surgery because Jordan's flat feet were causing him pain. She stated that she initially consulted a podiatrist who had successfully performed surgery on her own feet. This podiatrist referred her to another podiatrist in Atlanta who was allegedly more experienced in these types of surgeries. Dr. Christine Parker, Medical Director of Memorial Health Services and Memorial Hospital, testified that this elective surgery should not have been considered without first obtaining a second opinion. She further stated that while she did not personally know what kind of surgery would have been performed, she was nevertheless concerned that no one in the Chattanooga area could confirm the qualifications of the Atlanta podiatrist. [12] The record, however, does not support the blanket assertion that Mrs. Shoemake has neglected Jordan's medical needs or that she lacks sound judgment in this area. We agree that the mother probably should have sought a second opinion. Absent this incident, however, the record shows that Mrs. Shoemake generally has been a responsible parent in caring for Jordan's medical needs. She obtained braces for Jordan, both orthopedic and orthodontic, and has taken him to the orthodontist periodically. She had Jordan tested for reactions to allergens and has sought and obtained medicine for his allergy conditions. She also has sought physical therapy sessions for him; and, for a period of time, she took him to speech therapy sessions. She has maintained health insurance for the children since the divorce in 1990. As such, we cannot conclude that the preponderance of the evidence shows that a material change in circumstances has occurred with regard to Mrs. Shoemake's medical care of Jordan.