Circumcision: dirty little secrets exposed

N. Carolina baby boy fights for life.

N. Carolina baby boy fights for life.

    Circumcision Deaths and Botched Circumcisions – Circumcision Tragedies

Below is a list of known circumcision tragedies, from the earliest to the most recent. There are, no doubt, other circumcision tragedies that have never become public knowledge.

Commonly doctors pronounce infant circumcision a `simple operation
with few risks.´ However, the risks are many and can be devastating and
tragic . . . When viewed in terms of individuals and families involved
in these tragic events — particularly when the operation is
unnecessary — the risks are quite significant.
” [Rosemary Romberg,
author of the book CIRCUMCISION- THE PAINFUL DILEMMA, Bergin & Garvey
Publishers, Massachusetts, 1985.]

Courtesy of Petrina Fadel

CIRCUMCISION TRAGEDIES
– Known Circumcision Deaths, Botched
Circumcisions, and Unauthorized Circumcisions in the United States and Canada

Julius Katzenstein, 8 days old, bled to death after a ritual
circumcision performed by Dr. Abrams, December 14, 1856- New York, NY.

http://www.circinfo.org/USA_deaths.html

“The first known reported circumcision-related deaths were in New York City, where circumcision was introduced. The first was Julius Katzenstein in 1856 and the second was one-week-old Myer Jacob Levy in 1858. Both boys were circumcised by a Dr. Abrams, and the same coroner reviewed both deaths. The coroner found that Abrahams had performed the surgeries properly, and that the boys died from blood loss as a result of parental neglect. Neither boy had received a follow-up examination.” Dan Bollinger, from Lost Boys: An Estimate of U.S. Circumcision-Related Infant Deaths, available at: https://www.academia.edu/6394940/Lost_Boys_An_Estimate_of_U.S._Circumcision-Related_Infant_Deaths

_______________________________________________________
Myer Jacob Levy, 8 days old, bled to death after a ritual circumcision
performed by Dr. Abrams, April 18, 1858- New York, NY.
http://www.circinfo.org/USA_deaths.html

April 23, 1858
(section: Police Intelligence)

Death from Circumcision

Coroner Hills held an inquest yesterday at the Sixth Ward Stationhouse, in the case of the child whose death from circumcision was announced in Thursday’s Times. The child, Myer Jacob Levy, (whose parents reside at No. 63 Baxter street,) being eight days old, was circumcised on Sunday
last by Dr. Abrams, of Bleecker street, who performed the operation in the usual manner. A few hours afterwards it was discovered that the bandage was displaced and that the child was bleeding profusely. Dr. Abrams was recalled, but his efforts to stop the hemorrhage were ineffectual. The verdict was; “Death from convulsions, superinduced by
loss of blood following circumcision; further we find that the
operation was rightly performed.”

(Online Archives of the New York Times)
_______________________________________________________

Baby Boy Greisman died November 29, 1903 following a ritual
circumcision by Isaac Halpern. Bleeding was profuse, and Halpern applied carbolic acid, which caused acute disease of the kidneys.

http://www.courtchallenge.com/refs/history4.html

1903 – Dec. 1
JEWISH INFANT’S DEATH The Globe
Toronto, December 1, 1903, p. 12.

Body will be exhumed for an inquest

Child of Louis Greisman died after circumcision-Jacob Halpern performed the operation.

AN INQUEST, which it is expected will have far-reaching results, will be opened to-night at police headquarters on the body of the infant son of Louis Greisman. The child died on Sunday night at 49 Chestnut Street and was buried yesterday in the Jewish Cemetery on Pape avenue. This morning Chief Coroner A. J. Johnson will apply to the Attorney General for an order permitting an undertaker to exhume the remains. Had the
remains not been buried the inquest would have been opened last night.
Chief Coroner Johnson will himself conduct the inquiry.

The report on the case made to the Chief Coroner by Dr. Walter McKeown states that Jacob Halpern, a butcher at 59 Chestnut Street, was called in by the father on Sunday to perform the Jewish rite of circumcision.
After the operation bleeding was so profuse that Halpern applied
carbolic acid, with the result that the child died in terrible agony.

Dr. McKeown, who was called in a short time before the infant’s death, refused the death certificate and referred the whole matter to Chief Coroner Johnson.

1903 – Dec. 2
BABY GREISMAN’S DEATH The Globe
Toronto, December 2, 1903, p. 12.

Isaac Halpern applied too much carbolic acid

Was ignorant of its use-claims to be a rabbi-had 23 years’ experience as a circumcisor.

THE DEATH of baby Greisman was investigated last night by Chief Coroner A. J. Johnson and a jury, who sat for over three hours. The body was viewed at Millard’s undertaking rooms, and, after Dr. McKeown had been examined, an adjournment was made to the Police Court. H. H. Dewart, K.C., represented the Crown.

Dr. Walter McKeown explained to the jury that he issued the burial certificate. Death was due to acute disease of the kidneys caused by the excessive use of carbolic acid. He was present at the birth of the child and at the circumcision. The day after the operation he was called in again to see the child and attended the infant until death occurred on Sunday night. Dr. McKeown thought that Isaac Halpern’s attempt to treat the child without a sufficient knowledge of antiseptics caused the death.

Rabbi Jacobs of the Holy Blossom Synagogue pointed out that under the Jewish law circumcision has to be performed the eighth day after birth.
He described at length the mode of operation which had been in
existence for 3,000 years. The Chief Rabbi of the British Empire twelve years ago formulated a set of rules for the guidance of circumcisors.
In Canada there is no special training. All that is required is that
the circumcisor be a conscientious Jew.

Isaac Halpern, who performed the circumcision, told the jury how he did the operation on baby Greisman. He had 23 years’ experience and never had a death before. Although he had no certificate to act, he believed that he was full qualified. He had performed three operations last week and had a like number for this week. Halpern declared that he was a
Rabbi. When there were very few Jews in Toronto he performed the marriage ceremony and other duties of a Rabbi. At the present time he kills all the cattle for his congregation to see if the meat is fit food.

Dr. John Caven, who conducted the autopsy, said that the condition found in the body was consistent with death from carbolic acid poisoning, the poison having been applied externally.

The jury’s verdict was as follows: “That the child came to his death from the excessive application of carbolic acid, and that Isaac Halpern was culpably ignorant of the use of carbolic acid.”
_______________________________________________________

Baby Boy Rosenweig´s Death- April 1926

NY Times Archives
April 24, 1926

Deaths of Two Babies Laid to Brandy Given To Quiet Them in a Brooklyn Hospital

Suspicion that a mixture containing impure brandy resulted in the
deaths of two children in the Brooklyn Maternity Hospital, 298 South Second Street, Brooklyn, caused the Medical Examiner to have the bodies removed to the Kings County Morgue last night, where an autopsywill be performed today by Dr. Martin.

The children who died were a girl, born three days ago to Mrs. Ida Cooper of 276 South First Street, Brooklyn, and the eight-day-old son of Mrs. Abraham Block, to whom some of the mixture was also given,became ill yesterday afternoon and was taken home.

The Block baby was circumcised on Wednesday evening by Rabbi Gustav Spund of 322 East Third Street, Manhattan. The child was fretful andthe rabbi gave him a drink of brandy, water and sugar to quiet him.
Miss Lillian Reynolds, a nurse, asked the rabbi what the mixture
contained and he told her and explained why he had given it.
Miss Reynolds said that on Wednesday night when the Cooper and Rosenweig children became fretful she gave them a drink similar to
that given by the rabbi to the Block baby. All three children became ill on Thursday afternoon.

The Cooper girl developed convulsions and Dr. Medelowitz of 496
Bedford Avenue, Brooklyn, the family physician, was summoned for the girl and Dr. Blaustein of 371 Rodney Street, Brooklyn, was called forthe Rosenweig baby. Neither physician gave the babies any medicine.
Later in the night both babies died. Frank Dematto, superintendent of the hospital, on learning of the circumstances, notified the MedicalExaminers’ Office and an autopsy was ordered.

Rabbi Spund said last night that he got the brandy which he gave to the Block baby. He said the practice of giving such stimulant from the hospital’s supply was common.

April 25, 1926
Doubts Babies Died of Whisky Pacifier

Brooklyn Medical Examiner Finds No Traces of Disease–Analysis for Poison to Be Made.

Dr. M. E. Martin, Medical Examiner in Brooklyn, performed autopsies yesterday upon the bodies of two children who died on Thursday in the Brooklyn Maternity Hospital, and announced that he thought it
extremely unlikely that the babies had died from a mixture of whisky and water and sugar given to them at the hospital. However, chemical analysis will be made for traces of any poisonous element.

The children were a five-day-old daughter of Mrs. Nathan Cooper of 276 South First Street, and a son, eight days old, of Mrs. Max Rosenzweig [sic] of 170 Clymer Street, both of Brooklyn. Miss Lillian Reynolds, a nurse at the hospital, said she had given the mixture to the children as a pacifier, at the suggestion of Rabbi Gustav Spund of 322 East Third Street, Manhattan.

Dr. George Ruger of the District Attorney’s office was present at theautopsies performed in the morgue at King’s County Hospital. Dr. Martin found no traces of disease in the bodies. He did find, he said, that hypodermic injections, probably of adrenalin, had been given to both children, just over the heart, possibly to stimulate the heart action when death was imminent. The hospital kept no record of medication, he said.

May 1, 1926
[sic] Finds Paraldehyde Killed Two Infants

Deaths in Brooklyn Hospital Not Due to Brandy, Bellevue Toxicologist Says.

A paraldehyde sleeping potion and not brandy caused the death of an infant girl and an infant boy in the Brooklyn Maternity Hospital last Thursday, according to an announcement yesterday by Dr. Alexander O. Gettler, toxicologist at Bellevue, who made a chemical analysis of the infants’ organs.

The infants, a three-day-old girl born to Mrs. Ida Cooper of 276 South First Street and an eight-day-old boy, son of Mrs. Ellen Rosenzwei [sic], became ill at the same time that another child, the ten-day-old son of Mrs. Abraham Block, took sick. Rabbi Gustav Spund circumcised the Block baby and gave him a mixture of brandy, water, and sugar to quiet him. A nurse in the hospital administered a similar dose to the two other children when they became restless. The Block [baby]
recovered but the two other infants died the next day.

Dr. Gettler said the organs of both children contained a large amount of acetaldehyde, derived from paraldehyde. He did not believe the alcohol could have caused the deaths because only a small quantity of brandy had been administered and the infants had lived for twenty-four hours. The alcohol, he said, would work itself off in that time.

Dr. M. E. Martin, Medical Examiner of Brooklyn, submitted the finding to District Attorney Dodd, who said last night that he would not make any statement concerning the case until today.
_______________________________________________________
08/21/1927 BALDWIN, Michael Julian 4 days Hemorrhage following circumcision; was circumcised on August 20 afternoon and died during the early morning of August 21.

http://74.125.93.132/search?q=cache:M78npQkLCwIJ:www.monroe.lib.in.us/indiana_
room/coroner.pdf+rabies+county+coroner+monroe&cd=3&hl=en&ct=clnk&gl=us&client=
firefox-a

Coroner’s Reports 1896 – 1935 Monroe County, Indiana

_______________________________________________________
Roland Albert McCarty, infant boy, death by infection beginning in
circumcision wound, 1932, Jacksonville, FL

Personal Account by Van Lewis of Florida: Roland Albert McCarty was the baby brother of the Rev. Barnum McCarty, a retired Episcopal priest from Jacksonville, Florida, whom I have known since my childhood in the 1940´s and 1950´s. In the early 2000´s, Barnum told me the story of his brother’s death. Roland Albert died as a result of an infection that
started in his circumcision wound. Barnum said that his mother “never got over it.”
_______________________________________________________

http://www.circumstitions.com/news/news35.html

Bruce Wechsler was severely injured by a staph infection following infant circumcision in 1957. He has endured 14 operations and had half of his brain removed.

New hospice center to serve severely disabled

By Stacey Burling Inquirer (Philadelphia) Staff Writer

Elwyn, a Delaware County nonprofit that provides services for people with disabilities, is embarking on its first major new building in 19 years.

The building will have Bruce Wechsler’s name on it.

His parents, Alan and Laura Wechsler of Center City, see Bruce Wechsler Hall as a way for their son, who was severely disabled as a child by a staph infection, to be remembered. It will house 36 people who need intensive medical care when it opens next summer.

“Everybody makes their mark in life, and we wanted him to be able to make his mark in life,” said Laura Wechsler, who at 75 still works as a psychotherapist. “This hall is something that will carry his name and be important for a lot of people.” Alan Wechsler, now retired, owned Cherry Hill Photo.

The Wechslers gave the lead donation – $1 million – for the $11.5 million project, which will house people with physical and cognitive disabilities such as mental retardation and cerebral palsy who need significant nursing care. Many will be older, but some may be young people who are ailing or dying, said Sandy Cornelius, Elwyn’s president. Elwyn will provide hospice services.

Cornelius said the first residents would be people already living at
Elwyn, but the facility eventually could serve people from other
agencies. Advocates believe too many people with mental retardation are in nursing homes.

“There is no hospice program that’s really welcoming to this
population,” Cornelius said. The new hall “may end up becoming a
regional center for certain kinds of conditions.”

Cornelius said people with disabilities live much longer now than they used to and need a new kind of facility. The new building on Elwyn’s Media campus will have two 18-unit wings with wider-than-usual halls and doorways. There will be extensive space for family visitation, treatment, and dining.

When Bruce Wechsler arrived at Elwyn at age 8, there were bars on the windows.

Born healthy, he developed a staph infection after his circumcision. The infection spread through his blood to his brain. He had to have 14 operations, including one that removed half his brain.

His mother estimates that his brain operates at the level of a first grader, but he has far more sophisticated social skills. Alan Wechsler described his son as happy and outgoing.

When he was younger, Bruce Wechsler could run and play basketball. Now 52, he needs a wheelchair and is paralyzed in one arm but is not yet sick enough to move to the building that will bear his name.

“I think that he’s going to have to eventually move into that
facility,” his mother said.

Contact staff writer Stacey Burling at 215-854-4944 or
sburling@phillynews.com
_______________________________________________________
Walter Joseph Witkoski, Jr., was severely injured by infant
circumcision in 1965. His family received a $733,000 damage award on May 7, 1974 in Baltimore, Maryland. Walter would be 46 years old today.

May 8, 1974

$733,000 Damage Awarded Boy in Faulty Circumcision

Baltimore, May 7 (AP)– A Superior Court jury has awarded $$733,000 in damages to an 8-year-old Baltimore boy who was the victim of faulty circumcision in 1965.

The jury of eight men and four women deliberated less than one and a half hours yesterday before awarding the damages to Walter Joseph Witkowski Jr. The boy’s mother, Virginia Witkowski, was awarded an additional $1,300 damages for medical expenses.

The verdict was against the estate of Dr. Leon Greenwald, an
obstetrician and gynecologist who died in 1968.

(Online Archives of the New York Times)
_______________________________________________________
Chino Burrell, 7 months old, died by circumcision on June 9, 1974 at the Hospital for Sick Children in Toronto, Canada. He was circumcised for a tight foreskin, which is normal in infancy. If Chino were still alive, he´d be 37 years old today.

http://www.courtchallenge.com/refs/gm1975.pdf

W2 THE GLOBE AND MAIL, THURSDAY, MARCH 6, 1975
Kitchener Inquest

Baby´s heart stopped during circumcision
Special to The Globe and Mail

KITCHENER- Doctors at South Waterloo Memorial Hospital in Cambridge had to revive an infant on the operating table last spring after his heart stopped during a circumcision operation.

A coroner´s inquest was told yesterday that the 7-month-old boy´s heart was restarted by external massage and breathing induced by aerating his lungs. But Chino Burrell, son of Mr. and Mrs. Reginald Burrell of Cambridge, died three days later in the Hospital for Sick Children in Toronto.

There was no testimony on the first day about the cause of death. The inquest continues this morning.

The baby was taken to the Cambridge hospital June 6 for circumcision, which was recommended by the family doctor, Dr. Lea M. Amog. She said the foreskin was tight enough to warrant the operation, described by the hospital´s chief of surgery, Dr. James E. De Roche, as a “minor operation” usually incurring little risk.

Dr. De Roche said that after he applied the clamp that draws the
foreskin into position for surgery he was advised by anesthetist Dr. Ross Howson that the patient´s heart had stopped. The child had been under anesthetic about 15 minutes.

Specialists in the hospital were called while Dr. De Roche massaged the boy´s heart area and Dr. Howson forced oxygen into his lungs.

Dr. John Wa, a baby specialist, testified that he opened a vein on the infant´s wrist, to inject an alkalyne solution to balance acididic condition that results from a shortage of oxygen in the blood.

Dr. De Roche told Coroner J. M. Campbell of Kitchener and the jury that he finished the operation, “though the lungs didn´t take over with a good deep breath.”

Dr. Howson used the anesthetic fluothane, a variety of halothane.

Dr. De Roche said outside the inquest that the chief coroner´s office has been discouraging the use of the drug since it might affect the liver when used over a prolonged period.

The baby was given an injection of atrophine about an hour before the operation started. Dr. Howson said the drug is used to reduce saliva secretions but has a side effect of speeding up the heart.

Another drug also was used, Anectine, a muscle relaxant that allows the insertion of oxygen tubes down the infant´s throat without causing the usual automatic gag spasms over the vocal chords.

But he said this drug has the side effect of slowing down the heart, occasionally “to the point of arrest.”

_______________________________________________________

This boy was “sex-changed” to a girl after his botched circumcision in 1973. $850,000 in damages was awarded in late October or early November 1975 in Seattle, Washington. “She” would be 38 years old today.

November 2, 1975
Family Is Awarded $850,000 for Circumcision Accident

Seattle, Nov. 1 (UPI)- The family of a 3-year-old girl who was born a boy has been awarded $850,000 for medical malpractice during a circumcision.

The military doctor performing the operation when the baby was five months old burned the central area so badly during the circumcision, normally a routine operation, that specialists eventually advised changing the child’s sex to female, testimony in the two-day trial this week before Judge Walter McGovern of Federal District Court revealed.

Judge McGovern, noting that the child had undergone eight operations to date and faced several more as she matured, expressed concern for the child and her parents in awarding damages.

The child received $750,000 of the judgment and the parents $100,000.
Compensation also was ordered by Judge McGovern for the child’s medical bills, which exceed $30,000.

(Online Archives of the New York Times)

_______________________________________________________

If Christopher Dolezal were alive today, he´d be 28 years old.

http://www.cirp.org/news/desmoinesregister11-20-82/

THE DES MOINES REGISTER, Des Moines,
Saturday, November 20, 1982.

Grand jury to probe death of baby after circumcision

By PETER RACHTER
Register Staff Writer

A Polk County grand jury will decide if anyone is to blame for the
bleeding death of a Des Moines infant 10 days ago, a city police
official said Friday.

Lt. Ed Harlan said a police investigation into the death
three-month-old Christopher Dolezal, who died after excessive blood loss following a circumcision, showed that the child’s parents might have used “poor judgment.” But he said it would be up to grand jurors to decide if criminal charges should be filed.

Family members have declined to comment on the baby’s death.

The child was circumcised at the East Des Moines Family Health Care Center at 840 E. University Avenue on Nov. 8 two days before his death.

Despite heavy bleeding, the child’s parents Frank T. and Katherine Dolezal of 2535 Clarkson Ave., did not seek hospital treatment until about 1 a.m. Nov. 9. By that time the child had gone through more than 20 bloody diapers, according to the Polk County medical examiner’s office.

On Friday, a deputy medical examiner said an autopsy revealed that the infant had suffered four broken ribs and a broken right arm before death. Dr. Emmanuel Lacsina said some of the broken bones had healed.
Others were in various stages of healing, he said.

Lacsina said he doubted that the injuries occurred during the child’s premature birth. Family members said the baby was not circumcised shortly after birth, as is customary, because he was born prematurely.

Lacsina said he had hoped that microscopic examinations of the child’s liver would turn up a clue on why he bled extensively after what normally is a simple surgical procedure. Lacsina said individuals with liver problems sometimes have blood-clotting problems, too. But the tests revealed no abnormal condition or disease, Lacsina said.

The infant’s aunt, Norma Fitch, told reporters that the family
understood the child’s doctor to say there would be bleeding for about
45 hours.

But Dr. Harold Moessner, who supervises the clinic residency program, denied that any physician would have made such a statement. Moessner on Friday declined to comment further or to reveal the name of the
physician who performed the circumcision.
_______________________________________________________

Jacob Sweet should be 25 years old today.

http://www.cirp.org/news/2000.03.08_Sweet/

Wednesday March 8, 6:30 pm Eastern Time
Company Press Release
SOURCE: Johnson Flora

Betrayed by Doctors and Lawyers in Alaska, Sweets Find Justice Through Seattle Malpractice Attorney

SEATTLE, March 8 PRNewswire — Johnson Flora today issued the following statement:

When Jacob Sweet was born at Providence Hospital in Anchorage, Alaska in January 1986, it was a dream come true for his parents, Beverly and Gary. But their dream took a nightmarish turn only nine days later when they took their son back to the hospital for treatment of an infected circumcision and the hospital returned a severely brain-damaged and
blind child. The nightmare continued for 13 years and included“lost” medical records and an Alaska lawyer who claimed to be an experienced
medical malpractice attorney, but who had never tried a malpractice case. This is the story behind a major legal malpractice settlement
announced today between a Bothell, Wash., family and the Alaska law firm that handled the Sweet’s medical malpractice lawsuit against Providence Hospital of Anchorage and the pediatrician who treated Jacob for the infection.

The settlement ends a 13-year battle for the Sweets who were forced to fight for their son in the court system on two occasions. First, they sought justice from the hospital and doctor who allegedly caused Jacob’s injuries, and who then “lost” the medical records critical to
proving Jacob’s case. Then, after Alaska lawyer Alan Sherry mishandled the Sweets’ medical malpractice case, they were forced to once again resort to the courts to get justice for Jacob.

Seattle attorney Mark Johnson represented the Sweets in the legal malpractice suit, arguing the Sweet’s first attorney misrepresented himself as a seasoned malpractice lawyer and then failed to properly try the Sweets’ medical negligence case. The Sweets had hired Sherry to sue Providence Hospital of Anchorage for negligent care of Jacob during his hospital stay.

The amount awarded to the Sweets is confidential as part of the
settlement agreement.

“This has been tragedy at every turn for this family,” Johnson said.
“First the healthcare system devastated their child. Then, when the Sweets most needed an aggressive, experienced and competent lawyer, an attorney with no malpractice experience misled them and failed to properly try the case. That cost them their opportunity to recover damages from the hospital and the pediatrician,” he added.

The Underlying Medical Malpractice Case

The Sweet’s tragedy started on January 25, 1986, in Anchorage, Alaska, when they brought their nine-day-old son Jacob back to Providence Hospital after he exhibited signs of an infected circumcision. Jacob was admitted to the pediatric ward and displayed seizure activity for 24 hours, but their pediatrician, Dr. Daniel Tulip, was absent most of the time and failed to refer Jacob to a neonatologist until after Jacob
had suffered the brain damage that would leave him physically
devastated, developmentally delayed, and utterly dependent for the rest of his life.

Injustice Served Twice

The Sweet’s calamity compounded when the Alaska law firm they hired to try their medical malpractice suit improperly handled the case.
According to Johnson, the lawsuit hinged on the fact that Jacob’s medical records disappeared shortly after this tragic episode in the hospital, suggesting that someone was trying to cover up a negligent act. Sweet’s first legal team failed to present this evidence properly, although they had key witnesses prepared to present the opinion that the records must have been intentionally destroyed, claims Johnson. The Sweets lost the suit, and with it all hope of recovering damages from
the hospital that would cover the costs of lifelong care for Jacob’s severe injuries.

Racked with guilt and with mounting medical bills, the Sweets hired Mark Johnson to represent them in an action for legal negligence, because of his dual experience in medical and legal malpractice cases.

“To me the Sweets are heroic figures,” Johnson said. “In order to right a terrible wrong — the catastrophic injury to their son — they confronted two of society’s most powerful institutions: the medical system and the legal system. They fought for 13 years until they prevailed.”

Legal malpractice cases are difficult to prove, because the plaintiff must not only prove the defendant attorney was negligent, but that the client would have won the case if the attorney had acted differently, according to the International Association of Defense Counsel.

“This brings some peace-of-mind to our lives, although we are still convinced that Jacob’s doctor and the hospital have never told the truth,” said Beverly Sweet. “At least now we can provide for Jacob’s medical care and future.”

Mark Johnson is the co-owner of Johnson Flora, a legal and medical malpractice firm in Seattle. Johnson has significant experience in representing children and families who have been harmed as a result of preventable birth and neonatal injuries and is listed in the book “The Best Lawyers In America” for his work in legal malpractice law.

CONTACT: Rhenda Meiser of Firmani & Associates, 206-443-9357
206-443-9357 or 206-443-7546 206-443-7546 , for
Johnson Flora.

[For photographs of Jacob Sweet, see:
http://www.sexuallymutilatedchild.org/sweet.htm]
_______________________________________________________

This boy should be 29 years old today.

http://www.cirp.org/news/1986.05.28_lawsuit/

LAKE CHARLES AMERICAN PRESS, Lake Charles, Louisiana,
Wednesday, May 28, 1986.

FAMILY GETS $2.75 MILLION IN WRONGFUL SURGERY SUIT

by Vincent Lupo
American Press Staff Writer

The family of a young boy, whose penis had to be amputated after it was severely burned during a routine circumcision performed at a state-run hospital, was awarded $2.75 million by a jury in 14th Judicial District Court.

Jurors made the award against the State of Louisiana Department of Health and Human Resources (DHHR) and the LSU Board of Supervisors. The family of the boy asked that they not be named.

According to testimony during the week-long civil trial before Judge L. E. Hawsey Jr., the boy who was 2 years old at the time, was to undergo a routine circumcision at W. O. Moss Regional Hospital on February 2, 1984.

A third-year surgical resident undergoing training through the LSU medical program supervised the operation in which an electrosurgical instrument manufactured by Valley Lab of Boulder, Colo., was used. The device, commonly used to stop bleeding during surgery, can cut tissue through heat transmitted by an electric current.

During the surgery which was actually performed by another resident under the supervision of the surgical resident, the boy´s penis was severely burned. Internal damage to blood vessels apparently also occurred and kept vital oxygen from reaching the tissue of the organ, which had to be removed later after the child was transferred to a New Orleans hospital.

Doctors in New Orleans strongly suggested that the parents allow them to perform a sex change operation on the toddler, but they refused. The boy´s urinary tract was rerouted during several subsequent surgeries both here and in New Orleans, and he now urinates through a hole located where his penis had been.

His parents sued the state and Valley Lab. Neither doctor was named as a defendant. The family claimed the manufacturer of the surgical device failed to adequately warn doctors of the harm which could be caused by the instrument.

The trial was bifurcated which means a portion was decided by Judge Hawsey and portion was decided by the jurors. Because juries are composed of citizens of the state, jurors are not allowed to decide any suit or part of a suit naming a state agency as defendant.

Therefore Judge Hawsey determined the liability of the state, while the jurors decided the liability of Valley Lab.

While jurors deliberated on their verdict, Judge Hawsey rendered his decision against the state. He found both DHHR and the LSU Board of Supervisors liable in the case.

The judge awarded a total of $18,969 in special damages to the boys parents for medical expenses and $100,000 in general damages, and $1.73 million to the victim.

In his oral ruling, Judge Hawsey said he felt Valley Labs was not
negligent in providing warnings about the surgical instrument.

Jurors, however disagreed and determined Valley Lab was 30 percent responsible for the injuries to the child.

The juries awarded the boy a total of $2.75 million.

Local attorney David A. Fraser, who represented the family, said the higher figure awarded by the jury is considered the amount of the judgement.

Since the state has a $500,000 limit stipulated by state law regarding its insurance coverage, Valley Lab apparently must assume the payment of the remainder. However, Valley Lab can attempt to recover 70 percent of that remainder since jurors found that defendant only 30 percent liable, Fraser said.

The attorney said he feels certain the defendants will appeal the
decisions to higher courts.

_______________________________________________________
If Steven Christopher Chacon were alive today, he´d be 24 years old.

http://www.cirp.org/news/sfexaminer11-28-86/

San Francisco Examiner, Friday, November 28, 1986: Page B-17.

Parents charged

An unwed couple whose garbage-strewn apartment allegedly caused the death of their 15-day-old son have been charged with felony child
endangerment and involuntary manslaughter, a Los Angeles prosecutor says. Lori Ann Needham, 20, and Christopher Tomas Chacon, 22, were charged Wednesday after the death of Steven Christopher Chacon, who died in his crib three days after being circumcised, Deputy District Attorney Kenneth Loveman said. He said the baby died from “exposure to filth,” which infected the unhealed circumcision. Chacon, an auto
mechanic, and Needham were originally booked for investigation of felony child endangerment and released on bail. But the additional involuntary manslaughter charge was filed Wednesday after further investigation, Loveman said.”

_______________________________________________________
Antonio and “Baby Doe” (who underwent a sex change) were severely
injured by circumcision in 1985. They should be 26 years old today.

http://www.cirp.org/news/1991.03.12_Atlanta_lawsuit/

ATLANTA CONSTITUTION, Atlanta, Georgia,
Tuesday, March 12, 1991.

$22.8 MILLION IN BOTCHED CIRCUMCISION

By Charles Seabrook
Staff writer

Northside Hospital will pay $22.8 million to a boy severely injured in a circumcision accident at the hospital nearly six years ago, attorneys for the child said Monday.

However, Northside spokeswoman Karen Koch denied that a final
settlement had been reached and declined to comment further.

The child, who is not 5 years old, had his penis severely burned in a mishap in August 1985. His attorneys said he will never be able to function sexually as a normal male and will require extensive reconstructive surgery and psychological counseling as well as lifelong urological care and treatment by infectious disease specialists.

A second infant who underwent a circumcision at Northside on the same day also was severely injured. That child, known as “Baby Doe” underwent a sex-change operation shortly after the accident, and “consequently is now a female person, who has been rendered sterile and completely incapable of reproduction,” said a lawsuit filed in the child’s behalf. That lawsuit was settled for an undisclosed amount,
Northside officials said.

Thomas G. Sampson, attorney for the first child, named Antonio, said Northside has agreed to pay the child $22.8 million in several
installments over the next several years.

Mr. Sampson said he did not know why Northside has denied that the case has been settled.

“It’s settled, I can guarantee you that,” said Mr. Sampson, who added that the settlement was approved Friday in DeKalb County Probate Court.

The settlement is one of the largest even in a medical malpractice lawsuit in Georgia, he said. The parents of the child already had settled with the doctor who performed the circumcision, and Mr. Sampson said the total amount of money in the case is in excess of $23.8 million.

The circumcision occurred at the hospital on the day the boy was born. Mr. Sampson and fellow attorneys alleged violations of hospital protocol and the use of inappropriate equipment for the circumcision.

The hospital’s usual equipment for circumcision was out of service the day the infant was born, and doctors instead used an electrosurgical unit “that was contraindicated for use” in infant circumcisions, the lawsuit alleged.

Antonio already has undergone several operations, and a series of reconstructive operations, now under way, are expected to continue for at least nine years until he is 15 years old, his attorneys said.

http://www.nytimes.com/1985/10/08/science/a-circumcision-method-draws-new-
concern.html?pagewanted=all

October 8, 1985

Of the type of injury that occurred in Atlanta, Dr. George A. Kaplan, a pediatric urologist in San Diego, said, ”I am aware of about six or eight cases.” There does not appear to be any general reporting system for these injuries so there is no real way of knowing how many more cases, if any, have occurred.

Last year, a court in Georgia awarded $5 million to the family of an infant in Sylvester, Ga., who was similarly burned four years ago in a circumcision procedure involving an electrocautery device.

More recently, a 1976 article in The Journal of Pediatric Surgery
discussed the reconstruction of the penis of a 3-year-old child who suffered third-degree burns in a circumcision procedure using an electrocautery needle.

_______________________________________________________
If Allen Ervin were alive today, he´d be 25 years old.

http://www.cirp.org/news/1992.07.10_boy-dies/

THE STATE, Columbia, South Carolina, Page F21, July 10, 1992.

BOY IN COMA MOST OF HIS 6 YEARS DIES
The Associated Press

Spartanburg, South Carolina. A boy who was in a coma for more than six
years while a legal battle raged around him has died. But the legal
fighting will continue.

Allen A. Ervin was born in July 1985 and had been on life support since
December 1985, when his brain was damaged from oxygen deprivation
during circumcision.

He died at Spartanburg Regional Medical Center on Wednesday, three
weeks before his 7th birthday. Doctors said he suddenly suffered severe
heart problems, his mother, Stacey Stroble, said.

The Anesthesiologists who attended to Allen during the circumcision
settled the case for $435,000 and agreed to lifetime payment of his
medical bills.

Spartanburg County Probate Court officials are overseeing the estate.
Lawyer Charles Rice, who is in charge of investing the money, says a
judge will have to decide who gets it.

It angers Stroble, 21, who has two young daughters, that she may have
to hire another attorney to file a claim for her son’s estate.

“The money’s not my concern right now,” she said. “But I have to pay
for the funeral. I don’t think that’s right.”

Allen’s medical problems began when oxygen was pushed into his stomach,
instead of his lungs, court records showed. Anesthesiologists inserted
a tube into the baby’s stomach to relieve the pressure but administered
three times the recommended dosage of a drug to slow his abnormally
high heart rate, stopping it.

He was revived 30 minutes later but never regained consciousness,
although Stroble said Allen’s eyes and head often followed the voices
of people visiting him in his hospital room.

The legal problems began before that, however.

Stroble was 14 years old and unmarried when she gave birth to Allen. At
the request of her mother, Maggie Ervin, a Family Court judge in
October 1985 placed both mother and child in the custody of the South
Carolina Department of Social Services.

The custody disputes and guardianship fights went through seven state
and federal courts, including the state Supreme Court and the U.S. 4th
Circuit Court of Appeals in Richmond, Virginia.

___________________________________________________________________________

If Demetrius Manker were alive today, he´d be 18 years old.

http://www.cirp.org/news/1993.06.21_death/

BABY BLEEDS TO DEATH AFTER CIRCUMCISION

Miami, June 26, 1993

The Miami Herald reported the death of 6 month old Carol City baby,
Demetrius Manker. Manker bled to death after being circumcised.

“I can’t express the way it has affected me emotionally,” the child’s
mother, Louise Manker, said. “It’s something I’ll never get over. This
was my last child.” A Miami pediatrician circumcised 25-pound Demetrius
Manker in his office. After his mother took him home, she saw he was
bleeding from the incision.

Manker subsequently called the doctor several times, according to their
attorney, Patrick Cordero.

“One of the instructions was that she put Vaseline around the penis
area to stop the bleeding.” Cordero said, “she followed the
instructions to the letter.”

Louise Manker’s sister grew so alarmed by his continued bleeding that
she called paramedics, Cordero said. He was pronounced dead at the
hospital.

An autopsy showed that his liver and other organs had gone pale from
the loss of blood, said Dade [County] Chief Medical Examiner Dr.
Charles Wetli.

“The message to get across is that this is weird, unusual,” Wetli said.
“I’ve done close to six thousand autopsies and this is the first I’ve
seen where a baby died from circumcision. It’s probably the safest
procedure you could think of.

An autopsy revealed a seemly normal circumcision, Wetli said.

The doctor who performed the surgery, Robert D. Young, said the
circumcision had gone well. “I would not have let him go home if I
didn’t think so. Medical examiners will confirm the soundness of the
operation.

Authorities say they will try to determine if the baby suffered from
some rare disease that prevented his blood from coagulating. It’s also
possible that Louise Manker did not understand the extent of the
bleeding, especially because a baby has a fraction of an adult’s blood
supply, Wetli said.

“There’s two parts to the story,” the deputy medical examiner said, Why
was the child bleeding? And secondly what was the level of
communication if the mother said he’s bleeding but didn’t say how much.

__________________________________________________________________________

William Stowell is just one of many men who wish they could sue their
circumcisers for their “normal” circumcisions.

See: http://www.sueeasy.com/class_action_detail.php?case_id=258

http://www.cirp.org/news/mndnewswire04-29-03/

MEN’S NEWS DAILY, April 29, 2003.

Doctor and Hospital Settle Circumcision Lawsuit

Stage Set for Men to Sue for Being Circumcised as Infants

SUFFOLK COUNTY, New York – After a two-and-a-half year legal battle
with Plaintiff William G. Stowell, the doctor and hospital have settled
the landmark circumcision case brought against them. The terms of the
settlements have not been publicly disclosed. Twenty-one-year old
Stowell filed suit December 19, 2000, in the U. S. District Court for
the Eastern District of New York, against the hospital where he was
circumcised and the physician who circumcised him as a newborn.

Stowell, born on December 22, 1981, in West Islip, NY, was circumcised
the following day by his mother’s obstetrician. This case presented the
issue of the legal validity of consent for circumcision obtained by a
nurse from a mother who was debilitated by the effects of a Caesarian
section and painkillers. It also questioned whether a physician could
legally and ethically remove healthy, normal tissue from a
non-consenting minor for non-therapeutic reasons.

David J. Llewellyn, one of Plaintiff Stowell’s attorneys, said,
“William and I are very happy that we were able to resolve this case
with both the hospital and the doctor. While a settlement is never an
admission of liability, I believe it shows that our allegations were
taken seriously. Never again can someone say that a young man who is
dissatisfied with his circumcision as an infant is being frivolous when
he objects to his mutilation and brings suit to obtain justice. This
case should send a message to doctors that they run the risk of a
lawsuit each time they circumcise an infant for non-therapeutic
reasons, particularly when they rely on the hospital to obtain consent
the day after birth. Social or cosmetic concerns provide no
justification for harmful surgery. I would expect that this is just
the first of many cases that will be brought by angry circumcised young
men against their circumcisers.”

The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) first acknowledged that there
was no medical justification for routine circumcision in 1971. In 1999,
the AAP reaffirmed that it does not recommend routine circumcision.
The American Medical Association concurred in 2000, calling routine
circumcision “non-therapeutic.” No national or international medical
organization recommends routine circumcision.

http://books.google.com/books?id=-
IMk5TXEdWQC&pg=PA79&lpg=PA79&dq=unauthorized+circumcision+lawsuits&source=bl&o
ts=wxUkKCVQDZ&sig=JzDxN1q0AT8t8ntEue5nDOjKUEk&hl=en&ei=IESsTdT7KJTqgQfN2OnzBQ&
sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=7&ved=0CEAQ6AEwBg#v=onepage&q&f=false

Flesh and blood: perspectives on the problem of circumcision in
contemporary society- By Frederick Mansfield Hodges, Marilyn Fayre Milos

“Penile Torts in the Courts” – David Llewellyn, Chapter 6, pages 69 – 79.

“Since the presentation of this paper, the William Stowell case was
settled out of court and William Haynes became the second
eighteen-year-old male to file a lawsuit against the doctor and
hospital for having circumcised him.”

There is information about two unauthorized circumcision lawsuits from
1963 and 1967 under REFERENCES – 2.
___________________________________________________________________________

This African-American boy should be 17 years old today.

http://www.cirp.org/news/lawyersweekly12-08-03/

MASSACHUSETTS LAWYERS WEEKLY, Boston, December 8, 2003

Verdicts & Settlements

Circumcision Is Botched, Repair Never Recommended

$1.26 Million Settlement

On Sept. 3, 1994, two days after the birth of a healthy,
African-American baby boy, the defendant pediatrician visited the
child’s parents and offered to perform an elective circumcision. While
the mother was initially reluctant, she claimed that she was ultimately
persuaded by the defendant that circumcision was medically advisable.

The plaintiff alleged that the defendant never mentioned or noted any
pre-existing condition or anomaly that added any additional risk to the
circumcision procedure. The defendant reportedly assured the parents
that he had successfully performed numerous circumcisions in the past
without incident.

On Sept. 3, 1994, the defendant performed an elective neonatal
circumcision on the minor using a Mogen clamp.

During the procedure, the defendant inadvertently amputated a portion
of the minor’s glans penis. The defendant attempted to repair the
damage by closing a portion of the glans with three 5-0 chromic
sutures. As a result, the minor sustained a loss of tissue on his glans
penis, measuring 5 by 4 millimeters.

The plaintiff alleged that the defendant did not request or otherwise
recommend surgical repair by a pediatric surgeon, which, the
plaintiff’s expert was prepared to testify, would likely have improved
the cosmetic result and reduced the degree of resulting hypospadias.

Type of action: Medical Malpractice
Injuries alleged: Partial amputation of tip of glans penis
Name of case: Withheld
Court/case #: U.S. District Court (case no. withheld) Tried before
judge or jury: N/A (settled)
Name of judge: Michael A. Ponsor
Amount of settlement: $1.26 million structured settlement (present day
value of $550,000 cash) Date: Aug. 5, 2003
Attorneys: Eric J. Parker and Susan M. Bourque, Parker Scheer, Boston
(for the plaintiff)

______________________________________________________________________________

If Jeremie Johnson were alive today, he would be 20 years old.

http://www.cirp.org/news/1995.07.28_HoustonChronicle/

HOUSTON CHRONICLE, Friday, July 28, 1995, page 28A

BOY’S DEATH TO BE PROBED

Physician is suspended

by Lydia Sum and Ruth Sorelle

Saying they fear a “serious and immediate threat to public health,”
Texas Department of Health Officials sought permission Friday to
investigate the death of a 5-year-old boy after a circumcision.

Meanwhile, Doctor’s Hospital-Airline has suspended the anesthesiologist present during the July 18 circumcision, pending outcome of a peer review investigation and final autopsy of Jeremie Johnson.

The boy died Tuesday after a week in a coma and on life support.

Dr. T. Jose Tovar was suspended July 18, said Doctor’s Hospital
spokeswoman Jan Haines.

Family members said they brought the boy to the hospital that day for
the 30-minute procedure but he stopped breathing afterward and had to be resuscitated.

A secretary for Tovar said the physician declined comment. Haines
called the suspension routine in such instances.

Dr. Tovar has had many good years at this hospital,” she said. “He has
always been in good standing here and many know him in his field.”

In Austin, spokeman David Vaughn said TDH officials asked the federal
Health Care Finance Administration, which oversees Medicaid payments to find out why the boy died.

The heath department’s bureau of heath care quality and standards and the HCFA share responsibility to monitor patients’ treatment in Texas hospitals, Vaughn said.

He says he expects the investigation to begin early next week.

The boy’s mother, British Gaines, expressed frustration Friday at the
lack of explanation as to why he went into a coma.

Preliminary autopsy results only described the boy’s medical condition
when he was transferred to Texas Children’s on July 18, Gaines said.
Final results are not expected for another eight weeks.

“It’s very sad because I was thinking we’d actually find out something,
but there are just these big, medical terms that don’t tell us anything
we don’t already know,” said Gaines, 23.

In recent years, fewer boys have been circumcised because of
conflicting medical opinion as to its necessity. But in some cases,
medical conditions make it necessary.

Gaines said she thought the procedure on her son was successful until
Dr. Michael Morris, who performed the circumcision told her the boys
heart had stopped and he had resuscitated him.

Johnson was immediately transferred to Texas Children’s, where he was
in intensive care until his family decided to have him removed from a
respirator Tuesday.

Gaines said Morris visited her son at Texas Children’s to examine the
result of the circumcision. She said Tovar also visited them at Texas
Children’s on July 18.

He said he was sorry, that he didn’t know what happened, and patted me
on the back,” Gaines said.

Tovar graduated from medical school in Bogota, Colombia, according to
the Texas Board of Medical Examiners and has been licensed in the
United States since August 15, 1970. Board records show no disciplinary
actions against him.

FAMILY AWAITS AUTOPSY REPORT

by Lydia Lum and Ruth Sorelle Autopsy reports may be released today
explaining why a 5-year-old boy died this week after a circumcision.

Doctors at Texas Children’s Hospital removed Jeremie Johnson from a
respirator Tuesday, said Brenda Gaines, the boys great-aunt. He had
been in a coma for a week, she said.

Gaines said the ordeal began July 18, when she and his mother, British
Gaines took the boy to Doctor’s Hospital-Airline for a circumcision.
Brenda Gaines said they believed the 30-minute procedure went
successfully until a doctor told them the boy’s heart had stopped in
the operating room shortly after the operation.

The doctors resuscitated the boy and put him on a respirator, Gaines
said. He was taken by Life Flight helicopter to Texas Children’s she
said.

She said the boy never woke up.

“At first we thought he was just sick because he just looked like he
was asleep. Brenda Gaines said. “But the doctors said he was cold as
ice.”

Jeremie remained in intensive care for a week and his mother kept a
continuous vigil that resulted in her losing her waitress job, Gaines
said. Doctors at Texas Children’s hospital had given the boy a 50-50
chance of awakening, she said.

Doctor’s Hospital officials are investigating Jeremie’s death,
according to a statement issued by B. Lee Brown, the hospital
administrator.

We offer our deepest condolences to the family of Jeremie Johnson,”
said B. Lee Brown. “We have begun an in-depth review of the case to
learn more about this tragedy. We hope to obtain additional information
from Texas Children’s Hospital to assist us in our investigation.”
Doctors Hospital refused further comment. Texas Children’s spokeswoman
knew little about the boy’s case.

___________________________________________________________

This Russian boy should be 24 years old today.

http://www.cirp.org/news/1995.11.30_NYC_lawsuit/?C=S;O=A

FOX TELEVISION NEWS AND ASSOCIATED PRESS, November 30, 1995.

Boy awarded $1.2 million in botched circumcision mutilation lawsuit

NEW YORK (AP) — A clinic has agreed to pay $1.2 million to an
8-year-old immigrant boy who was mutilated during a botched
circumcision five years ago, his lawyer said.

The settlement was reached a month after a civil trial began in state
Supreme Court on allegations the boy, then 3, lost part of his penis
during the operation, according to his attorney, Mark Pruzan.

The boy and his family, who asked that their names be withheld, are
Russian immigrants who were referred to the Brook Plaza Surgical
Ambulatory Center in Brooklyn by agencies that help new Jewish
immigrants.

The clinic’s attorney, Neil Ptashnik, was quoted in Wednesday’s Daily
News as saying that the settlement was “a business decision” that
carried “specifically no admission of guilt.”

The boy was one of 16 children who underwent circumcision at the
Brooklyn clinic in July 1990.

The clinic, a doctor and the rabbi who performed the operation were
being sued for causing “permanent shortening and disfigurement of the
penis.”

During the trial, experts testified that the mutilation would make
sexual intercourse difficult when the boy reaches maturity, according
to Wednesday’s New York Post.

Under Jewish religious law, ritual circumcision – or bris – is
performed on 8-day-old boys. But the procedure was not commonly
available in the former Soviet Union. In addition, some Jewish families
refrained from having their sons circumcised because it could make them targets of prejudice in communities where Jews were victims of
anti-Semitism.

___________________________________________________________

Noah Benjamin Lapeyre
should be 14 years old today.

http://www.jewishcircumcision.org/sues.htm

Press Journal (Florida) – January 29, 1998

Rabbi Gets Sued Over Circumcision

By Adam Chrzan
Press Journal Staff Writer

An Indian River County couple has sued a Palm Beach County temple and a rabbi for a botched religious circumcision that required emergency-room stitches and has left their son scarred.

Lisa Alsofrom and Maxou Jacques Lapeyre want an unspecified amount of money from Temple Emeth and Rabbi Abraham Cohen, who performed the circumcision on the couple’s son, Noah Benjamin Lapeyre, in June 1996.

A suit filed a week ago charges both the Delray Beach temple and Cohen, now a Connecticut resident, were negligent in performing what is known as a brith milah circumcision when Noah was 8 days old.

“He’s scarred for life physically and emotionally,” said David Carter,
the couple’s Vero Beach attorney. ‘`Everyone’s going to think of him as
the kid who was butchered by the mohel,” one approved to perform
circumcisions in the Jewish faith.

Alsofrom’s mother, a Palm Beach County resident, contacted the temple in late May 1996 and inquired about hiring a mohel to perform the religious ritual. The couple’s first son was circumcised in the
hospital, Carter said.

A receptionist at the temple gave Cohen’s name to Alsofrom’s mother.
The receptionist told her Cohen was affiliated with the temple, the
suit alleges.

Cohen, an ordained rabbi, had been hired by the temple as a religious
reader and was performing the circumcisions on his own according to
attorney Buck Vocelle, who represents the temple. “He did this on his
own,” Vocelle said Wednesday.

Cohen’s wife, reached at the couple’s West Hartford residence, said her husband could not be reached for comment.

Carter said his clients were given one of Cohen’s business cards, which
listed the temple, Cohen’s name and a notation about circumcisions.
“The business card clearly gives the message he was (working) for the
temple,” he added.

Cohen met with the couple but never informed them of the risks, the
suit alleges.

During the circumcision, which took place at the couple’s house, Cohen
reportedly “severed a portion of Noah’s penis and a blood vessel,” the
suit stated.

The infant was rushed to Indian River Memorial Hospital where he
received stitches and was transferred to Arnold Palmer Children’s
Hospital in Orlando, Carter said.

Noah, now 20 months old, has undergone numerous medical procedures including what is called a “revision” to the circumcision, and skin grafts to “improve the cosmetic appearance of the penis.” the suit said.

“Visually, it will always be different,” Carter said. “It’s hard to say
what kind of emotional effect this will have on him. It’s tough enough
going through puberty’ without a disfigurement.

The suit contends the temple and Cohen should have highlighted the
risks of the procedure should have used due care during the
circumcision and should have made known Cohen´s background, training and status with the temple.

Rabbi Jay R Davis of Temple Beth Shalom in Vero Beach said there is no
licensing agency for mohels.

“There is training, but no governing body,” he said.

Typically, parents contact a temple to recommend a mohel. The mohel
supposedly has studied with a doctor to learn the procedure, for which
he is paid several hundred dollars.

“Temples have nothing to do with mohels,” Davis said. Most mohels also carry no insurance, he said.

Neither Davis nor Temple Beth Shalom are involved in the lawsuit.

The couple’s suit seeks money for the pain, suffering and mental
anguish of Noah and his parents. The suit also seeks money to cover
current and future medical bills. Carter said the bills now total
several thousand dollars.

Noah’s parents declined to comment on the suit.

“These people are reluctant plaintiffs,” Carter said. Cohen agreed to
pay for the medical bills, which would have concluded the matter, but
he never followed through, he added.

__________________________________________________________

If Dustin Evans were alive today, he´d be 12 years old.

http://www.cirp.org/library/legal/giannetti/01.html

IOWA LAW REVIEW, Volume 85, Number 4: Pages 1507-1568,
May 2000.

On October 16, 1998, three-week-old Dustin Evans, Jr. died in
Cleveland, Ohio during anesthetized surgery necessary to repair his
urethra, which had become blocked when his circumcision failed to heal.
The boy’s father is quoted as having said, “You think, ‘what could go
wrong with a circumcision?'” It appears that no physician fully
informed Dustin’s parents that serious complications can occur with
circumcision, and that such complications can lead to further surgical
procedures. However, the entire medical establishment, as well as
individual physicians and hospitals must share part of the blame for
needless tragedies that occur, such as that which befell Dustin Evans.
Circumcision, while being a widespread and long-standing surgery in
American medical practice, has never been the subject of a
comprehensive, prospective investigation into its complication rates.

__________________________________________________________
This boy, who was circumcised without his parents´ consent and without
his consent, should be 13 years old today.

http://www.circumstitions.com/Law.html

Doctor pays parents $23,000 for circumcision without consent.

Public reprimand to gynecologist who “never even apologized”

Dallas, Texas, June 30, 2000:

A suit was settled this week for $23,000, against a Dallas obstetrician
for wrongful circumcision. The victim´s parents, Charlie Hardy and
Randi Harlan say they also endured indignities from Texas medical and
government personnel during their nearly three year long legal battle.

The Texas Medical Board issued Dr. Roosevelt Taylor a public reprimand
– his second – on May 19, 2000 for “failure to practice medicine in an
acceptable manner.”

In September 1997, Hardy and Harlan advised Dr. Taylor that their other children were not circumcised because they felt that circumcision was barbaric and harmful to an infant. On September 26, 1997, when Mrs. Harlan was admitted to Tri-City Hospital in Dallas for delivery, she told the staff that there was to be no circumcision. To prevent an accidental circumcision, the attending nurse threw the circumcision consent form into a nearby trashcan.

Two days after their son´s birth, Hardy and Harlan were stunned when
their newborn son was brought to them from the hospital nursery crying and bleeding, and were horrified when they learned that he had just been circumcised by Dr. Taylor. “We were hysterical,” recalls Randi,
“But when Dr. Taylor stopped by the room his only comment was `It´s not the end of the world.´ I mean he´s never even apologized to us.” The couple believes Dr. Taylor circumcised their son intentionally in spite of their strong feelings against it.

“How could this have even been a mistake? There was only one other baby
with our son in the nursery at the time, we definitely did not sign a
consent form, and we specifically told Dr. Taylor that there was to be
no circumcision,” Charlie Hardy stresses. “We were totally betrayed by
our own doctor.”

Dr. Taylor´s lack of concern was replayed in the responses Hardy and
Harlan received from successive medical and government personnel as
they tried to find justice for their newborn child. An attempt to file
a police report was met with an amused reaction on behalf of the Dallas
police who then advised the couple that a wrongful surgery “was not a
criminal matter”. The Dallas County District Attorney´s office
explained to the couple that a public case was not “worth their time”.

The couple sought assistance from the state´s attorney general, the
federal attorney general´s office, and even the Texas Governer´s
office, but, according to the couple, “We were just laughed at, every
step of the way.”

The issue of Medicaid fraud also didn´t seem to concern state
officials. Hardy and Harlan contacted the Medicaid fraud hotline to
report Dr. Taylor for charging the surgery. “We were told that
performing this surgery without consent does not constitute fraud. We
can´t believe this doctor made money for performing a surgery we were
against, and then the taxpayers had to pay for it,” says Hardy.

Despite the out-of court settlement, Hardy and Harlan believe that
justice wasn´t served. “Dr. Taylor has done this twice now.” In 1991 he was publicly reprimanded by the Texas Medical Board for performing
surgery without consent. “He´s still out there practicing like what he
did was no problem. If the doctor had carved his initials in our son´s
stomach, he would not be allowed to practice medicine. But since he cut off our son´s foreskin against our wishes, people think it is funny and all the doctor gets is a slap on the wrist. I wonder how many other families this has happened to, but they gave up the fight after being laughed at and receiving no support?”

J. Steven Svoboda, Executive Director of Attorneys for the Rights of the Child, says events like this are neither rare nor isolated.

___________________________________________________________

This boy, who was circumcised without his parents´ consent and without his consent, should be 13 years old today.

http://www.circumstitions.com/Law.html

Patriot Ledger
January 05, 2001

$80,000 settlement to circumcised boy

By SUE REINERT
The Patriot Ledger

Quincy Medical Center and an obstetrician have agreed to pay more than $80,000 to a boy who was circumcised and whose parents say the procedure was carried out against their wishes.

The parents told the hospital in August 1997 that they did not want
their son circumcised, according to a malpractice suit filed by the
parents. Nevertheless, Dr. Sandra Chenkin performed the procedure the day after he was born, court papers said.

Medical insurance experts said the case was unusual because it was
based on lack of consent rather than negligence, the usual grounds for
a malpractice claim.

Papers filed at Norfolk Superior Court contain the names of the parents
and child. The Patriot Ledger is not publishing the names to protect
the family´s privacy . . .

The case was settled Aug. 30, a little more than one month after the
parents sued. The parents and their lawyer agreed to keep the terms of the settlement secret, not disclosing where the case had been filed and who had been sued. The Patriot Ledger obtained the court papers
independently. The lawyer for the parents and child said he could not
comment because of the settlement agreement.

Under terms of the settlement, the parents received $14,418 in August
and their lawyer was paid $20,000. The child will collect four annual
payments of $20,588 starting on his 18th birthday, for a total of
$82,352, the agreement said.

The payments to parents, child and attorney total $116,770. However,
Chenkin´s insurer, which paid the settlement, laid out only $60,000 in
cash: the immediate payments to the parents and their lawyer, plus a
$25,352 annuity to cover the future payments, the court papers said.

___________________________________________________________

Troy Gordon should be 17 years old today.

http://www.cirp.org/news/santacruzsentinel06-09-01/

Santa Cruz Sentinel, Santa Cruz, California, USA,
Saturday, June 9, 2001

$1.4M awarded for botched circumcision
Associated Press

Sacramento– A Sacramento jury awarded $1.42 million to a 7 year-old
boy this week for a botched circumcision performed by a first-year
resident at University of California, Davis, Medical Center.

The verdict exceeds the legal cap of $250,000 on medical malpractice
awards because the hospital failed to obtain the parents’ permission to
operate. After the boy was injured, the hospital asked the parents to
sign a consent form, according to a press release by the parents’
attorney.

The hospital did not immediately respond to calls by the Associated Press.

The boy suffered from a pituitary condition that made circumcision
difficult and dangerous, said Mark Blake, the parents’ attorney.

Blake said a first-year medical resident performed the surgery.

http://www.circumstitions.com/Law.html

Date: 6/7/01 [7 June, 2001] Case Style: Gordon v. University of
California Case Number: 99 AS 05222 Judge: Unknown Court: Superior
Court, Sacramento County, California Plaintiff’s Attorney: Martin L.
Blake of Baum & Blake, San Francisco, California Defendant’s Attorney:
Ronald Lamb of Rust, Armenis, Schwartz, Lamb & Bill, Sacramento,
California

Description: Medical malpractice – Negligent performance of
circumcision on a newborn baby whose penis was injured. Troy Gordon was born, jaundiced and hypoglycemic on January 19, 1994, at the University of California at Davis. The circumcision was performed by a resident and the Plaintiffs claimed that an excessive amount of foreskin was removed in the procedure. As a result, the child has a “buried penis”.

The defense took the position that the condition created by the
surgical error would correct itself during puberty.

Outcome: Plaintiffs’ verdict for $1.4 million.

___________________________________________________________

If Ryleigh McWillis were alive today, he´d be 10 years old.

http://www.cirp.org/news/theprovince02-13-04/

THE PROVINCE, Vancouver, B.C., Canada. Friday, 13 February 2004.

Lack of post-surgery info angers grieving parents

With a baby son dead, they want care after circumcisions clarified

Suzanne Fournier
The Province
Friday, February 13, 2004

The tragic death of their infant son after a routine circumcision in
August 2002 still haunts a Vernon couple — who say they weren’t
properly informed about the signs of danger to watch out for in
post-operative care.

A coroner’s report released this week into the death of one-month-old
Ryleigh McWillis notes that the Penticton Regional Hospital where the
circumcision was done has significantly improved the information
pamphlet it gives out to all parents, and has changed both follow-up
care and documentation for all circumcisions.

But Tanna McWillis says she and her husband, Brent, a medical
professional who worked at the hospital at the time of his son’s death,
are disappointed that coroner Chico Newell made no other
recommendations.

“The coroner could have recommended that the hospital and doctor
clearly tell parents, ‘Any bleeding’s bad,’ and warn us what to look
for. I didn’t realize a baby can die from losing as little as one ounce
of blood,” McWillis said.

Brent McWillis, a lab technologist, transferred away from the Penticton
hospital after the death. The couple, who also have a five-year-old
daughter, relocated to Vernon.

“Brent still finds it too painful to talk about,” said his 34-year-old
wife. “The nurses were our friends and a couple of them who tried so
hard to save our baby felt so badly they quit.”

The Canadian Pediatric Society takes the position that male
circumcision exposes children to risk with no real medical benefits.

Circumcision is no longer covered by medicare in Canada and the numbers
of male babies circumcised have been rapidly dropping, down from a
decade ago when 60 to 90 per cent of all male babies born in North
America were routinely circumcised shortly after birth.

At B.C. Children’s Hospital, only 180 male babies were circumcised of
the 3,656 boys born in 2002-03 [or 4.9 percent], down from the 274
circumcisions done of 3,544 boys born the previous year [or 7.7
percent], said hospital spokeswoman Marisa Nichini.

___________________________________________________________

If David Reimer were alive today, he´d be 45 years old. One has to
wonder about the boys from the 1973 Seattle lawsuit and the 1985
Atlanta lawsuit who both underwent “sex change” operations following
their botched circumcisions.

http://www.cirp.org/news/torontostar05-11-04/

TORONTO STAR, Toronto, Ontario, Canada, Tuesday, 11 May 2004.

DEBRA BLACK
STAFF REPORTER

David Reimer was the victim of an experiment gone totally awry – an
experiment that suggested nurture could trump nature.

The 38-year-old Winnipeg man, who was born a boy but raised as a girl after a botched circumcision, took his own life last week.

But for some, his death and his life will not be in vain.

Reimer’s tortured experience as a girl leaves a lasting legacy in the
field of gender identity and the debate over what shapes a human being: nature or nurture.

“David was a hero,” said Milton Diamond, a psychologist at the
University of Hawaii, at the John A. Burns School of Medicine in
Honolulu, who was involved in Reimer’s case.

“David didn’t give permission for what was done to him. Even though he didn’t have a penis, he still knew he was male,” Diamond said.

Thanks to Reimer, many psychiatrists and psychologists have had to
rethink their theories on what determines sex, says Ken Zucker,
psychologist-in-chief at Toronto’s Centre for Addiction and Mental
Health and a specialist in gender identity.

Reimer’s life story was described in a 2000 book by New York-based
writer John Colapinto, As Nature Made Him: The Boy Who Was Raised as a Girl. His story was also featured on Oprah.

In the early 1970s, one theory held that gender was flexible and a
child could be taught to be a man or a woman. “The (Reimer) case has
taught a lot of people in the field that things are a lot more complex
when it comes to gender than people originally thought 30 years ago,”
said Zucker.

“Where we’ve really had a lot of advances is in recognizing biology has
a predisposing influence on gender identity and gender roles.

“But the environment is also important.”

After a botched circumcision led to the removal of his penis, Reimer
was renamed Brenda and raised as a girl, later receiving female
hormones.

His parents were following the advice of psychologist Dr. John Money of Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore.

Positive reports in medical journals suggested Reimer was adapting
successfully to his new gender as a girl.

Many, from feminists to learning theorists, embraced the case, using it
as an example that gender could indeed be taught.

But nothing was further from the truth in this case, said Dr. Keith
Sigmundson who was a supervising psychiatrist for Reimer from when he was 8 to 20 years old. Reimer didn’t adjust well to being a girl at all
and began having difficulties at school.

“By the time Reimer was 11, the whole experiment was falling apart,”
said Sigmundson, who was brought into the case by the Winnipeg school system. Reimer was eventually told when he was 13 that he had been born a boy. He rebelled and went back to being a boy.

“From that point on he sought out all the surgery,” said Sigmundson.

“He totally changed how he was presenting himself and struggled with a
number of operations. He eventually lived his life as a man.”

Reimer got a job in a meat-packing plant in Winnipeg. He married and
was a stepfather to three children.

Up until about a year ago, he was in “top form,” said Sigmundson who
remained in contact with him.

But Reimer felt responsible for the suicide of his twin brother two
years ago, the psychiatrist said.

Then he slumped into even more of a depression after losing his job and
separating from his wife.

His mother, Janet Reimer, told Canadian Press that she believes her son
would still be alive had it not been for the devastating gender study.
“I think he felt he had no options. It just kept building up and
building up.”

Many of the changes in the way social scientists, psychologists and
psychiatrists think about gender has happened because of Reimer and the
controversy surrounding his life.

“At the time, there was a major controversy in our society over whether
an individual’s personality and their adaptation of their gender was a
result of how they were born versus how they were raised,” explained
Sigmundson. The only one thing that is clear today is gender is a
combination of many factors, including biology and learning, he noted.

“There are certain immutable things that happen in your chromosomes and
in utero that develop the gonads that have an impact on your brain
which set the pattern for the rest of your life,” he said. “That’s
essentially what we know now.”

Sigmundson and Diamond were responsible for revealing publicly that
Money’s experiment had failed and all was not well with Reimer’s new
gender. They published a report in 1997 in the Archives of Pediatric
and Adolescent Medicine that outlined Reimer’s rejection of being a
girl.

“His life was very difficult,” said Diamond, crying as he spoke to a
reporter. “And I think the legacy is the whole issue of how people
identify and see themselves as male and female. It’s not as simplistic
as putting people into blue rooms and pink rooms. Certainly our
environment makes a difference and how we’re brought up makes a
difference. But we come to the game with our own inherent natures and
how those things interplay can’t be predicted.”

__________________________________________________________

The surviving twin should be 6 years old today.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/6898403/ns/health-kids_and_parenting/

Rabbi probed for circumcised infants’ herpes

Baby died from disease after undergoing procedure

2/2/2005 11:50:15 AM ET

Ten days after Rabbi Yitzhok Fischer performed religious circumcisions
on twins last October, one died of herpes and the other tested positive
for the virus, according to a complaint filed by the health department
in Manhattan Supreme Court.

The complaint, reported in Wednesday´s edition of the New York Daily
News, also said health officials later found a third baby who had
contracted herpes after being circumcised by Fischer in late 2003.

Under Jewish law, a mohel – someone who performs circumcisions – draws
blood from the circumcision wound. Most mohels do it by hand with a
suction device, but Fischer uses a practice rare outside strict
Orthodox groups where he uses his mouth to draw blood after cutting the
foreskin.

Herpes can cause potentially severe complications for infants because
of their undeveloped immune systems . A recent study published in the
journal Pediatrics found that the rare ritual puts newborns at serious
risk of contracting herpes simplex virus and shouldn’t be performed as
part of the circumcision procedure.

Fischer´s lawyer, Mark Kurzmann, told the Daily News that Fischer was
cooperating with the investigation, although it´s unclear whether
Fischer submitted to the city´s request for a blood test.

“My client is known internationally as a caring, skilled, and
conscientious mohel,” Kurzmann said.

The Associated Press contributed to this report

__________________________________________________________

http://www.cirp.org/news/nrm2006-06-30/

NATIONAL REVIEW OF MEDICINE, Volume 3, Number 12,
Montreal, Friday, June 30, 2006.

BC man’s foreskin op a success

Government pays to repair botched circumcision

By Jennifer Laliberté

In late April Paul Tinari became the first man in Canadian history to have the government pay for surgery to reverse a botched circumcision.

Armed with letters from a urologist and psychiatrist, the Vancouver
engineer – who says he’s been in pain for years – convinced the BC
government to pick up 90% of the $12,000 tab. The final piece fell into
place when he located Toronto plastic surgeon Dr Robert H Stubbs, the
only doctor in Canada who’d ever performed a foreskin restoration.

“This is not something I went into lightly,” says 48-year-old Dr Tinari
of the complex, multistage procedure he began at the end of April. “I
assessed the risks [of the surgery] and was willing to take them. But I
certainly wasn’t willing to pay for it.”

The BC Ministry of Health says requests for funding for unlisted
medical procedures are approved only if the care isn’t available in the
province and if a medical professional has confirmed there’s a serious
medical or mental health issue. There were no existing rules to deal
with Dr Tinari’s unusual case. “Obviously, something like that would be
granted coverage only in rare or extenuating circumstances,” says
ministry spokesperson Sarah Plank. “We certainly don’t have a billing
code for it.”

“He got a big chunk because no one in BC does this and he had his
urologist and psychiatrist on his side,” observes Dr Stubbs, who
specializes in genital cosmetic surgery. “Some provinces are willing to
do things like that for their citizens.”

RESTORATION 101

“Dr Tinari was a good candidate for the surgery,” says Dr Stubbs, who
says he doesn’t know of any other Canadian physicians doing foreskin
restoration. “He had sufficient donor skin and was well aware of what
he was getting into. I select my patients very, very carefully,” he
said. In fact, Dr Tinari is only the third patient he’s agreed to take
on. “This is like climbing Mount Everest,” he says. “It’s a huge
procedure.”

First, the skin is cut along the circumcision scar line and stretched
open to create a graft site. Then, two parallel incisions are made on
the scrotum – the donor site – leaving a sort of bridge with the two
ends attached on either side. “The penis is popped through the hole,
with the skin bridge covering the defect you created,” Dr Stubbs
explains. “Then we let that heal for at least three weeks.” In stage
two, the two ends of the bridge are cut, separating the penis and
scrotum. “You tuck those two pieces that are still dangling to the
underside and keep your fingers crossed that enough blood vessels have grown in to ensure survival of the graft.” Finally, when the swelling has subsided, the new skin is stretched over the penis with tape and traction weights to form a foreskin.

PERSONAL CRUSADE

Dr Tinari sees this not just as a medical victory but a moral one too.
He alleges that his circumcision was forced on him when he was eight
years old by priests at his Montreal boarding school as punishment for
masturbating. He says the circumcision left him depressed, suicidal and
in chronic pain. He says his testicles would pull up onto the shaft of
the penis during an erection; a segment of the glans healed to a small
amount of remaining shaft skin, forming a skin bridge; stretching of
that bridge caused intense pain during erection, occasionally causing
tearing and bleeding during sex. He adds that cleaning under the skin
bridge was also very difficult, so he suffered from chronic infections
for years.

Nowadays, Dr Tinari, who has a PhD in engineering, is the director of
an environmental engineering company based in Coquitlam, BC. But he
spends a lot of his time campaigning against circumcision and for wider
access to foreskin restoration. “People thought that I would go away
after the surgery, but that was just the first step,” he says. “I did
this to restore my own bodily integrity, but also to set a legal
precedent.”

Given the complexity of the procedure, Dr Stubbs doesn’t expect to see a dramatic increase in patients. He’s staying out of Dr Tinari’s legal
pursuits. “I don’t ask women why they come in for a breast implant, and I didn’t ask him if he had an ulterior motive,” says the surgeon. “He
may have an agenda that I don’t know about, but this isn’t something
where the success or failure of his surgical procedure should make men
consider this an option or not.”

Meanwhile, Dr Tinari is still recovering; it’s nearly two months since
the surgery and his doctor is pleased with the outcome. “We seem to
have about an 80-90% graft survival,” says Dr Stubbs. “I transferred a
strip about 7cm wide, so he should have plenty for an adequate
foreskin.” The patient is also very pleased. “I’ve been working towards
this for thirty years,” says Dr Tinari. “I’m feeling better every day.”

___________________________________________________________

http://www.cirp.org/news/newhavenregister03-24-05/

THE NEW HAVEN REGISTER, New Haven, Connecticut, Thursday, 24 March 2005.

Oxford couple sues over circumcision mishap

STAMFORD – An Oxford couple on Wednesday sued a doctor who they say partially amputated their son´s penis during a circumcision at St.
Vincent´s Hospital in Bridgeport.

Immediately after his injury last June, the day-old boy was transferred
to Yale-New Haven Hospital where he underwent reconstructive surgery.

“We are bringing this case because we already know this baby has
suffered a horrible, life-altering physical injury, but we are still
learning about the longterm ramifications of the injury,” said Ernest
Teitell, one of the boy´s attorneys. “What happened will profoundly
affect him as he grows older.”

Circumcision, often performed for religious reasons, involves removing
foreskin from the penis.

The American Academy of Pediatrics says most complications from the
procedure, such as bleeding, are usually minor.

Robin Biondo, the boy´s mother, said Dr. Daniel S. Gottschall cut off
40 percent of the tip of her son´s penis.

“It was a very difficult thing to go through to see your newborn child
laying there and wondering how much pain he was in and how this is
going to affect him,” Biondo said.

In 2001, a jury in California awarded $1.42 million to a 7-year-old boy
for a botched circumcision.

In another case, the late David Reimer, a Canadian, was born as a boy but raised as a girl after a botched circumcision.

The lawsuit, filed in Bridgeport Superior Court, seeks unspecified
damages from Dr. Gottschall, who performed the surgery last June, and
his medical and surgical group, Alliance for Women´s Health.

Gottschall said he has performed more than 1,000 circumcisions without a problem.

“There was a slight tip that was removed, recognized and repaired,”
Gottschall said. “We believe there was a congenital deformity of the
penis that made the injury more likely. Because of my diligence, the
boy had the repair that was necessary.”

The boy, now nine months old, spent about 10 days in the hospital,
according to his mother.

See also: http://www.courthousenews.com/2010/10/07/30888.htm

___________________________________________________________

http://www.cirp.org/news/morganhilltimes06-14-05/

MORGAN HILL TIMES, Morgan Hill, California, Tuesday, June 14, 2005.

Circumcision rates are down amid controversy

Tuesday, June 14, 2005

Gilroy obstetrician Dr. Jumnah Thanapathy recalls seeing a botch, one
of the tiny percentage of procedures that go wrong, when she was still working at Kaiser Medical Center years ago.

During the elective circumcision of an infant, the doctor performing
the procedure accidentally cut too far down, slicing off the glans and
much of the head of the infant´s penis.

It was sewn back on like a re-attached finger, said Thanapathy, but the damage was done. Its extent would be impossible to calculate until the wound healed.

“We live in a society that looks at the statistics of a situation,”
said Thanapathy. “People see a 99 percent success rate, and they never think that they´ll be part of that one percent, but I just don´t see taking that risk for an elective procedure.”

Thanapathy is one voice in a growing number of physicians and parents questioning the practice of circumcision, a surgical procedure to remove the penis´ foreskin.

___________________________________________________________

This boy should be 14 years old today.

http://www.cirp.org/news/mlw02-23-04/

MASSACHUSETTS LAWYERS WEEKLY, Boston, February 23, 2004.

Verdicts & Settlements

Excess Skin Removed During Infant’s Circumcision $110,000 Settlement

The minor plaintiff was born on Feb. 12, 1997. According to the medical
records, the defendant performed a circumcision on the minor plaintiff
five days after his birth. Following the procedure, the minor
plaintiff’s penis bled profusely requiring several sutures. His
hematocrit dropped from 45.9 to 34.1 after the circumcision.

After being discharged from the hospital, the minor plaintiff was
referred to a pediatric urologist who examined the minor plaintiff and
noted that his penis was virtually devoid of shaft skin. The urologist
noted that the condition of the minor plaintiff’s penis was highly
suggestive of excess penile shaft skin being removed at the time of
circumcision.

In October 1998, the minor plaintiff underwent reconstructive surgery
by the urologist. An additional reconstructive procedure reportedly was
necessary in order to attempt to rectify the damage done during the
circumcision. The case was resolved when the minor plaintiff was almost
7 years old; he did not sustain any loss of sensation or function. The
case resolved mainly on the minor plaintiff’s claims of pain and
suffering and the residual scarring caused as a result of the initial
procedure and the subsequent surgical procedures.

The defendant maintained that he was not negligent in performing the
circumcision. He further maintained that the minor plaintiff’s medical
condition predisposed him to excessive bleeding, that the clamp used
carried with it the risk of excess skin being removed and that the
subsequent surgery was unnecessary.

The case settled on the eve of the second trial date for $110,000.
Type of action: Medical Malpractice
Injuries alleged: Scarring
Name of case: Withheld
Court/case #: Withheld
Tried before judge or jury: N/A (settled)
Amount of settlement: $110,000
Date: September 2003
Attorneys: Gregg J. Pasquale (of counsel) and Melissa A. White (of
counsel), Keches & Mallen, Taunton (for the plaintiff)

___________________________________________________________

This boy should be 3 years old today.

http://www.cirp.org/news/masslawweekly05-19-03/

MASSACHUSETTS LAWYER’S WEEKLY, Monday, May 19, 2003

From the May 19, 2003 Massachusetts Lawyers Weekly.
Verdicts & Settlements

Tip Of Penis Amputated During Circumcision

Doctor Admits Mistake; Defense Later Questions Design Of Clamp Used

$725,000 Settlement

In June 1997, a baby boy was born to the plaintiffs. According to all
involved, the mother and minor plaintiff were healthy and in
satisfactory condition following the birth. The morning after the
birth, the minor plaintiff was taken from the mother to be circumcised.
The father did not accompany the minor plaintiff. Approximately one
hour later, the defendant doctor entered the plaintiff parents’ room
and notified them that a small section at the tip of the infant’s glans
penis had been inadvertently excised.

The defendant doctor further informed them that a surgeon was on the way to perform microsurgery to reattach the amputated section. The defendant doctor reportedly concluded by stating: “I wish I could blame the clamp, but I can’t. It was my fault.”

The operative note stemming from the reattachment stated that only a tiny section of glans penis had been amputated during the circumcision, that no damage had been done to the child’s urethra, and that full recovery was expected.

Over the next two years, the minor plaintiff had a remarkable healing
result. Follow-up appointments with different doctors, one of whom was
a noted specialist from Children’s Hospital in Boston, confirmed that
the minor plaintiff would not likely suffer any permanent injury as a
result of the circumcision mishap. There were, however, slight cosmetic deficits at the tip of the minor plaintiff’s penis, which were termed “skin tags.” These skin tags were removed by laser surgery and did not reappear.

The plaintiff’s expert agreed that there was only a slight cosmetic
deficit and that the urethra remained intact. He also agreed that the
child would not suffer any decreased sensation due to the original
insult. He added that he could not say for certain that the plaintiff
would grow to have full sensation at the tip of his penis.

As discovery progressed, the defense began to question the suitability
of the Mogen clamp used in the process. Despite the defendant doctor’s admission that the incident was his fault, the defense persisted with claims that the Mogen clamp had a design defect, which could allow for a portion of the glans penis to become trapped during the clamping process and inadvertently excised.

The plaintiffs did extensive research into the different implements
used for circumcision, and opined that the doctor failed to make
certain that only foreskin remained exposed after the clamp had been
applied. Ultimately, the case was settled with a structured settlement,
which will yield the child in excess of $750,000.

Type of action: Medical Malpractice
Injuries alleged: Section of glans penis amputated
Name of case: Withheld
Court/case #: Withheld
Tried before judge or jury: N/A (settled)
Special damages: $3,950
Amount of settlement: $725,000
Date: January 2003
Attorney: Darin M. Colucci, Colucci, Colucci & Marcus, Milton

___________________________________________________________

This boy should be 14 or 15 years old today.

http://www.cirp.org/news/thecolumbian09-18-04/

THE COLUMBIAN, Vancouver, Washington, Saturday, September 18, 2004.

Father pleads not guilty to assault in circumcision case

Saturday, September 18, 2004

By STEPHANIE RICE, Columbian staff writer

A Ridgefield man who allegedly performed a botched circumcision on his
8-year-old son pleaded not guilty Friday to second-degree assault of a
child.

Superior Court Judge Diane Woolard accepted the not-guilty plea from
Edwin B. Baxter, who initially told Woolard he did not understand the
charge and then asked for a new court-appointed attorney.

After a brief discussion with his attorney, Tony Lowe, Baxter returned
to the bench and entered his plea.

His trial was set for Nov. 8.

Baxter is being held in the Clark County Jail on $50,000 bail.

Clark County senior deputy prosecutor Kim Farr said he has been unable to track down members of Baxter’s family, who have abandoned their rental home. Law enforcement and investigators from the state
Department of Children and Family Services also have been unsuccessful in finding the family.

Baxter, 33, and his pregnant wife have nine children. The state has
tried before to contact the family after receiving reports that none of
the children attends school.

Farr said he’ll seek a court order to take depositions from Baxter’s
wife, who was home at the time of the incident, and the victim. If the
defendant does not relay the word to his family that they are required
to give depositions, then Farr said he’ll consider asking for warrants
for the wife and son to be arrested and kept in custody as material
witnesses until the trial.

Baxter, a truck driver, was arrested Sept. 3 after he called 911 to
report that his son was bleeding profusely in the family´s bathroom.
Baxter allegedly said he tried to circumcise his son after reading
biblical passages about the procedure.

Farr said Baxter put a blanket and pillow in the bathtub to try and
make his son comfortable.

If convicted of second-degree assault, Baxter could face three years in prison.

Stephanie Rice covers the courts. She can be reached at 360-759-8004
360-759-8004 or stephanie.rice@columbian.com.

___________________________________________________________
Hunter Dumire is at least 5 years old, and possibly older.

http://www.wvrecord.com/news/193707-preston-couple-sues-wvu-over-sons-
circumcision

Preston couple sues WVU over son’s circumcision 4/18/2007 8:00 AM By Cara Bailey -Monongalia Bureau

MORGANTOWN – A Preston County couple has filed a medical malpractice suit against the West Virginia University Medical Corporation on behalf of their son.

Scott and Sherry Dumire filed a suit April 9 in Monongalia Circuit
Court, on behalf of Hunter Dumire. The suit names the West Virginia
University Board of Governors and West Virginia University Medical
Corporation — doing business as University Health Associates — as
defendants.

According to the suit, Hunter Dumire was injured during a circumcision
procedure on Oct. 20, 2005, at the health center. The suit says the
deviation of care during the procedure caused injury and damages to the
Dumires.

As a result of the alleged negligence of the defendants, the Dumires
have incurred medical expenses, and will continue to incur the bills
for the care, treatment and hospitalization of Hunter Dumire.

They also claim Hunter has been permanently disfigured and request full
compensation for the injuries and damages sustained.

Attornies Wesley W. Metheney and Steven L. Shaffer are counsel for the
Dumires.

Monongalia Circuit Court case number 07-C-250

___________________________________________________________

This boy should be 4 years old today.

http://www.cirp.org/news/earthtimes2007-07-18/

EARTHTIMES, Wednesday, July 18, 2007

Circumcision Atrocity Suit Filed Against Coles County Hospital

MATTOON, Ill., July 18 /PRNewswire/ — The day after birth on February
15, 2007, an infant at Sarah Bush Hospital had a standard circumcision
procedure performed by Dr. Sherif Malek. However, what should have been
a forgotten memory for the boy became a lifelong nightmare. Due to
negligence, Dr. Malek severed the entire glans, commonly termed the
head, of the infant’s penis. Today, Jerry A. Latherow of Latherow Law
Office on behalf of plaintiffs Boy Doe (the infant) and his mother,
Jane Doe, filed a complaint for compensation for damages against Sarah Bush Lincoln Health System, Inc, 1000 Health Center Drive, Mattoon, IL, and Sherif Malek, D.O. in the Circuit Court of Coles County, Illinois.

The infant was a healthy seven pound newborn who was delivered without complications on February 14, 2007. The following day, a routine circumcision was performed on the infant by Dr. Malek using a Mogen clamp, a metal, hinge-shaped device used during the procedure. At the completion of the circumcision, hospital records indicated there was significant bleeding. Inspection of the penis revealed nearly all of the glans had been amputated at the time of the circumcision. Three months later, the infant required penile skin transfer surgery at the University of Illinois, with need for future procedures, some of which are only appropriate at the age of puberty.

According to medical expert witness, Dr. David Zbaraz with Northwestern Memorial Hospital in Chicago, who reviewed the Sarah Bush medical records of the infant, “The Mogen clamp when used properly cannot amputate a male infant’s glans. The injury to this boy was completely preventable.”

Across the United States major settlements have been made for botched
circumcisions. In 1991, a hospital in Atlanta, GA, agreed to pay $22.8
million because of negligence during a circumcision. Also in New York
City a boy received $1.2 million for a circumcision error, and in Lake
Charles, LA a family received $2.75 million after a boy’s penis was
burned during a routine circumcision.

“Through simple carelessness at Sarah Bush Hospital, a boy will face
physical disfigurement and psychological trauma throughout his life,”
said Jerry A. Latherow, the attorney representing Boy Doe and Jane Doe,
“Unfortunately, caps on medical malpractice cases in Illinois will
prevent the boy from recovering more than $500,000 against the
physician for the lifelong deformity and urological care, and any
associated psychological problems. Sadly, the hospital’s liability for
such damages is capped at $1 million. Even before the case is tried, a
mother and her child have been robbed.”

A complete copy of the complaint is available upon request. About Jerry
A. Latherow

Jerry A. Latherow is a veteran trial lawyer who has attained verdicts
and settlements for his clients in cases involving medical malpractice,
vehicular and construction liability, and airplane crash cases. In
2003, he was recognized by the National Law Journal as obtaining one of
the top 100 verdicts in the country.

CONTACTS: Jerry A. Latherow, attorney for plaintiffs: 312-372-0052
312-372-0052 (o), 312-520-0052 312-520-0052
(c) Patty Peterson, Sarah Bush Hospital: (217) 258-2420
(217) 258-2420 Tom Ciesielka, TC Public Relations: 312-422-1333
312-422-1333 Latherow Law Office

CONTACT: Jerry A. Latherow, attorney for plaintiffs, +1-312-372-0052
+1-312-372-0052 , cell, +1-312-520-0052
+1-312-520-0052 ; or Patty Peterson of Sarah Bush Hospital,
+1-217-258-2420 +1-217-258-2420 ; or Tom Ciesielka of
TC Public Relations, +1-312-422-1333 +1-312-422-1333 ,
tc@tcpr.net, for Latherow Law Office

Web site: http://www.latherowlaw.com/

___________________________________________________________

D. P., Jr. should be 6 or 7 years old today.

http://www.ajc.com/metro/content/metro/atlanta/stories/2009/03/30/botched_circ
umcision_suit.html?cxntlid=homepage_tab_newstab&imw=Y

____________________________________________________________

http://tinyurl.com/257esq


Ontario boy dies after complications from circumcision Mark Brennae, CanWest
News Service
Published: Wednesday, June 13, 2007 Article tools

OTTAWA – A one-week-old Ontario infant died from complications after
undergoing a circumcision in a provincial hospital.

Information about the case was published in the April edition of Paediatric
Child Health.

The baby, whose name has been withheld by the parents, passed away after his
kidneys became enlarged to seven times their normal size.

The child was born at an unidentified Ontario hospital “sometime in the last
three years,” said Dr. Jim Cairns, Ontario´s deputy chief coroner. “The
family wants to keep this anonymous.”

No charges were ever laid and no legal action was ever taken in the case.

According to the Paediatric Child Health article, the boy was “bottlefed and
was reported to be doing well when he was circumsized.”

Five hours later, the parents returned to their family doctor with the
infant, who had become “irritable and had blue discolouration” below the
belly button.

Doctors noticed the discolouration and slight swelling of the penis, but sent
the child home.

Fourteen hours after the circumcision, according to Cairns, the child was
brought to another hospital where doctors noted he was extremely irritable
with marked swelling of the penis and bruising to the scrotum.

The child was then transferred to a paediatric centre, where his bladder was
diagnosed, Cairns said, to “seven or eight times its normal size.”

The PlastiBell ring, which is used to hold back the foreskin after
circumcision, was removed and drained and the child went into shock.

“If the PlastiBell had been taken off five hours after he got there, he would
be alive,” said Cairns.

The child´s death was attributed to septic shock – “an overwhelming
infection, leading to multi-organ failure,” Cairns said.

“Death is rare after circumcision,” said Cairns. “But complications can
happen.”

The case was brought to Cairns´ attention because the circumstances of every
death of an Ontario child under five years of age must be reviewed by the
provincial coroner´s office.

© CanWest News Service 2007

Here’s another article that will link you to the Coroner’s report and
also contains a nice response from lawyer David Llewellyn:
http://healthblog.ctv.ca/blog/_archives/2007/5/22/2967860.html

Circumcision – a deadly reminder?
by Avis Favaro on Tue 22 May 2007 01:03 PM EDT | Permanent Link | Cosmos

Tucked inside the April edition of the Canadian Pediatric Child Health Journal is a tragic story. It’s never been reported in the lay media because the family at the centre has declined all interviews. But it needs to be relayed to doctors and families. It’s the story of a baby boy who died because he was circumcised.

Here is a summary of the case (.pdf)

Ontario ’s chief coroner, Jim Cairns, details how the child, 7 days old, was brought to a doctor for a circumcision in 2006. The doctor used a PlastiBell ring. Local anaesthetic was not used.

Five hours later, the parents returned to their family doctor because the baby was cranky and had blue discolouration below the umbilical cord when he cried. The doctor noticed that the penis was slightly swollen. The child was seen in hospital shortly after by a paediatrician who discharged him.

The baby was then brought to a different hospital 14 hours after the circumcision. He now had serious swelling and bruising around the penis and scrotum. He was running a temperature and was tested and found to be infected with E. coli. (Escherichia coli – a species of bacterium normally present in intestinal tract of humans and other animals; sometimes pathogenic; can be a threat to food safety)

Despite being given antibiotics, the baby went into septic shock and went on to develop multi-organ failure. He died seven days after his circumcision from hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy (a deficiency of oxygen to the brain).

Dr. Cairns writes that in canvassing colleagues, he found a number of complications following circumcision in Canada , including:

– two children with necrosis or death of tissue in the penis
– two infants requiring transfusions
– one baby with a buried penis following to a circumcision
– a number of infants with complications related to the use of devices to perform the circumcisions.

Yet none of these complications were reported in the medical literature and so are not publicly available for study or for review.

I can’t think of anything more devastating for a parent than to have a child injured, or in this case, killed by an elective procedure. Are these risks being properly conveyed to parents before a circumcision is performed? Do doctors even have accurate data on the problems that can arise following a circumcision?

Perhaps this is why Dr. Cairns calls on a surveillance study by the Canadian Paediatric Society to get statistics of the actual complication rate of circumcision, to get a clearer picture on whether an elective procedure has more risks than doctors suspected.

Re: Circumcision – a deadly reminder?
by Dave2ga on Tue 12 Jun 2007 11:17 AM EDT | Profile | Permanent Link
Dr. Cairns is to be commended for calling for a real survey of the very real dangers of circumcision. For too long circumcisers have hidden behind the false premise that circumcision has little risk. I expect that if this survey is properly done the public will be shocked at how often circumcisions go awry. As a lawyer I have dealt with several cases of damage to the glans and penile shaft denudation. It appears to me that these injuries are far more common than the public is led to believe. Even if they are relatively uncommon, each such injury is devastating to the boy who suffers it. Most suffer in silence or ignorance their whole lives. Is an elective procedure with dubious benefits really worth risking your son’s lifelong happiness? Parents need to answer that question before they consent to risking their child’s life or penis to make him “look like Dad.” Doctors should be ashamed of themselves for performing unnecessary,risky surgery on babies for profit. Indeed all of society should be ashamed for allowing such abuse to continue to occur, particulary since all of the alleged “benefits” of circumcision can be obtained by being faithful to one’s spouse and following simple rules of basic hygiene.

David J. Llewellyn
Attorney at Law
Atlanta, Georgia, USA
Reply

_________________________________________________________________

March 31, 2009

$2.3M awarded in suit over botched circumcision

By TY TAGAMI
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Monday, March 30, 2009

A Fulton County jury has awarded $1.8 million in damages to a boy whose penis was severed in a botched circumcision.

The state court jury gave another $500,000 to the boy´s mother in the
decision rendered Friday.

The case involves a child, identified only as D.P. Jr., who was born at
South Fulton Medical Center in 2004. In a suit filed two years later,
his mother contended that the doctor who circumcised him removed too
much tissue and that his pediatrician failed to respond when a nurse
complained of excessive bleeding.

The tip of the penis was placed in a biohazard bag and might have been
reattached if a urologist had attended to the boy within eight hours,
one of the mother´s lawyers, David J. Llewellyn of Atlanta, said.

The jury found that both the pediatrician, Dr. Cheryl Kendall, and the
physician who performed the circumcision, Dr. Haiba Sonyika, were
negligent. South Fulton Medical Center was absolved of liability.

The pediatrician´s lawyer, Roger Harris, said he disagreed that the
jury´s decision indicated that Dr. Kendall was negligent because she
didn´t go to the hospital. He hinted at an appeal. “We believe there
was error committed during the course of the trial,” he said.

Dr. Sonyika´s lawyer could not be reached for comment.

Llewellyn said the money awarded by the jury is to cover the cost of
medical treatments and psychiatric counseling for the boy and his
family. The jury did not award punitive damages. The Atlanta
Journal-Constitution is not naming the mother to avoid identifying the
child.

“This case does point out one of the dangers of circumcision that every
parent must seriously consider when having the procedure done,”
Llewellyn said. He contended that parents are not told of the risks of
the procedure.

___________________________________________________________

L.G. should be 3 or 4 years old today. The company that manufactured
the Mogen clamp has gone out of business and has defaulted on lawsuits
brought against them. How many Mogen clamps are still in use today,
with the potential for more botched circumcisions in the future from
use of this dangerous product? Why hasn´t the Mogen clamp been
recalled?

http://www.ajc.com/news/nation-world/atlanta-lawyer-wins-11-573890.html

Monday, July 19, 2010

By Ty Tagami

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

The maker of an instrument used in circumcisions claimed that injury
was impossible with its use, but after an infant lost a portion of his
penis during an operation with the Mogen clamp, a judge awarded $10.8
million in damages against the company.

The judgment handed down Friday in New York involves an Atlanta lawyer
who has been crusading against circumcision as a dangerous and
unnecessary practice.

Attorney David Llewellyn won a similar case in Atlanta last year and
the injury behind that prior lawsuit in Fulton County Superior Court
put the New York clamp manufacturer on notice about the danger of the
device, his current lawsuit said.

The baby in the current case, identified in court documents only as
L.G., lost the entire glans, or head, of his penis after it was pulled
into the jaws of the clamp, according to a federal magistrate’s order.
On Friday, U.S. District Judge Jack B. Weinstein ordered Mogen
Circumcision Instruments of New York to pay $10.8 million in
compensatory and punitive damages to the Florida boy, now 3, and his
parents.

The parents “are extraordinarily distraught and angered that this
company tells people it can’t happen,” Llewellyn said.

It’s unclear whether they will ever collect the money. Mogen is already
in default on a $7.5 million judgment in 2007 from a Massachusetts
lawsuit, Llewellyn said.

The company is going out of business, according to a woman who answered
the phone at its Brooklyn headquarters Monday. The woman, who said she was a secretary and would identify herself only as D. Rotter, the
person whom Llewellyn said was served papers in the lawsuit. She said
increased competition has undermined their business.

“It’s just kind of dwindling down to nothing,” she said, adding that
the phones at the Mogen office were scheduled to be disconnected
Tuesday. Mogen didn’t defend itself in court, and Rotter said it was
because the company couldn’t afford it.

She said the Mogen clamp is “painless and safe” when used properly. The case involving the Florida boy was “unfortunate,” she said, adding that “any medical mishap is unfortunate.”

In this case, a New York mohel, or Jewish ritual circumcisor, performed
the operation in the baby’s home, Llewellyn said. The mohel negotiated
a separate settlement, the terms of which Llewellyn would not disclose.

Llewellyn won another circumcision case in 2009 over an operation at
South Fulton Medical Center. In that case, which involved a baby
identified only as D.P. Jr., the mother contended that the doctor who
circumcised him removed too much tissue and that his pediatrician
failed to respond when a nurse complained of excessive bleeding.

The tip of the penis was placed in a biohazard bag and might have been
reattached if he’d gotten attention in time, Llewellyn said in 2009.
His lawsuit in New York says D.P. Jr. lost a third of his glans.

The jury found that both the pediatrician and the physician who
performed the circumcision were negligent, and awarded $2.3 million to
the plaintiffs. South Fulton Medical Center was absolved of liability.

In Friday’s decision, the court determined that Mogen had to pay for
medical expenses and for the years of psychotherapy that will be
needed. The boy suffers pain when he urinates, the court order says. He will eventually be able to have sex, but he is likely to be embarrassed and will likely have trouble forming “meaningful” relationships with girls, it adds. “At 3 years old, L.G. is aware that he looks different from other boys based on both his own observations and comments from other children which make him feel inferior .”

http://www.advancemylawsuit.com/Blog/Categories/Personal-Injury.aspx

July 15, 2010 New York Dangerous Product Lawsuit gets $10.8 Million
Award Posted By Advance My Lawsuit

In New York, a lawsuit was filed against the maker of a medical
instrument, known as the Mogen clamp, which is used during
circumcisions. In the lawsuit, it is alleged that the instrument
caused an infant to lose a portion of his genitalia during a routine
circumcision. Recently, a judge awarded the infant’s family $10.8
million in damages against the company.

The attorney representing the plaintiffs, David Llewellyn, has handled
and won similar cases in the recent past. Last year, he won a
circumcision case in Fulton Superior Court after he was able to prove
that the New York clamp manufacturer’s product presented dangers.

In the most recent case, U.S. District Judge Jack B. Weinstein ordered
Mogen Circumcision Instruments of New York to pay the plaintiffs $10.8
million in punitive and compensatory damages. The boy who was injured is now three years of age.

Llewellyn told news sources that the parents, “are extraordinarily
distraught and angered that this company tells people it can’t happen”.

It has been revealed that Mogen is already in default on a $7.5 million
judgment from 2007 that was ordered in the state of Massachusetts and is going out of business.

___________________________________________________________

Daniel Burden should be 3 years old today.

http://archive.chicagobreakingnews.com/2009/04/lawsuit-claims-botched-
circumcision.html

Lawsuit claims botched circumcision
April 15, 2009 7:28 AM |

A Northwestern Memorial Hospital obstetrician is being sued for
allegedly botching a circumcision of a 1-day-old baby and cutting off a
portion of the infant’s penis, according to WBBM-AM 780.

The suit, filed Tuesday in Cook County Circuit Court by David Burden on
behalf of his son Daniel Burden, claims that on Oct. 5, 2007, one day
after Daniel was born, Dr. Marc Feldstein performed a circumcision on
the boy. However, rather than removing only the foreskin, the doctor
cut and removed a portion of the baby’s penis, the suit said.

After the procedure, baby Daniel was transferred to Children’s Memorial
Hospital to have emergency corrective surgery.

Burden accuses Dr. Feldstein, Northwestern Women’s Health Associates and Northwestern Memorial Hospital of medical negligence. The suit asks for more than $50,000.

___________________________________________________________

If Bradley Dorcius were still alive, he´d be 2 years old today.

http://abclocal.go.com/wabc/story?section=news/local&id=7046153

Saturday, October 3, 2009

BROOKLYN (WABC) — Shock and sorrow for a mother and father in
Brooklyn. They took their infant son to the hospital for what they
thought was routine surgery.Now, they’re planning his funeral.

Seven-month-old Bradley Dorcius died two days after having an operation to correct his urine flow and a circumcision.

In the recovery room at SUNY Downstate Hospital, his mother says
Bradley began bleeding from his mouth and nose, and later died.

His parents are devastated and they’re demanding answers.

The hospital spokesperson calls Bradley’s death a sad incident and says the hospital is investigating. His parents say he had no allergies and no other known medical conditions.

___________________________________________________________


http://malislaw.com/blog/?tag=medical-malpractice

Law Offices of Daniel Malis, P.C. 30 Second Street
Cambridge, MA 02141-1734
Telephone: 617 491 1099 FAX: 617 491 1022

Settlement Update: $1 million+ For Victim of Botched Circumcision – The
Case of the Suspended Surgeon

December 28th, 2009

Our office has obtained a settlement of over $1 million in present and
future payouts for scarring caused by a negligent surgeon who botched a child´s circumcision and then attempted to conceal his error.

The case involved a relatively inexperienced family practitioner who,
during an otherwise routine circumcision of an infant, removed almost
all of the skin covering the shaft of the child´s member. The
physician had apparently become confused and disoriented during the
procedure and improperly re-adjusted a clamp which would have prevented this drastic mistake. He stopped bleeding by extensively using a chemical agent to cauterize the bleeding and traumatized skin, and covered the wound with an over-large bandage. He also reassured the child´s parents, who were concerned about their child´s appearance,
that the seeping wound was `normal´ and would be `fine´ in a later
visit. The `overly aggressive´ circumcision was discovered by a
supervising physician from the physician´s practice on the day after
the circumcision, and the child was rushed to a consultation with a
pediatric urologist, who eventually repaired the damage with a skin
graft. The doctor later apologized to the child´s parents.

The defendant physician´s counsel insisted that the error in practice
was not malpractice, but an `unfortunate result´, despite the
physician´s subsequent termination from the family practice which hired
him based upon the incident, as well as critical comments made by the
head of the physician´s practice and the doctor who discovered his
malpractice. The insurer maintained this position virtually up to the
time of trial, despite evidence which showed that the physician´s
description of the manner in which the clamp was used was hopelessly
confused and incorrect at deposition, and his attempt to distance
himself from his apology to the child´s parents by claiming that it was
not motivated by guilt but by a desire to avoid a malpractice suit.
Further evidence that the physician had appeared to become distracted
while making comments to nursing students observing the procedure
provided more proof of the physician´s failure to use due care.

The physician´s attorney also (correctly) argued that the scarring
caused by the malpractice had been corrected within six months of the
procedure and that the child had no observable medical problems and
preserved function. The physician´s insurer claimed that damages were
therefore minimal. We countered this argument with extensive medical
research and psychiatric expert opinion concerning the likely
psychological effects on child and mother caused by such a
disfigurement. The case went to mediation one week before trial, and
was successfullly settled for a structured payout worth $350,000
present value, with a stream of payments worth in excess of $1 million
over the life of the child.

___________________________________________________________

Mario Viera, the boy circumcised without his parent´s consent or his
consent, should be 9 months old today.

http://www.drmomma.org/2010/09/wrongful-circumcision-of-baby-mario.html

Saturday, September 18, 2010

Wrongful Circumcision of Baby Mario: Court Documents COMPLAINT

Plaintiff, VERA DELGADO, as parent and natural guardian of MARIO VIERA,
a minor,
by and through undersigned counsel, sue the Defendants, MARY JEAN
PAZOS, M.D. and SOUTH MIAMI HOSPITAL, and would allege as follows:

1. This is an action for personal injury damages, with damages in
excess of the minimum jurisdictional limits of this Honorable Court,
to-wit: Fifteen Thousand and no/IOO ($15,000.00) Dollars, exclusive of
costs and interest.

2. At all times material to hereto, the Plaintiff, VERA DELGADO, was
and is a resident of Miami-Dade County, Florida, and is the parent and
natural guardian of Plaintiff, MARIO VIERA, a minor, is otherwise sui
juris.

3. Plaintiff, MARIO VIERA, is the minor child of Plaintiff, VERA
DELGADO, and is a resident of Miami-Dade County, Florida.

4. At all times material hereto, Defendant, MARY JEAN PAZOS, M.D.,
individually and/or as an agent, apparent agent or employee of herself,
was and is a licensed medical doctor under the laws of the State of
Florida, authorized to provide health care services to individuals such
as the Plaintiff, MARIO VIERA, a minor, in Miami-Dade County, Florida.

5. At all time material hereto, Defendant, SOUTH MIAMI HOSPITAL, Inc.,
was and is a licensed hospital under the laws of the State of Florida,
authorized to provide health caie services to individuals such as
Plaintiff, MARIO VIERA, a minor, in Miami-Dade County, Florida
FACTS

6. At all times material to this Complaint, the Defendants had the
responsibility to provide
medical care and treatment of the Plaintiff, MARIO VIERA, a minor.

7. On or about July 24, 2010 Plaintiff, VERA DELGADO, gave birth to
MARIO VIERA, a minor, at SOUTH MIAMI HOSPITAL, INC. and admitted into
its Neonatal Intensive Care Unit due to birth related complications.

8. Plaintiff, VERA DELGADO, as parent and natural guardian of MARIO
VIERA, a minor, repeatedly informed Defendant, SOUTH MIAMI HOSPITAL,
INC., its staff and agents that she did not want or authorize the
Plaintiff, MARIO VIERA, a minor, to be circumcised.

9. On or about August 2, 2010, while Plaintiff, MARIO VIERA, a minor,
was still under the care of Defendant, SOUTH MIAMI HOSPITAL, INC.’S,
Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, Defendants, MARY JEAN PAZOS, M.D., nurses
and agents of Defendant, SOUTH MIAMI HOSPITAL, INC., and without
consent performed an unauthorized amputation of the foreskin of his
penis.

COUNT I – ASSAULT AND BATTERY BY MARY JEAN PAZOS, M.D.

Plaintiff adopts and realleges the allegations contained in paragraphs
1 through 9 as though fully
set forth herein.

10. On or about August 2, 2010, at the hospital operated by Defendant,
SOUTH MIAMI HOSPITAL, INC., the Defendant, MARY JEAN PAZOS, M.D., with
force and against the consent of Plaintiff, VERA DELGADO, as parent and
natural guardian of MARIO VIERA, a minor, performed an unauthorized
amputation of the foreskin of his penis.

11. The unauthorized amputation of the foreskin of his penis was
committed by the Defendant, MARY JEAN PAZOS, M.D., while she performed
the medical procedure on the Plaintiff, MARIO VIERA, A MINOR, in
furtherance of her duties as an employee, servant, staff member and/or
agent of the Defendant soum MIAMI HOSPITAL, INC.

12. As a result of these wrongful and malicious acts of Defendant, MARY
JEAN PAZOS, M.D., Plaintiff, VERA DELGADO, as parent and natural
guardian of MARIO VIERA, a minor, has suffered greatly in mind and body
and will continue to suffer damages.

WHEREFORE, Plaintiff, VERA DELGADO, as parent and natural guardian of
MARIO VIERA, a minor, demands judgment for damages against the
Defendant, MARY JEAN PAZOS, M.D., and such other and further relief as
this Court deems just and proper.

COUNT II – PREMISES LIABILITY AGAINST SOUTH MIAMI HOSPITAL, INC.

Plaintiff adopts and realleges the allegations contained in paragraphs
1 through 12 as though fully set forth herein.

13. On or about August 2, 2010, the Defendant, SOUTH MIAMI HOSPITAL, INC.,
operated a hospital providing Neonatal care in Miami-Dade County, Florida.

14. On that date, Plaintiff, MARIO VIERA, A MINOR, was a patient at the
hospital and therefore on the premises lawfully.

15. At all times relevant the Defendant, SOUTH MIAMI HOSPITAL, INC.,
owed a duty to protect the Plaintiff, MARIO VIERA, A MINOR, and is
responsible for any and all injuries sustained on its premises to
patients in its care.

16. At all times material hereto, the Defendant, SOUTH MIAMI HOSPITAL,
INC., breached its duty by failing to warn Plaintiff, MARIO VIERA, A
MINOR, or by allowing a dangerous condition on the premises, to-wit,
their employee and/or agent Defendant, MARY JEAN PAZOS, M.D., to
perform an unauthorized surgical procedure without consent on
Plaintiff, MARIO VIERA, A MINOR.

17. As a direct and proximate result of Defendant, SOUTH MIAMI
HOSPITAL, INC.’S, negligence, Plaintiff, MARIO VIERA, A MINOR, suffered
bodily injury that is permanent within a reasonable degree of medical
probability and resulting pain and suffering, disability,
disfigurement, mental anguish, loss of capacity for the enjoyment of
life, expense of hospitalization, medical and nursing care and
treatment. The losses are either permanent or continuing and Plaintiff
will suffer the losses in the future.

WHEREFORE, Plaintiff, VERA DELGADO, as parent and natural guardian of MARIO
VIERA, a minor, demands judgment for damages against the Defendants
SOUTH MIAMI
HOSPITAL, INC., and for such other and further relief as this Court
deems just and proper.

COUNT III – NEGLIGENT HIRING, TRAINING, RETENTION AND SUPERVISION
AGAINST DEFENDANT SOUTH MIAMI HOSPITAL, INC.

Plaintiff adopts and realleges the allegations contained in paragraphs
1 through 17 as though fully set forth herein.

18. At all times relevant hereto the Defendant, SOUTH MIAMI HOSPITAL,
INC., did employ agents, employees, officers, staff, administrators,
representatives, servants and maintenance personnel, and said
Defendant, SOUTH MIAMI HOSPITAL, INC., exercised jurisdiction and
control over the procedures which said agents, employees, officers,
staff administrators, representatives, servants and maintenance
personal had the privilege to perform. Defendant, SOUTH MIAMI HOSPITAL,
INC., determined the qualifications and lack of qualifications of said
personnel relating to those duties which were devised by said
Defendant, SOUTH MIAMI HOSPITAL, INC., for the agents, employees,
officers, staff, administrators, representatives, servants and
maintenance personnel.

19. At all times relevant, the Defendant, SOUTH MIAMI HOSPITAL, INC.,
negligently hired, trained, supervised and/or retained its employee,
servant, staff member or agent, who at the time of the incident herein
were on staff to provide medical care and assistance to Plaintiff,
MARIO VIERA, a MINOR.

20. That the Defendant, MARY JEAN PAZOS, M.D, with the assistance of
employees and agents of Defendant South MH performed an unauthorized
surgical procedure on Plaintiff, MARIO VIERA, A MINOR, to wit: the
amputation of the foreskin of his penis.

21. As a direct and proximate result of Defendant, SOUTH MIAMI
HOSPITAL, INC.’S,
negligence, Plaintiff, MARIO VIERA, A MINOR, suffered bodily injury
that is permanent within a reasonable degree of medical probability and
resulting pain and suffering, disability, disfigurement, mental
anguish, loss of capacity for the enjoyment of life, expense of
hospitalization, medical and nursing care and treatment. The losses are
either permanent or continuing and Plaintiff will suffer the losses in
the future.

WHEREFORE, Plaintiff, MARIO VIERA, A MINOR, demands judgment for
damages against the Defendant SOUTH MIAMI HOSPITAL, INC., and for such
other and further relief as this court deems just and proper.

DATED: this 13th day of September 2010.

ARONFELD TRIAL LAWYERS
Attorneys for Plaintiff
3132 Ponce de Leon Boulevard
Coral Gables, Florida 33134
Telephone: (305) 441-0440 (305) 441-0440 Facsimile:
(305) 441-0198

Spencer Marc Aronfeld, Esq.
Fla. Bar No.: 0905161

___________________________________________________________

If Joshua Haskins were alive today, he´d be 8 months old.

Joshua Haskins died on October 6, 2010 in Indianapolis, Indiana. Born
on August 16, 2010 with a congenital heart defect, Joshua was
circumcised in the NICU on October 5, 2010 around 1:00 pm. The
circumcising doctor nicked an artery, and Joshua bled until 7:30 pm,
when a urologist stopped the bleeding with stitches. Joshua died the
following morning at 8:58 am.

http://www.drmomma.org/2010/10/baby-dies-from-circumcision-surgery.html

http://www.drmomma.org/2010/05/death-from-circumcision.html

See this site to read copies of the blog posts the mother wrote, and
has since removed.

http://guggiedaly.blogspot.com/2011/01/tragic-story-of-joshuas-death-according.html

___________________________________________________________

Jameson should be 3 months old today.

http://www.gymbofriends.com/prayer-request/1039386-baby-jameson-update.html

January 16, 2011- “One of my very close friends just had a baby boy,
Jameson. It has been sad all around because he was diagnosed with
hemophilia at birth just like his 2 year old brother Jackie (my friend)
is understandably upset that she gave birth to another special needs
child. But Jameson is having major complications from his circumcision
and he may lose his penis. He is in surgery right now. Please pray for
their family. My heart is broken for them.”

“UPDATE: He is still not doing well. They still don’t know what will
happen to his penis. It was really affected but they have to wait and
see. His brother Jackson was circumcised with no problems but Jameson
didn’t take to the factor I guess.”

One mother asked if the doctors knew the baby had hemophilia before
circumcising him. “They knew before so I’m not sure why they had him
circumcised?”

Other mothers offered prayers, comments, and questions.

“I cannot believe the Dr.’s would go ahead with unnecessary surgery.”

“Why on earth would they circumcise a hemophiliac child?”

“I don’t think circumcision is necessary to begin with, just awful they
would even consider it & risk his life over it is beyond me.”

___________________________________________________________
This boy will turn 3 in July 2011.

http://www.arkansasonline.com/news/2011/mar/05/lr-hospital-botched-surgery-
suit-says-20110305/


LR hospital botched surgery, suit says

By John Lynch
An Arkansas Children´s Hospital surgeon mutilated their infant son in a
botched circumcision, a Jonesboro couple says in a malpractice lawsuit
against the hospital, doctor and nurses, claiming the error left the
boy – described as a “cripple” – with a disfigured “fragment.”

The complete article about this hospital in Little Rock being sued can
be found at:
http://epaper.ardemgaz.com/WebChannel/ShowStory.asp?Path=ArDemocrat/2011/03/05
&ID=Ar00903

___________________________________________________________

It´s not clear how old Lantz is today.

http://www.drmomma.org/2011/03/circumcision-gone-wrong-lantz-story.html

Friday, March 25, 2011
Circumcision Gone Wrong: Lantz’ Story By Brooke [last name withheld at
author’s request] © 2011

As soon as I found out I was having a boy I started researching
circumcision. I did not like what I saw. So much pain for such a little
person to deal with for what I found to be no apparent reason. I had
totally made up my mind and I was completely against such a barbaric
elective surgery.

But as soon as people find out you’re having a boy it starts… the
questioning. “Your gonna get him cut right?” “Are you circumcising?”
“Who’s doing his circumcision?” I always answered with, “I won’t be
getting him circumcised.” Then came the “Ohhhh…” with an eyeroll. I
let it go…

His father was all for circumcision, but I put up such a huge fight
that he finally just let me have my way. My dad wanted him to be
circumcised as well, but I just ignored him the best I could. At the
time of Lantz’s birth there was quite a lot going on in my life. My
grandmother was dying of brain cancer and she passed five days after
Lantz was born. I was extremely close to her – she was like a second
mother to me. She was home on hospice in the end, and we took care of
her 24/7. So I was beyond stressed at this time.

It was at this point in Lantz’s young life that someone said something
to me that would ultimately cause me to circumcise my baby. Their words
hurt so bad, that it made me do it. I don’t want to discuss
specifically what was said, or who said it, but just know that it still
hurts me today.

After my Grandmother passed, we had to travel for her funeral, and
while we were out of town I decided I couldn’t risk my son hating me in
the long run, so I planned to have him circumcised when I got home. I
called and made the appointment, and my aunt and I took him to be
circumcised.

We arrived around 11am and waited for a few minutes until the nurse
called us back. She took Lantz from me and told me to go back to the
waiting room – she would be back in about twenty minutes. So we sat
down and waited. Only minutes later she came out again and called us
back. There were two big double doors to get to the back of the office
where the rooms for circumcision surgery were. As soon as she opened
one of the doors I could hear Lantz screaming. I was in shock.

She led us into the room and I almost hit the floor. There lied my
beautiful, perfect baby strapped to a board screaming so very hard he
was purple and couldn’t catch his breath. His hands were so tight his
knuckles were white. I rubbed the only place I could, his forehead. I
stroked it and told him I loved him and that he would be okay. The
nurse just kept saying over and over again, “He’s going be fine.” She
made me feel like what I was doing was wrong – as though I shouldn’t be
attempting to console my baby.

The doctor was in the room but he didn’t say anything to me – he just
left the room. The nurse then told me that she couldn’t get the
bleeding to stop. She asked my aunt to hold pressure while she left the
room to get a Styrofoam band to wrap around his penis to try and stop
the bleeding. After she applied the band she put his diaper back on and once again told us he was fine, and that we could leave to go home, so we did.

We drove the forty-five minute drive back to our house. When we arrived
into town I stopped by my mom’s office where she worked as a nurse to
tell her about what had just happened. She told us to go on home and
she followed to take a look at Lantz. When she took his diaper off, it
was completely and totally full of blood. She looked at me and said,
“We’re going back now.”

I called to let them know we were on our way, and off we went back to
the doctors office. They took us back where they held pressure for what
seemed like forever! A doctor came in and looked at Lantz and left the
room without saying anything to us. Another doctor came in and did the
same. Finally, the first doctor came back and told me they nicked a
vein and she was getting a surgeon to come over and cauterize the vein.
So there we sat with my bleeding, screaming baby and waited for the
surgeon who never came.

After waiting for a very long time my mom went into the hall to ask
someone where the surgeon was. They sent us across the street directly
to another surgeon´s office. He called us back, took off Lantz’s diaper
and said, “Oh no – they’ve cut all the skin off.” He sent us to the
emergency department at the hospital where they performed an emergency
surgery to stitch the top of Lantz’s penis to the baby fat around the
base to stop the bleeding. The doctor had cut all the skin off the
shaft of Lantz´s penis. He bled for eight hours.

When Lantz was eighteen months old he had his second corrective
surgery. We waited in a room with Lantz, where they had us dress him in a tiny hospital gown and gave him toys to play with while we waited. And then they came to get us. My mom and I walked Lantz down a long white hallway following the doctor. We came to a set of big swinging doors and the doctor turned to us and said this is our stop. So I kissed Lantz, told him I loved him, and handed him over to a complete stranger. I turned around and walked away, holding onto my mom all the way back down the hallway, sobbing. We waited in a huge waiting room with lots of other people waiting for family who were in surgery also.
It seemed like years, and then finally they called for “the mother of
Lantz.” As soon as I saw him, I just wanted to hold on to him forever
and never let him go. There he was – drugged and limp, in his tiny
hospital gown. They put him in my arms and wheeled us to recovery. He was pitiful. But I thought to myself, “It is over! Thank God! We did
it! He’s fixed!”

When Lantz was two years old we had another appointment with his
pediatric urologist who informed us he would indeed need yet another
corrective surgery. One week later, there we were in the same boat we
had already been in. Only difference this time was that when they came
out post-op to call for “the mother of Lantz,” I went back to my
uncontrollable, screaming son. I could do nothing to help him. He just
cried, “Owie, owie…” It was horrible. The next few weeks were even
worse. Every time he walked he cried owie. His penis was so swollen I
thought it was going to pop. Then the night terrors started. He would
start screaming with his eyes still closed, and I could not wake him
up, and could not do anything to calm him. He just screamed and
screamed for months, every single night.

After this, we were finally told there would “most likely” be no more
surgery! Lantz will have problems in his future because of the
circumcision, but there is no way to know just how bad they will be,
and there is nothing we can do to fix them. The guilt I feel hurts so
bad. Why wasn’t I strong enough to stand up for my baby? How am I going
to explain this to him when he’s older? Nothing in my life has ever
hurt this bad. I scarred my baby – my sweet, perfect baby.

___________________________________________________________
If Eric Dickson Keefe were still alive, he´d be nearly 3 years old today.

http://www.icgi.org/2011/04/230000-circumcision-wrongful-death-lawsuit-
settles/

Circumcision Death Case Settles for $230,000
April 8th, 2011 by ICGI

Native American Boy Bleeds to Death

The lawsuit involving a South Dakota Native American infant, Eric
Dickson Keefe, from the Rosebud Indian Reservation, who bled to death
from a circumcision in 2008, was settled this week for $230,000. The case involved an Indian Health Service doctor who circumcised the child at the end of the working day allowing for no period of post-surgical observation. Testimony showed the mother faced a long drive home on rural roads with other children in her care.

“This was sheer negligence and an ethical failure to consider the
risk,” says George C. Denniston, MD, MPH, President of Doctors Opposing
Circumcision, a physicians´ group based in Seattle, Washington, which
assisted with the case. “Circumcision is unnecessary surgery, which the
parents are never told holds a risk of death for their child.”

Keefe bled to death during the night from his open circumcision wound
in June, 2008. Medical professionals say that the loss of only two and
one-half ounces of blood can cause the death of even a large
eight-pound infant. “That amount of blood, just a few drops per hour,
was easily hidden in the super-absorbent disposable diaper baby Keefe
was diapered with.” notes Denniston, “Parents are never told about that
risk.”

Doctors Opposing Circumcision has provided expert advice for numerous
circumcision death cases. “Exsanguination, or bleeding to death, is
hard to detect,” says Denniston, “since the child slips away quietly,
and no one wants to disturb what appears to be a sleeping child.”

Death from circumcision is relatively rare, although a recent study
estimates that around 117 children in the United States die each year
from circumcision. “These are entirely avoidable deaths,” says
Denniston, “caused by a pointless surgery that the child would never
choose for himself.”

This is the obituary for Eric Keefe who was dearly loved by his family:

During the winter of 2007-08 there was a big secret in the Keefe household in Wood, SD, with only a few weeks to go news was out – a baby boy was on the way.

Eric Dickson Keefe was born May 1st, 2008 at the Rosebud Hospital. To help enter him into the world were his Uncle Donnie and Aunt Alicia. With great delight uncle Donnie embraced his new nephew. Eric being the third child of Mary Aurelia was received with great expectation and joy by sister, Sarah Serena, and brother, Garrett Arlen. No minute sibling rivalry was ever present – only deep sincere love and protection was evident in their hearts and minds.

Eric with his sister and brother

Besides Eric’s family at home there were quite a few others interested in his arrival; a host of relatives, all the friends and neighbors far and wide, and caring co-workers of mother. Eric was a special baby – right from the start!
Sarah was so thrilled that she was insistent that her, “Show-and-tell” for the 2nd grade class of the Wood School be her brother. Once brother, Eric, arrived at school Sarah issued a litany of jubilations that she had experienced on behalf of the little one. She also wanted all of the other children to get acquainted with the new blessing. They were very kind and sincerely greeted Eric.

Sarah wished to engender the many interests that she has into her new brother. Of course knowing Sarah… they are not the usual interests most little girls know – as hers interests include: turtles, frogs, snakes, gymnastics, fashion, astronomy, and a plethora of the gifts of nature. Sarah surely impressed Eric by reading stories to him that she personally wrote and illustrated.

Each and every morning Garrett would wake up and come running out insistent on seeing his “Cutiefrom Heaven”. Garrett was present when his mother had a CVS done. During this procedure Eric, at 11 weeks, waved his little hand to his brother. Garrett could see this on the monitor and was especially impressed. So much so that he indicated – See! He does know me! Garrett wanted to instill into his brother what it meant to be a “Great Leprechaun Hunter”, for Leprechauns are always searching for the gold at the end of the rainbow. (Imagination is a great thing – faith an even greater.)

Many great plans for the future were made for this little one – Disney World, hiking, camping, falconry, and saving dogs.

In the early hours of pre-dawn of June 14th, 2008 Eric’s mother rushed him to Indian Health Service in Rosebud, SD. And on the way the radio tuned in Louie Armstrong’s “Wonderful World”. Turning the volume up Mary Aurelia turned to her son, Eric, and said, “Listen to this, Eric, for this is what our lives have truly been, since you have been here .You punctuate who we are.” The rest of the ride was done so in virtual silence.

Grandfather KiKi called for Father Witt, S.J. come to baptize and to give the last rites to Eric. After which, his siblings came to his side to pray with him one last time. For six weeks Sarah and Garrett loved this blessed soul an entire lifetime. While Eric ascended his mother prayed the same prayer once again to the Blessed Virgin. Her prayers were answered. He has a plan. Sometimes we do not always get our prayers answered like we would like them…but they are answered.

Family friend and Roman Catholic Deacon Marlon Leneaugh gave a beautiful sermon at Eric’s funeral mass. His godmother, Jody Callaway, eulogized his continued life. Joyce Colombe offered a tender poem. Sharon Bryan inspired a choir of angles, while Kay Piper issued from the depths of her being the most beautiful sounds. On June 19, 2008 Donnie Boyd, Albert Joseph, Dr. Thomas Keefe, and Steve Peters helped to lay Eric to eternal rest the Evergreen Cemetery in Wood, SD.

Preceding Eric in his journey are L. Monica Dickson, Colonel Thomas Keefe, and Shari Tuthill. Blessed for sharing Eric’s life are Garrett Arlen, Sarah Serena, Mary Aurelia and Forrest Keefe, grandfather Willis E. (KiKi) Dickson, Sr., grandmother Lois Keefe, uncles George Dickson, David E. C. Dickson, Willis E. Dickson, Jr., and Dr. Thomas Keefe, aunts Laurie Dickson and Alicia Dickson-Boyd, and cousins Joyce Colombe.

______________________________________________________________________________

Here´s an example of a mother practicing her own religious beliefs (and
presumably also what she perceived to be her parental rights) upon her
son, when she circumcised him herself.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1375793/Oregon-woman-used-box-cutter-
pliers-circumcise-son-home.html

Oregon woman ‘used box cutter and pliers to circumcise three-month-old
son at home… after learning how on YouTube’
By Paul Thompson
Last updated at 12:12 PM on 12th April 2011
A mother is to go on trial for assault after allegedly using a box
cutter and a pair of pliers to circumcise her three-month-old son.

Keemonta Peterson told police she had watched YouTube videos on how to
carry out the surgical procedure.

The mother-of-four is alleged to have left her baby son bleeding for
two hours before finally calling emergency services.

Peterson, 29, said she was inspired to carry out the DIY operation at
her home in Portland, Oregon, after reading the Bible.

According to an arrest report Peterson began the operation at midnight
using a box cutter knife as a scalpel and the pliers as a tourniquet.

When the bleeding would not stop on the botched operation she tried to
stitch up the wound while her distressed 13 year old son watched.

After two hours of `uncontrolled´ bleeding Peterson called paramedics.

Her son, who has not been named, was listed in critical condition but
has since made a full recovery following the October incident.

Following her arrest Peterson told detectives she decided on the DIY
circumcision as hospitals in Portland will not carry out the operation
of boys older than four weeks.

Peterson was arrested last month and charged with first and second
degree assault.

Her bail was set at $550,000 but following a hearing was reduced to
$5,000 and she was released from jail.

Prosecutors told the court Peterson had voiced her concerns about her
mental health and said she had suffered hallucinations that prevented
her from sleeping for days.

Her four children are being looked after by social workers and Peterson
is to go on trial in June.

_____________________________________________________________________________

http://www.keithhalpern.com/CM/Custom/Case-Results.asp

Keith Halpern, Attorney at Law
572 Washington Street, suite 19
Wellesley, MA 02482
617-830-1217
866-719-2448

Botched Circumcision – $60,000 Award for Child

An Ob-Gyn removed too much skin in performing a circumcision. The
infant had to undergo two repair procedures.

___________
March 2013 from Facebook

http://joseph4gi.blogspot.ca/2013/03/circumcision-death-yet-another-one-i.html
http://joseph4gi.blogspot.ca/2013/03″

374 thoughts on “Circumcision: dirty little secrets exposed

  1. I cannot read all of the cases, as I am feeling nauseated that such a procedure can still be carried out as if it were a wave of the hand. Why are those cases not given more public attention?
    Thank you for gathering all of that information. I hope it is widely disseminated.
    Best regards,
    Alfred.

  2. Thanks for posting this Gloria. For those who call circumcision “harmless”… this is just the tip of the iceberg when you consider all those who never made it to this list. Countless children have died or lived miserably after the forced genital cutting was botched.

  3. Gloria, I remember when you started on this project years ago after the death of Ryliegh McWillis. You’ve done a masterful job. Thank you! I’ll be using a link to this site for my efforts.

    Frank

  4. Thanks for posting this, Gloria. What a great resource. I wish it didn’t have to be at all….this sick practice should be stopped FOREVER!

    Thanks for all you do!

  5. Please add the latest sad case to the list above:

    http://www.presstelegram.com/breakingnews/ci_18500080

    Boy’s botched circumcision leads to $4.6 million award

    By Bill Hetherman City News Service
    Posted: 07/18/2011 09:29:22 AM PDT

    A judge today said he will approve a $4.6 million settlement of a
    lawsuit brought on behalf of a boy who was the victim of a botched
    circumcision at a Los Angeles clinic when he was a week old.

    The accord to be signed by Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Rex
    Heeseman brings an end to the case filed by the boy’s mother, Melanie
    Hall, against Miltex Inc. and its parent company, Integra Life Sciences
    Holding Corp., in February 2007.

    The boy and his family lived in Los Angeles at the time and and now
    reside in Austin, Texas. He, his mother and his brother were present in
    court today.

    The family will receive $3.07 million of the settlement total after
    attorneys’ fees and costs are deducted.

    According to the lawsuit, Dr. Anthony Pickett performed the
    circumcision on the boy, now 8, at the Maternity Center of Vermont on
    Jan. 3, 2003. Pickett used a Miltex Mogen clamp that removed 85 percent
    of the top of the boy’s penis, according to the suit.

    “Because of the defective design of the circumcision clamp, there was
    no protection for the head of the penis and Dr. Pickett was unable to
    visualize the (head) when excising the foreskin,” according to the
    plaintiffs’ court papers filed regarding the settlement. “For this
    reason, an amputation to the (head) of plaintiff’s penis occurred.”

    The boy will need yearly visits to a pediatric urologist and will
    continue to obtain psychiatric care “to deal with the trauma of this
    incident and resultant surgeries,” the plaintiff’s court papers state.
    “In addition, future surgery may be required as he grows older.”
    Pickett was dismissed as a defendant last month and is not involved in
    the settlement.

    Browne Greene, an attorney for the boy and his mother, said in a sworn
    statement that the case presented unique challenges. Medical
    malpractice statutes appeared to limit recovery in the case and it also
    involved an uninsured doctor, according to Greene.

    “This case is one of the more extraordinary cases I have participated
    in during my nearly 50 years of practicing law,” Greene said. “Through
    extraordinary research, diligent work-up, creative lawyering and
    hundreds of hours of hard work … if we had not done such a remarkable
    job it is highly likely (the boy) would never have collected upon a
    judgment that might have been limited to $250,000.”

    Greene said the lawsuit also has societal benefits.

    “In the process of this litigation, we also have exposed a danger to
    children which we hope to eradicate by the effects of this litigation
    and settlement,” Greene said.

    Hall stated in a declaration that she approved the settlement,
    including the $1.38 million that will go to her attorneys. She said
    they conducted a mock trial using her and her family to predict how the
    case would likely be like in front of a jury.

    “I hope this case helps prevent this from happening to anyone else and
    that that warnings will be given people to let them know what could
    occur,” said Hall, a single parent with one other son.

  6. If routine circumcision happened to girls, all hell would break loose – why is it still OK to mutilate boys in some people’s minds?

  7. I don’t get it when people say there is a difference between FGM and MGM….isn’t genital cutting, genital cutting whether it is a male or a female? What a discriminating and shameful view of it. It’s hard to believe that FGM just became illegal in 1997 and the road to making MGM illegal is still a long one.

  8. Pingback: No-Circ Information » The Birthin' Blog

  9. Pingback: No-Circ Information » The Birthin' Blog

  10. My father nearly made this list for 1931. Had disposable nappies been invented, he almost certainly would have. He bled excessively, which is not uncommon even today, and was it not for his parents’ insistence that something was wrong he would quickly have haemorrhaged to death. My father doesn’t blame his parents and doesn’t even regret the way he is, saying that he can’t imagine himself any other way – but he had the wisdom to spare my brother the mutilation and risks that go with it.

    Thankfully, this practice has all but died out here and in the UK, where my father nearly lost his life.

  11. I read through the list of deaths from circumcision, with increasing sadness and incredulity. Not once in the accounts were the parents blamed for the un-necessary surgery performed on the boys. Instead they blamed everyone else. Too many of the cases either did not come to trial, or the details of the villains were kept out of the public domain. As usual, the plight of the real victim was understated, as if he was of little importance compared with the parents and the culprits where the crime occurred.

  12. Thank you very much for your important work, keep speaking out please.
    I wish you could be able to bring all the information above to any TV or Media, because too many parents still ignore what could happen to their children for such an abusive and unnecessary act that is circumcision.

  13. Pingback: Gloria Lemay:relatively recenthistory of circumcision harms | coffee and kids

  14. Here’s another botched circumcision to add to the list:

    http://www.wbtv.com/story/16946910/mother-claims-doctors-botched-sons-circumcision

    Mother claims doctor botched son’s circumcision
    Posted: Feb 15, 2012 10:41 PM

    GASTONIA, NC (WBTV) – A Gastonia mother is worried her three-month old son may suffer long term affects after undergoing what she calls, a botched circumcision.
    When Christy Falls elected to have her newborn son circumcised, she trusted the procedure would go just fine.

    But within hours of bringing little Josiah home, things took a turn for the worse.

    “We got him home an hour after the procedure and noticed a diaper full of blood, I mean full of blood,” said Falls.

    Falls immediately took the baby to the emergency room where doctors were able to stop the bleeding.

    “They told me they had cut a vein, he told me that,” said Falls.

    It’s enough to make any parent cringe.

    But as it turns out, what happened to little Josiah is not unheard of.

    “We take every precaution to minimize that risk, but it can happen,” said Dr. Jamie Lye, a pediatrician at Eastover Pediatrics in Charlotte.

    Dr. Lye has experience in infant circumcisions.

    He did not perform Josiah’s surgery.

    He says circumcisions can reduce the risk of urinary tract infections and penile cancer down the road.

    But there’s no rule that says it’s necessary and as with any procedure, parents should be aware of possible risks.

    “It’s something that we leave up to the parents to decide and our role as pediatricians is to help inform them of the risks,” said Dr. Lye.

    Josiah is still healing.

    Doctors don’t anticipate any further complications, but Falls worries there could be some down the road.

    She hopes other parents learn from her ordeal.

    “I would do extra research, check all the pros and cons,” she said.

    WBTV is not naming the doctor’s office involved because there’s no evidence of wrongdoing.

    Falls is considering filing a lawsuit against the doctor’s office.

  15. Here’s another ritual circumcision death on September 28, 2011.

    http://www.nydailynews.com/new-york/infant-death-maimonides-hospital-linked-circumcision-article-1.1032432

    Infant’s death at Maimonides Hospital linked to circumcision
    Unidentified infant died in September of 2011 after contracting herpes
    Comments (15)

    BY THOMAS ZAMBITO / NEW YORK DAILY NEWS
    Saturday, March 3, 2012, 12:11 PM

    A two-week old boy died at a Brooklyn hospital in September after contracting herpes through a religious circumcision ritual that ignited controversy in 2005 after another infant died, the Daily News has learned.

    The unidentified infant died Sept. 28, 2011, at Maimonides Hospital, according to a spokeswoman for the city Medical Examiner, who confirmed the death after a News inquiry.

    The cause of death was listed as “disseminated herpes simplex virus Type 1, complicating ritual circumcision with oral suction.”

    City officials declined to comment Friday.

    It’s unclear who performed the circumcision.

    In 2004, city health officials revealed that a baby boy died after a circumcision carried out by a Rockland County rabbi who specializes in the centuries-old, ultra-Orthodox ritual known as metzizah b’ peh.

    Under the practice, the rabbi or mohel removes blood from the wound with his mouth — a practice city health officials have criticized, saying it carried “inherent risks” for babies.

    In 2004, three infants circumcised by Rabbi Yitzchok Fischer were determined to have contracted herpes, city officials said.

    Among them were twins circumcised in October 2004 after Fischer performed the religious ceremony known as a bris.

    tzambito@nydailynews.com

  16. Here’s another circumcision death from 1996 to add to the list.

    “A West Virginia child, whose name was withheld, was born in 1996 without incidence and circumcised prior to hospital release. A few days later, the parents rushed him to the emergency room because he was having seizures and his penis had turned green in color. He died the next day from septicemia.” (Ballad, 1997. Malpractice: Septicemia secondary to circumcision. Comtemporary OB/GYN Archive.)

    THYMOS: Journal of Boyhood Studies, Vol. 4, No. 1, Spring 2010, 78-90. © 2010 by the Men’s Studies Press, LLC.

  17. Another Circumcision Death- This Time in the UK

    http://www.oldham-chronicle.co.uk/news-features/8/news-headlines/68777/midwife-on-baby-death-charge

    Midwife on baby death charge

    Date published: 16 April 2012

    A MIDWIFE has been charged with manslaughter after a baby bled to death
    following a circumcision.

    Grace Adeleye (66), of Sarnia Court, Salford, appeared in the dock for
    the first time at Oldham Magistrates Court on Friday, charged with the
    manslaughter of Goodluck Caubergs by gross negligence.

    The court heard the incident happened on April 17, 2010, in Oldham, and
    adjourned the case to a court hearing tomorrow at Manchester Crown
    Square Crown Court.

    No plea was indicated by Adeleye and she was given conditional bail,
    which consisted of not leaving the UK and not to carry out any
    circumcisions.

    • While I think this surgery should never have been performed, by anyone, I have to think that if it had been done by a medical doctor no charges would have been filed.

  18. Here’s another botched circumcision – in Florida.

    http://blogs.miaminewtimes.com/riptide/2012/05/couple_sues_miami_doctor_over.php

    Couple Sues Miami Doctor Over Botched Circumcision That Left Son’s
    Penis “Unsightly”

    By Michael Miller Wed., May 23 2012 at 8:00 AM

    A husband and wife are suing their Miami doctor over a botched
    circumcision that left their infant son with a “unsightly… and
    permanently scarred” penis. Steven and Keka Lorenzana of Coral Gables
    filed suit against South Miami ob/gyn Lissette Molina on May 11. The
    suit claims that Molina botched their son’s circumcision so badly that
    not even corrective surgery could completely fix her mistake.

    “The psychological ramifications of any penal injury are pretty
    extensive,” says David Llewellyn, an Atlanta-based lawyer who handles
    many botched circumcision cases and has been hired by the Lorenzanas.
    Money from a settlement or trial would likely to go towards counseling
    for the child, he said.

    On December 1, 2008, the Lorenzanas took their son — identified in the
    lawsuit by the initials C.L. — to South Miami Hospital. There, Molina
    circumcised the infant using a 1.3 GOMCO clamp, the most commonly used
    circumcision tool in the U.S.

    According to the lawsuit, however, Molina “failed to align the foreskin
    on the bell of the GOMCO clamp before engaging the nut on the base
    plate, closing the clamp, and excising the foreskin, resulting in
    leaving too much foreskin on the ventral side of the penis.”

    For more than two years, the Lorenzanas’ fears about their son’s
    circumcision were waylaid by pediatricians. One told the parents that
    C.L. “would grow into it.”

    But on April of 2011, Keka Lorenzana met Molina for a check-up and
    expressed concern about her son’s penis. She showed Molina pictures and
    the ob/gyn told her to consult a urologist.

    That’s when the Lorenzanas realized the extent of their son’s injuries.
    In September, C.L. underwent corrective surgery at a hospital in
    Atlanta but, according to the lawsuit, “the ventral side of (his) penis
    is still unsightly and is permanently scarred.”

    Neither the Lorenzanas nor Dr. Molina could be reached for comment, but
    the lawsuit notes that Molina has denied any negligence. We will update
    if we hear from any of them.

    C.L.’s lawyers say that the boy, now three and a half years old, will
    likely need counseling to overcome the lasting trauma from the
    operation gone wrong.

    “When skin is rearranged on the penis, that is going to affect (1) how
    it looks and (2) how it feels and very well may affect his sexual
    life,” says Llewellyn, who has a website devoted to circumcision
    lawsuits.

    “Men tend to be very concerned about how their penis looks,” he says.
    “I think that always a tremendous psychological effect on boys and men.”

  19. Two More Tragedies- One in Norway and one in China

    http://www.drmomma.org/2012/05/2-week-old-baby-dies-from-circumcision.html

    2 Week Old Baby Dies From Circumcision in Norway
    As reported by the Norwegian VG
    Source: Gutt døde etter omskjæring i Oslo

    Another baby has died from circumcision. At two weeks old he faced complications of circumcision after he was circumcised by a doctor in Oslo, Norway. The circumcision took place at the physician’s office on Oslo’s East side. Currently police and the county physician are investigating the case. The baby boy was circumcised on Sunday, May 6th and died 48 hours later. County medical officer, Peter Schou, confirms that the baby died of complications following circumcision. “We have created a formal supervision against two unnamed doctors,” said Schou.

    He stated that there have been several cases of circumcision gone wrong in Oslo that currently have physicians under supervision. “These are very difficult cases to investigate because patients rarely complain about circumcision, but we have serious concern from hospitals that get these kids into therapy later,” he added. Each year an estimated 2,000 boys are circumcised in Norway – many of them privately and without professional control.

    Health and Care Services is now considering tighter laws on circumcision, but there are intense disagreements on circumcision laws both within government and coalition parties. Some strongly advocate a ban on all genital cutting, while others wish to offer the surgical procedure through the public health system. A bill has recently circulated that would limit or ban circumcision of minors altogether.

    Child Ombudsman, Reidar Hjermann, would like to see a limitation on the minimum age a child could be circumcised and feels that ritual circumcision should be banned for any child under 15-16 years of age as a matter of health and safety. Justice Policy Center spokeswoman, Jenny Klinge, said ritual circumcision of young boys should be banned altogether just as circumcision of young girls is banned across the nation.

    http://www.drmomma.org/2012/05/circumcision-costs-man-his-penis-two.html

    Circumcision Costs Man His Penis Two Weeks Before Wedding

    Tianjin is the third largest metropolitan in China and is home to some of the first and most well renowned medical institutions in the nation.

    Imagine just two weeks before you are married, being convinced that a surgical procedure to remove a part of your genitals will protect you from potential sexually transmitted infections you may encounter in your new union.

    You consent to the surgical amputation, not fully informed of the risks or side-effects involved, and end up losing your penis…

    This is just what happened to a 21-year-old young man, Xiao He, in China this past November, 2011. Four months after he checked out, He is now suing Boadi Bohai Hospital in Tianjin where circumcision left him without a penis.

    Over the first week following circumcision, He found his penis gradually changing in color from the bright (painful) red of a fresh amputation site, to a very dark, deep color. He checked himself into Shanghai Jiaotong University Affiliated Ninth People’s Hospital on December 21st and soon after underwent another surgery on his penis for ‘glans penis necrosis’ due to circumcision.

    The physician performing repeat surgery completed a penis debridement and local flap angioplasty of the urethra to try and save He’s penis. However, the damage resulting from circumcision was too severe and He’s entire penis was removed.

    He was discharged from the hospital on December 31st, and claims the hospital was responsible for the circumcision which cost him his penis. He is seeking $150,000 yuan (equivalent of $24,000 U.S. dollars) to cover medical expenses. He’s newlywed bride also attempted to file suit against the hospital for emotional damages, but was denied on the basis of her age. Legal age for a woman to marry in China is 20 years, and Xiaoli had not yet reached her 20th birthday when they married in December, 2011.

    The physician who performed circumcision on He is believed to be licensed in one Chinese city (Anlu City) and not Tianjin. This may play into the Peace District court proceedings which will begin next week between He and the hospital where he was circumcised.

    The local Tianjin Times is reporting on He’s case.

  20. http://www.deccanchronicle.com/channels/cities/regions/karimnagar/circumcision-goes-awry-two-boys-die-746

    Circumcision goes awry, two boys die (India)
    May 2, 2012 By DC Correspondent NIZAMABAD

    Two boys died in Bodhan town in the district late on Monday night due to over bleeding. A rural medical practitioner performed circumcision on the boys five days ago, which led to uncontrolled bleeding.

    Two boys died in Bodhan town in the district late on Monday night due to over bleeding. A rural medical practitioner performed circumcision on the boys five days ago, which led to uncontrolled bleeding.

    The deceased were identified as Arif, 4, and Azhar, ,3 of Rakasipet in Bodhan.

    It is believed that the negligence of RMP led to the death of children. According to sources, parents got the two children circumcised five days ago at Masjid Colony in Rakasipet area.

    After the surgery, the boys had suffered bleeding, but the RMP advised them not to worry and it could be cured with medicines.

    But, Arif and Azhar, breathed their last on Monday.

    Reportedly, the RMP agreed to pay Rs.3 lakh compensation to the parents of the deceased and no police case was registered in this regard.

    http://www.timesofisrael.com/baby-hospitalized-after-botched-circumcision/

    Baby hospitalized after botched circumcision

    Doctors expect reattachment procedure to be successful

    By Ilan Ben Zion June 1, 2012

    two-day-old boy from a Galilee village was rushed to a Haifa hospital on Friday after a botched circumcision.

    The infant’s Muslim parents brought their child to Rambam Medical Center in Haifa after the ritual circumciser accidentally dismembered the child’s penis.

    Urologists and surgeons worked to reattach the detached organ and said they expect the procedure to be successful.

    This is the second time in the past month that the Rambam Medical Center has dealt with a misperformed circumcision.

  21. it blows my mind how many proud new parents look at their newborn baby sons and proclaim them perfect, only to go on to consent to have their penises mutilated. We all know routine infant circumcision is not a medical necessity, yet insurance companies still pay for it. Fathers are concerned their sons won’t look like them? So what??!! Gotta break the cycle of wrong-doing at some point, geez!!!!!

  22. http://www.chicagonow.com/suck-it-scoliosis/2012/06/massimo-is-three-free/

    A complication resulting from an unnecessary infant circumcision:

    “on May 22, 2009 our sweet boy Massimo was born. I knew this little baby would be special! Massimo had medical situations from the beginning. When his circumcision was healing, he formed skin adhesions. Our pediatrician said he couldn’t fix it so we would need to see an urologist. So at 3 months he had to have his 1st surgery to fix the circumcision. “

  23. 2/17/12- Circumcision Death of Baby Boy in Great Britain

    http://www.kilburntimes.co.uk/news/queen_s_park_baby_bled_to_death_two_days_after_being_circumcised_1_1419367

    Queen’s Park baby bled to death two days after being circumcised

    Friday, June 22, 2012
    5:23 PM

    Inquest hears 28-day-old tot lost three-quarters of his total blood volume A one-month-old baby from Queen’s Park bled to death less than two days after he was circumcised, an inquest heard.

    Angelo Ofori-Mintah’s operation went according to plan, but a few hours later the incision began to bleed.

    Westminster Coroner’s Court heard it eventually stopped and his mother Maame Abrafi, who lives in Ashmore Road, thought he was fine.

    However the following day he became cold and pale and was rushed to hospital with dangerously low oxygen levels.

    He suffered a cardiac arrest and died in the early hours of February 17.

    Tests revealed he had lost about three-quarters of his total blood volume and died as a result of an acute haemorrhage due to circumcision.

    The inquest heard Mrs Abrafi had received clear aftercare instructions from Rabbi Mordehai Cohen, who carried out the procedure.

    The qualified practitioner gave her a printed guide which included his contact details in case of emergency.

    He also explained that she was to leave the bandage on for 24 hours ‘at all costs’.

    But realising her 28-day-old son was bleeding, the court heard, Mrs Abrafi who is originally from Ghana, removed it within nine hours.

    She was unable to call the Rabbi because she did not have enough phone credit so texted a friend who contacted him for her.

    The friend said the Rabbi had suggested applying petroleum jelly but as she hadn’t seen the baby she was relying on Mrs Abrafi’s description.

    This created a ‘tragic break-down in communication’ said Deputy Coroner Shirley Radcliffe, which left Rabbi Cohen unaware of the full circumstances.

    Rabbi Cohen was entirely blameless for the tragedy.

    Directing her comments to Mrs Abrafi, Mrs Radcliffe said: “This is simply a tragic accident, an unforeseen consequence of the surgical procedure that this baby undertook.

    “My deepest condolences.”

    Verdict: Accidental death.

  24. Massachusetts settlement in religious circumcision

    http://masslawyersweekly.com/2012/06/21/infant-sustains-partial-amputation-during-bris/

    Infant sustains partial amputation during bris
    Parents say they suffered severe emotional distress; $700,000 settlement
    Published: 9:25 am Thu, June 21, 2012
    By Mass. Lawyers Weekly Staff
    An 8-day-old baby suffered an amputation of a portion of the ventral glans of his penis at a Jewish brit milah circumcision ceremony, or bris, at a private residence. The plaintiffs maintained that the doctor/mohel was negligent in his performance of the procedure.
    The doctor/mohel allegedly failed to re-examine the child between the ceremony and the time that the child left for the hospital. Upon arrival, the child was rushed to an operating room for emergency surgery as a result of an amputation of his ventral glans and a traumatic hypospadias, or damage to the opening of the urethra.
    The child was released from the hospital the following day with a catheter inserted into his penis, only to return to the hospital later that night because the catheter had fallen out. After a lengthy effort to re-insert the catheter, during which time the child screamed in agony, a decision was made to have family members insert a tube into the child’s penis numerous times a day over a 10-day period.
    The child suffers from a permanently disfigured penis, a hypospadias and remaining foreskin. He has experienced night terrors and may require further surgery for medical and/or cosmetic reasons.
    His parents, who claimed to have suffered severe emotional distress, fear the emotional difficulties the child will face as he matures and deals with, among other things, school locker rooms and/or romantic relationships.
    Action: Medical malpractice
    Injuries alleged: Amputation of portion of ventral glans, emotional damage
    Case name: Withheld
    Court/case no.: Withheld
    Jury and/or judge: N/A (mediated)
    Amount: $700,000
    Date: March 2012
    Most helpful experts: Henry E. Simkin, M.D., and John P. Gearhart, M.D.
    Attorneys: Paul J. Klehm, James B. Krasnoo and Benjamin L. Falkner, of Krasnoo|Klehm, Andover (for the plaintiffs)

  25. God must really be stupid to create boys with a foreskin, because it is useless and causes infection and disease, . . . but hey, we have Doctors who are much wiser than God – so . . . for only a few hundred dollars . . . $$$$$☺☺☺☺☺, . . . they are more than happy to correct God’s stupid mistakes!

    *Analogy – In accord with the U.S. Center for Disease Control (CDC), Americans make about 500 million visits to dentists annually, and in 2010, an estimated $108 BILLION was spent on dental services in the United States.

    Re: http://www.cdc.gov/chronicdisease/resources/publications/AAG/doh.htm

    Naturally, those who required these dentist visits are those who chose to leave their teeth “intact.” By choosing to leave their teeth “intact,” millions of children and adults suffer greatly! They experience cavities, infections, surgery, pain, misery, etc., and the costs to American society are in the many BILLIONS of dollars every year!

    Conclusion/Solution . . . since teeth are not necessary for human existence, every time a child grows a new tooth, it should be removed, and all adults should have all their teeth removed, thereby preventing untold future pain, misery, infections, cavities, surgery, and saving American society many BILLIONS of dollars in health care costs every year.

    If at a later date, they or their children “desire” teeth, they could have them “restored” . . . you know, kind of like the same idea as “Foreskin Restoration.” If not, they could simply drink liquids, eat soft foods, yogurt, gum their food, or purchase a blender and puree their foods. Simple logic, great results!

    — Can you believe it, once again, God making stupid mistakes like creating baby boys with useless foreskins, and now creating everyone to grow teeth! God . . . what an idiot!

  26. David J. Llewellyn, Attorney at Law
    Genital Injury Law- Call 404- 524- 5626
    http://www.thecircumcisionlawyer.com/VerdictsSettlements.aspx

    Verdicts & Settlements

    N.S. v. Ball Memorial Hospital, et al.
    Practice Area: Medical Malpractice
    Date: Jan 01, 2011
    Outcome: Confidential settlement with hospital, other claims against doctor pending
    Description: Wrongful circumcision of infant against mother’s wishes and instructions

    D. P., Jr. v. Sonyika, et al., State Court of Fulton County, Georgia
    Case Conclusion Date: July 27, 2009
    Practice Area: Medical Malpractice
    Outcome: Jury verdict for 2.3 million dollars ($2,300,000.00)
    Description: Plaintiffs alleged Infant lost significant portion of glans penis in a Mogen clamp circumcision shortly after birth. Plaintiffs alleged that circumcising doctor was negligent in performing the circumcision and in her follow-up care, that hospital personnel were negligent in failing to obtain proper care for the infant, and that the child’s pediatrician was negligent for failing to come into the hospital to examine the child when she was informed by the hospital nurse of the problem. Nurse had retained severed portion of glans penis, which was allowed to die. Plaintiffs alleged that pediatric urologist should have been consulted and that reattachment should have been attempted with likely excellent results. Claims were for permanent disfigurement and psychiatric counseling necessary to allow the child to have as normal a life as possible. Verdict in favor of the plaintiffs against the circumcising doctor, the pediatrician, and their professional corporations. Hospital was found not liable. Jury awarded the child $1,800,000 and the mother $500,000 for psychiatric care while the child is a minor. The court reduced the award to the mother by $45,000 to conform to the evidence.

    D. P. v. ____, Virginia
    Practice Area: Medical Malpractice
    Date: Jan 01, 2009
    Outcome: Confidential Settlement
    Description: Wrongful circumcision of infant against mother’s wishes and instructions

    D. K. v. _____, Houston, TX
    Practice Area: Medical Malpractice
    Date: Jan 01, 2009
    Outcome: Settlement
    Description: Botched circumcision requiring revision

    R. K. v. ______, Columbia, Maryland
    Practice Area: Medical Malpractice
    Date: Jan 01, 2008
    Outcome: Confidential Settlement
    Description: Wrongful circumcision of infant against parents’ wishes and instructions

    F. v. _____, Denver, Colorado
    Practice Area: Medical Malpractice
    Date: Jan 01, 2008
    Outcome: Confidential Settlement
    Description: Botched newborn circumcision resulting in revision surgeries and permanent injury

    _____ v. ______, North Carolina
    Practice Area: Medical Malpractice
    Date: Jan 01, 2008
    Outcome: Confidential Settlement
    Description: Loss of portion of glans penis during neonatal circumcision

    L. B. v. ______, Philadelphia, PA
    Practice Area: Medical Malpractice
    Date: Jan 01, 2007
    Outcome: Confidential Settlement
    Description: Wrongful circumcision of infant against parents’ wishes and instructions

    A. T. v. Kaiser, etc., Los Angeles, California (Private)
    Practice Area: Medical Malpractice
    Date: Jan 01, 2003
    Outcome: Arbitration Award to Plaintiffs
    Description: Unnecessary recircumcision of a man who had been circumcised at birth resulting in permanent injury

    C. v. ____, State Court of Fulton County, Georgia
    Practice Area: Medical Malpractice
    Date: Jan 01, 2003
    Outcome: Confidential Settlement
    Description: Loss of portion of ventral glans penis during a neonatal circumcision

    Stowell v. ______, USDC, EDNY
    Case Conclusion Date: January 1, 2001
    Practice Area: Medical Malpractice
    Outcome: Confidential Settlements
    Description: Wrongful circumcision of infant in which it was alleged that consent had been obtained while mother was under the influence of drugs administered to relieve pain of childbirth. Brought by the young man when he reached the age of majority against both the doctor and the hospital.

    G. C. M. v. _____, Arkansas
    Practice Area: Medical Malpractice
    Date: Jan 01, 1999
    Outcome: Confidential Settlement
    Description: Wrongful circumcision of infant against mother’s wishes and instructions

    L. D. v. _____, Montgomery, Alabama
    Practice Area: Medical Malpractice
    Date: Jan 01, 1998
    Outcome: Settlement with hospital, defense verdict for doctor
    Description: Wrongful circumcision of infant against mother’s wishes and instructions

    B. L. v. R, et al., Lexington, KY
    Case Conclusion Date: January 1, 1998
    Practice Area: Medical Malpractice
    Outcome: Confidential Settlement
    Description: Circumcision was performed during other genital surgery after surgeon had agreed that it would not be done.

    A. O. v. _____
    Practice Area: Medical Malpractice
    Date: Jan 01, 1998
    Outcome: Settlement
    Description: Wrongful circumcision of infant against mother’s wishes and instructions

    S. P. v. _______, Mobile, Alabama
    Practice Area: Medical Malpractice
    Date: Jan 01, 1996
    Outcome: Confidential Settlement
    Description: Wrongful circumcision of infant against parents’ wishes and instructions

    J.T.B. v. _____, Montgomery, Alabama
    Practice Area: Medical Malpractice
    Date: Jan 01, 1995
    Outcome: Verdict for $65,000
    Description: Wrongful circumcision of infant against mother’s wishes and instructions

    R. J. v. ______, Charleston, SC
    Practice Area: Medical Malpractice
    Outcome: Jury verdict for Plaintiff
    Description: Negligent re-circumcision of a man who had been circumcised at birth resulting in permanent damage

    A. C. v. _____, Georgia
    Practice Area: Medical Malpractice
    Outcome: Confidential Settlement
    Description: Wrongful circumcision of infant against parents’ wishes and instructions

    B. P. v. _____, Colorado Springs, Colorado
    Practice Area: Medical Malpractice
    Outcome: Confidential Settlement
    Description: Wrongful circumcision of infant against mother’s wishes and instructions

    C C. v. ____, Portsmouth, Virginia
    Practice Area: Medical Malpractice
    Outcome: Confidential Settlement
    Description: Wrongful circumcision of infant against parents’ wishes and instructions

    J. B. v. ______, Ashland, Kentucky
    Practice Area: Medical Malpractice
    Outcome: Confidential Settlement
    Description: Wrongful, un-consented circumcision of a young boy while undergoing other urological surgery.

    D. L. v. ______, Pittsburgh, PA
    Practice Area: Medical Malpractice
    Outcome: Confidential Settlement
    Description: Wrongful circumcision of infant against mother’s wishes and instructions

    K. N. v. _____, Illinois
    Practice Area: Medical Malpractice
    Outcome: Confidential Settlement
    Description: Wrongful circumcision of infant against parents’ wishes and instructions

    R. H. H. v. _____, Dallas, TX
    Practice Area: Medical Malpractice
    Outcome: Settlement
    Description: Wrongful circumcision of infant against parents’ wishes and instructions

    Z. G. v. _____, North Carolina
    Practice Area: Medical Malpractice
    Outcome: Settlement
    Description: Wrongful circumcision of infant against mother’s wishes and instructions

    L. C. v. ______, South Carolina
    Practice Area: Medical Malpractice
    Outcome: Confidential Settlement
    Description: Botched infant circumcision with removal of too much shaft skin and subsequent repairs

    C. C. v. _____, Bartow County, Georgia
    Practice Area: Medical Malpractice
    Outcome: Settlement
    Description: Wrongful circumcision of infant against parents’ wishes and instructions

    L. G. v. Mogen Circumcision Instruments, Ltd., et al., USDC, EDNY
    Practice Area: Medical Malpractice
    Outcome: Default Judgment for $10,777,071.00 against Mogen Circumcision Instruments, Ltd.
    Description: Severance of glans penis during neonatal circumcision with reattachment and permanent injury.

    Newton v. _____, State Court of Fulton County, Georgia
    Practice Area: Medical Malpractice
    Outcome: Confidential Settlement
    Description: Botched adult circumcision resulting in removal of most of shaft skin and reconstructive surgery

    E. H. v. _____, Virginia
    Practice Area: Medical Malpractice
    Outcome: Confidential Settlement
    Description: Removal of excessive shaft skin in a neonatal circumcision

    Tucker v. Wade, Mississippi
    Practice Area: Medical Malpractice
    Outcome: Settlement
    Description: Botched adult circumcision resulting in removal of too much shaft skin with repair by addition of a skin graft. Permanent shortening of the penis.

    C. P. v. _____., et al., Georgia
    Practice Area: Medical Malpractice
    Outcome: Concluded and dismissed
    Description: Removal of excessive shaft skin during a neonatal circumcision

    C. E. v. _______, State Court of Fulton County, GA
    Practice Area: Medical Malpractice
    Outcome: Jury verdict for 1.8 million dollars ($1,800,000.00)
    Description: Botched adult circumcision

  27. Here is a history of ritual circumcision deaths from metzitzah b’peh, which is when the mohel sucks the blood on the baby boy’s penis after circumcising him. Babies have died from herpes acquired this way. See:

    http://failedmessiah.typepad.com/files/history-of-documented-metzitzah-bpeh-infections.pdf

    1811. Dr. Johann Nepomuk Rust. The preeminent physician of his day records an outbreak of syphilis with many fatalities among the newlycircumcised
    infants in Krakow in his book on cutaneous ulcerations entitled, “Helkologie oder über Natur, Erkenntniss und Heilung der
    Geschwüre.” He attributed the epidemic to the active venereal lesions (syphilis) he personally saw in the oral cavity of Krakow’s mohel.
    1837. Dr. S. Wertheim, the physician in chief of the Jewish Hospital in Vienna, dealt with an epidemic of deaths of newly circumcised babies.
    Wertheim attributed the deaths to metzitzah b’peh (MBP), because all the dead had incurable rashes on their genitals. (Wertheim asked Vienna’s
    Chief Rabbi Elazar Horowitz for permission to substitute manually applied pressure with cotton gauze for MBP. Horowitz got approval for the
    substitution from the Chatam Sofer. According to Rabbi Horowitz, once the gauze was used and MBP was stopped, there were no more deaths or
    incurable genital rashes. Although there was no way to identify the infection at the time, the symptoms indicate that the babies likely died of
    herpes.
    1873. The New York City Board of Health investigated four cases of healthy Jewish babies who got genital ulcerations after being ritually
    circumcised by a mohel who did MBP. Three of the four babies died. Although there was no way to identify the infection at the time, the
    symptoms indicate that the babies likely died of herpes.
    1879 to 1883. Five babies who had been circumcised in Baden, Germany contracted syphilis-like symptoms. The transmission was traced by
    doctors to two mohels who had performed the five rituals using MBP.
    1888. A mohel in Heidelberg was accused of causing the deaths of a number of babies who died shortly after he did MBP on them at their
    circumcisions.
    1888. F. S. Eve’s “Communication of Tuberculosis by Ritual Circumcision,” is published in the British medical journal The Lancet on January 28.
    1888. Later that year, infants got genital venereal lesions (syphilis) after being circumcised by London’s senior mohel, Reverend Saul Levi.
    Several of the babies died. Community leaders, fearing that the publicity surrounding a mohel giving a venereal disease to babies would
    irreparably damage the community’s reputation, convinced the babies’ parents to drop plans to sue Levi. Instead, community leaders paid the
    parents large amounts of money out of community funds. London rabbis also banned MBP and no further babies got the lesions.
    1899. Yakov Moshe Aaron Ovitz, who had 40 years experience as a mohel in Vilna, wrote in HaMelitz, the leading Hebrew language newspaper
    in Europe, about information he had received from Vilna doctors about large numbers of cases of cellulitis, syphilis and diphtheria transmitted to
    the babies by MBP.
    1899. Dr. Samuel Kohn, who was both a doctor and mohel in Vitebsk Provence, wrote a long article documenting the dangers of MBP. It was
    published in HaMelitz, which serialized it over sixteen issues of the newspaper.
    1903. Kohn publishes ”Ot Brit,” a scholarly book on Jewish ritual circumcision. It has a 35 page chapter on complications caused by MBP.
    1913. Dr. L. Emmett Holt, a prominent physician of his era, published an article in the Journal of the American Medical Association reviewing 40
    cases of MBP-transmitted penile tuberculosis that had been documented in medical literature. (These were not the only such cases; they were the
    only cases that had been written about in an era when there was often no mandatory reporting.)
    1946. Dr. Evan L. Lewis publishes a study in the Journal of Urology entitled, “Tuberculosis of the Penis: A Report of 5 New Cases, And A
    Complete Review of the Literature.” Lewis found that 72 out of 89 primary cases documented in medical literature came from MBP. “The actual
    incidence of tuberculosis of the penis following this rite was much higher than a review of the literature would indicate,” Lewis noted. And he
    pointed out that once MBP had been stopped, tuberculosis of the penis became exceedingly rare. “Syphilis and diphtheria have also been
    contracted through this act. After the turn of the last century this act was practically eliminated from the ritual so that tuberculosis of the penis
    is seen only rarely now.” [Emphasis added]
    2000. Dr. Philip Lanzkowsky, chief of staff of Schneider Children’s Hospital at Long Island Jewish hospital, published and investigation of two
    MBP-transmitted herpes cases in the Journal of Pediatric Infectious Diseases. He and a fellow doctor also contacted New York City health
    officials and Brooklyn Haredi rabbis to warn them of the danger of MBP-transmitted herpes. But Lanzkowsky and his colleague tried to keep
    news of the herpes infections quiet. “One of the things we didn’t want to happen was adverse publicity in the general media that might affect
    [ritual circumcision] in general,” Lanzkowsky told the Jewish Week in 2005 when news of the earlier infections finally became public. “We
    wanted to deal with it in the local Jewish community.”
    2001–2005. Eleven cases of MBP-transmitted herpes documented in medical literature.
    2003–2005. Five cases of MBP-transmitted herpes are documented by the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene. One baby
    died. One has permanent severe brain damage. Three were hospitalized for extended periods of time, and were still on anti-viral medications in
    2006.
    2004. The medical journal Pediatrics publishes a paper on eight cases of MBP-transmitted herpes.
    2006-2011. Five more cases of MBP-transmitted herpes are recorded in New York City – including one death – making for a total of eleven
    reported cases in the city since 2000.

  28. http://www.courthousenews.com/2012/11/09/52144.htm

    Friday, November 09, 2012Last Update: 4:50 AM PT

    Circumcision Goes Horribly Wrong

    By ERIK DE LA GARZA

    EDINBURG, Texas (CN) – A doctor botched a circumcision of a 4-year-old boy so badly that the boy pleaded to “just cut it off and (he) can be a girl,” the parents claim in court.
    Rafael and Vanessa Deleon sued Dr. Jennifer J. Garza, of McAllen, in Hidalgo County Court. They claim they learned from specialists that Garza over-cauterized the penis to try to stop the bleeding, damaging their son’s urethra and requiring reconstructive surgery to close the holes.
    But after the 90-minute surgery, the Deleons claim Garza told them, “‘the circumcision was successful.’ She also told them that ‘there was a little bleeding, but that she and her staff were able to stop it,'” according to the complaint.
    Then a nurse appeared and told Garza that the boy “still had a lot of bleeding and that the bleeding did not appear to be stopping,” the complaint states. Garza told that that “their son ‘needed to go back into surgery in order to find out what was happening and to stop the bleeding,'” the Deleons say. They were then given a consent form, but “the consent papers were for a different patient,” according to the complaint.
    It continues: “After taking the plaintiff into the operating room for a second time, the defendant came out and told Ethan’s parents that she had managed to stop the bleeding using cauterization around the penis area where she thought the bleeding was coming from. The defendant then had the plaintiff remain overnight at the hospital. During the course of that night, hospital staff had to change the plaintiff’s gauze around his penis multiple times. Plaintiff’s parents also noticed that the plaintiff oozed blood every time he urinated.”
    The next day, after seeing lab results, Garza told them that “‘Ethan’s penis was going to look beat up for the next couple of weeks, but that as the weeks go by it would look normal again,'” according to the complaint.
    But that didn’t happen, the family says: “The days following the surgery, the plaintiff’s parents had to change the plaintiff’s gauze repeatedly because he kept bleeding so much. During this time, the plaintiff’s parents were shocked when they saw the plaintiff urinate from more than one hole in his penis. It appeared that Ethan had two streams of urine. After seeing this, the plaintiff’s family decided to visit Doctor Segundo Lizardo, Ethan’s pediatrician, the same doctor who referred them to Dr. Garza.”
    The only defendant in the complaint is Dr. Garza and her office.
    The family consulted a third doctor, Catarina Posada, who “could not explain to the family why the plaintiff was urinating from two holes in his penis, but she however prescribed the plaintiff some medication,” according to the complaint.
    It continues: “In the coming days, the plaintiff screams and cries every time he has to urinate. The plaintiff is also in tremendous pain. The plaintiff refuses to drink anything because he does not want to urinate. The plaintiff also becomes very upset with his parents. He begins to blame them for his pain and predicament. The plaintiff goes so far as to say that he is a girl now because he has to urinate sitting down. The plaintiff also asks his parents ‘to just cut it off, and he can be a girl.’ The plaintiff’s parents also have to change the plaintiff’s sheets nightly because the sheets become stained with blood.”
    A week after the circumcision, the Deleons took their son, still bleeding and in pain, to the emergency room at Rio Grande Regional Hospital where Dr. Christopher Bristow told them “that the plaintiff’s penis looked over cauterized.”
    That led to a visit with a pediatric urologist, and more lab tests.
    Dr. Lizardo then prescribed him morphine so he could sleep, the family says.
    “On or about April 3, 2011, at 2:30 a.m., the plaintiff went to urinate and his parents noticed that a stream of blood was running down his leg. The plaintiff’s parents call 911. The ambulance takes the plaintiff to the Knapp Medical Center Emergency room. There Dr. Jorge Martinez sees the plaintiff and gets Dr. Lizardo to show up to the emergency room. According to the plaintiff’s parents, when they questioned Dr. Lizardo on why this was happening to their son, Dr. Lizardo told them something had to have gone wrong during the circumcision surgery for this to be happening to Ethan,” the complaint states.
    Five days later, a pediatric urologist told them “that Ethan’s urethra is damaged. He tells the plaintiff’s family that the circumcision surgery created fistulas – holes in Ethan’s penis. He tells them that the plaintiff will need reconstructive surgery to repair the fistulas,” the complaint states.
    “On or about September 23, 2011, the plaintiff underwent reconstructive surgery to close the fistulas (holes) on his penis. The doctor tells the plaintiff’s family that he closed the holes; however sadly, he indicated that the plaintiff may need more surgeries in the future,” the complaint says. (Parentheses in complaint.)
    The family seeks punitive damages for medical negligence, deceptive trade, breach of warranty and misrepresentation.
    They are represented by Pamela S. Alexander and Efrain Molina Jr. of Edinburg.

  29. http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/7-year-old-loses-genitals-after-circumcision-fighting-for-life/articleshow/17330245.cms

    7-year-old loses genitals after circumcision, fighting for life
    By Rajendra Sharma, TNN | Nov 23, 2012, 04.25 AM IST

    A seven-year-old boy is battling for life after a circumcision surgery went horribly wrong at a private hospital in Alwar on Thursday..

    ALWAR: A seven-year-old boy is battling for life after a circumcision surgery went horribly wrong at a private hospital in Alwar on Thursday. The boy’s genitals had to be cut off in an attempt to save his life, said sources. An FIR has been lodged against the hospital authorities after the relatives of the boy created a ruckus.

    The boy, Imran, was admitted to Sania hospital in Alwar town on November 10 for circumcision. According to sources, after the operation, some equipment was used to prevent bleeding. However, electric current accidentally passed into his private parts and the boy suffered serious injury. On November 13, the boy was referred to a private hospital in Jaipur. After investigating the case, the doctors in Jaipur advised the boy’s relatives to remove his genitals as it was necessary to save his life. The operation was conducted and his genitals were removed. Three days after the operation, the boy was again admitted to Sania hospital in Alwar.

    The boy is now fighting for life while his relatives are protesting outside the hospital in Alwar.

    Imran’s grandfather Ayub Khan said: “The circumcision was carried out by Dr Tayyab Khan, a physician at Sania Hospital. He is not a surgeon. The licence of the hospital should be cancelled for carelessness.”

    Imran’s uncle Fakruddin Khan said that the operation was to be completed in just 30 minutes but the doctors took four hours. “Two days after the circumcision, the doctors advised us to take the boy to Jaipur. When we took the boy to Jaipur, the doctors there immediately informed us that the boy’s private parts were completely damaged and his genitals had to be removed. After operation, we tried to admit the boy in different hospitals but no hospital admitted him. The last option for us was Sania hospital. So we brought him here back after his genitals were removed in Jaipur.”

    However, denying the allegation, Dr Tayyab Khan said the circumcision was carried out by a surgeon Hariram Gupta. He said it was just an accident.

    Former minister Nasru Khan also reached the spot to calm down the situation but all his efforts went in vain. Nasru Khan and the protestors were involved in a heated argument at the spot. The protestors alleged that he was taking the side of the hospital.

    The hospital administration assured the relatives of the boy that the hospital would bear the expenses of the boy’s treatment.

  30. I find it ironic when statements by journalists etc say boy lost part of penis in a circumcision or suffered a permanent injury.

    Circumcision *always* results in part of the penis being cut off and is *always* a permanent injury.

    I’m not sure what the answer is. The vast majority of medical people in the USA seem to display extraordinary immaturity about infant circumcision. The 2012 AAP Circumcision policy is disgraceful.

  31. Note: Christianity teaches that circumcision is unnecessary, and most Christians today do NOT circumcise their sons.

    14 December 2012

    Grace Adeleye guilty of killing baby in botched circumcision Grace Adeleye denied causing Goodluck Caubergs’ death Continue reading the main story

    A nurse has been found guilty of manslaughter after causing a baby’s death by botching his circumcision.

    Grace Adeleye, 67, carried out the procedure on four-week-old Goodluck Caubergs at an address in Chadderton, Oldham, in April 2010.

    The boy bled to death before he could reach hospital the following day.

    Adeleye was found guilty of manslaughter by gross negligence at Manchester Crown Court.

    The nurse, who denied the charge, had told the jury she had done “more than 1,000” circumcision operations without incident.

    The court heard that Adeleye and Goodluck’s parents were from Nigeria, where the circumcision of newborns is the tradition for Christian families.

    Adeleye, of Sarnia Court, Salford, was paid £100 to do the operation.

    The jury was told that she carried out the procedure using a pair of scissors, forceps and olive oil and without anaesthetic.

    She had claimed there had been “no problem” when she left the infant and that his parents had been pleased with the operation.

    Goodluck Caubergs was a healthy little boy whose tragic death was wholly unnecessary”

    However, the court heard that when Goodluck’s parents had changed his nappy several hours later, they had found a large amount of blood and phoned Adeleye, who had told them to redress the wound.

    Goodluck’s parents called an ambulance the following morning and he was taken to the Royal Oldham Hospital, where he died a short time later.

    A spokesman for NHS Oldham said had the family gone to the hospital and asked for a circumcision, “they would have been advised to go to an approved practitioner who would have charged £100, the same as Grace Adeleye”.

    Following the guilty verdict, Adeleye was bailed while pre-sentencing reports are prepared.

    The Crown Prosecution Service’s Jane Wragg said the case “was not about the rights or wrongs of circumcision, but the grossly negligent way in which the procedure was undertaken”.

    “Goodluck Caubergs was a healthy little boy whose tragic death was wholly unnecessary,” she said.

    “Goodluck died because the standard of care taken by Grace Adeleye in carrying out the circumcision fell far below the standard that should be applied.

    “She also failed to inform his parents of the risks and possible complications, which ultimately led to his tragic death.”

  32. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/frank-schaeffer/the-debacle-that-is-the-m_b_2360368.html

    “The debacle that is the movie version of The Hobbit, part one, reminds me of an old story that Dr. C Everett Koop told me over drinks just after he became Ronald Reagan’s Surgeon General. “When I was surgeon in chief at Philadelphia Children’s Hospital,” Koop said, “a lot of my work was fixing mistakes made by other doctors before the kids were sent my way. We used to get a lot of botched circumcisions. I remember one where they left everything they should have taken and took what they should have left.” “

  33. The Global Survey of Circumcision Harm Report

    http://www.circumcisionharm.org/report_GSCH%202012%2009%2021.pdf

    The Global Survey of Circumcision Harm (GSCH) was launched in June 2011 because the medical community has never investigated the long-term adverse physical, sexual, emotional or psychological consequences of infant/childhood circumcision on the health of adult men,. It spanned a 14-month period from June 2011 to September 2012, with 1,008 total men responding to the survey. See

    http://www.circumcisionharm.org/index.htm

    Documenting this long-term harm is impeded by:

    widespread ignorance among men, including doctors, about complete penile anatomy and the functions and benefits of the foreskin;

    lack of familiarity with how to identify circumcision damage;

    lack of appropriate opportunities to document these adverse consequences;

    the fact that the U.S. medical community does not collect any statistics on the number of botched circumcisions or deaths, let alone the long-term adverse outcomes to men.

    Pediatricians and obstetricians who circumcise male infants never see the long-term adverse consequences they cause to males when these children become adults. The majority of these adverse outcomes meet the “standard of care.”

    Photos showing these complications were submitted by some who answered the GSCH survey. Viewer discretion advised.

    http://www.circumcisionharm.org/gallery.htm

    Complications that occur immediately after circumcision and during infancy have been discussed in medical journals. See

    http://www.catholicsagainstcircumcision.org/cac_complications.htm

  34. http://www.dnainfo.com/new-york/20130305/forest-hills/queens-infant-disfigured-botched-bris-lawsuit-charges

    Queens Infant Disfigured in Botched Bris, Lawsuit Charges Updated 5 hrs ago
    March 5, 2013 6:40am | By James Fanelli, DNAinfo Reporter/Producer

    A Queens dad is suing a rabbi, claiming his son was disfigured during a bris in October 2011.

    FOREST HILLS — A Queens rabbi botched the bris of an 8-day-old boy, then told the dad that he did an acceptable job, even though the infant needed corrective surgery, a new lawsuit charges.

    Gavriel Barukh, the father of the boy, is suing Rabbi Mordechai Rachminov, claiming he sliced off part of his son’s corona glandis during the religious ceremony on Oct. 16, 2011, at the Bukharian Jewish Community Center in Forest Hills, according to the lawsuit filed last week in Queens Civil Supreme Court.

    After the ritual, Rachminov, 69, misled Barukh by claiming the circumcision was “performed appropriately and that his conduct was within the standard of care and skill required of Jewish mohelim and circumcisers,” the lawsuit says.

    He also allegedly told Barukh that a physician wasn’t necessary. Even after it became apparent that the bris went awry, Rachminov and the community center failed to call a doctor, the suit says.

    Barukh claims that the delay in medical treatment resulted in greater permanent damage to his son. The boy had to undergo corrective surgery with general anesthesia and may need even more procedures, the lawsuit says.

    A woman who answered the phone at Rachminov’s home said the allegations weren’t true.

    “I didn’t hear any of this,” she said.

    The Bukharian Jewish Community Center was also named in the lawsuit. A woman who answered the phone at the center said Rachminov no longer works there. She declined to comment about the lawsuit.

    Barukh’s lawyer did not return a call for comment.

    The practice of performing a bris became a hotly debated topic in September after an infant died from contracting herpes during the ritual. The city Health Department said at the time that since the year 2000, 12 babies have contracted the virus during the religious ceremonies.

    Last fall, city officials enacted a rule requiring parents to sign off on a bris before it can occur. Jewish groups are currently challenging the rule in federal court.

    The rituals are mainly practiced by Orthodox Jewish communities. They involve a rabbi or mohel excising the baby’s foreskin, then sucking out blood from the cut with his mouth. The contact is how herpes can spread to the child.

  35. http://articles.latimes.com/2011/sep/26/health/la-he-circumcision-20110926

    Injuries linked to circumcision clamps

    The Mogen and Gomco devices have been blamed for injuries. One manufacturer no longer distributes the Mogen clamp, but it’s still popular with mohels.

    September 26, 2011|Molly Hennessy-Fiske, Los Angeles Times

    Melanie Hall did not think she was putting her week-old son at risk when she brought him to a Los Angeles doctor to be circumcised. But after a nurse took the baby into an examining room, something went terribly wrong.

    “I heard a scream, an excruciating kind of scream,” Hall said. “You know your baby’s cry.”

    The doctor called her in from the waiting room. He had cut off most of the tip of her son’s penis.

    Hall sued both the doctor and the distributor of the Mogen clamp he had used to circumcise her now 8-year-old son, Terrel. Although her claim against the physician was dismissed, Miltex Inc. and its parent company, Integra Life Sciences Holding Corp., agreed this summer to a $4.6-million settlement.

    Still, Hall, 38, said the medical community needs to do more to ensure safety during circumcisions, especially those performed with the Mogen clamp.

    “They cannot guarantee that it will not happen again,” she said. “If you can’t guarantee, I don’t think it should be used.”

    The practice of removing the foreskin from the penis goes back to ancient times. Circumcision has religious meaning for Muslims and Jews, who cite a passage in Genesis in which God admonishes Abraham to be circumcised.

    The Mogen clamp’s name derives from the Hebrew word “magain,” or shield. It was invented in 1954 by Rabbi Harry Bronstein, a Brooklyn mohel who wanted to standardize circumcision equipment then in use by both doctors and mohels without medical training who perform the procedure in private homes and other locations. A user first loosens the foreskin, then pulls it through the clamp and clips it off with a single cut.

    These days, about 56% of boys born in the U.S. are circumcised in hospitals, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (The CDC does not keep track of how many additional circumcisions are done by mohels.) Nearly all circumcisions in the U.S. are performed with a Mogen clamp, a Gomco clamp or a device called the Plastibell.

    There have been numerous reports in recent years of patients being injured by the Mogen clamp, which is much less popular than the other two types of circumcision devices, which are two-part systems that protect the tip of the penis.

    As far back as August 2000, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration issued a public health notice about the Mogen and Gomco clamps after receiving about 20 injury reports a year since 1996, including lacerations, hemorrhaging, penile amputation and urethral damage. Instead of recalling the devices, the FDA advised users to make sure they were using the correct size Mogen clamp and that the space between the clamp’s jaws met manufacturer’s specifications. The agency also cautioned against using replacement parts on the Gomco clamp, which led it to malfunction.

    But complications continued. In the 11 years between the FDA warnings and the Hall settlement, the agency has received 139 additional reports of problems related to circumcision clamps, including 51 injuries, said spokeswoman Amanda Sena. Twenty-one of those reports were related to Mogen clamps, all but one of which involved injuries.

    Miltex, one of several Mogen clamp manufacturers, stopped distributing the devices in 1994. “Although no obvious defect has been found with the clamp’s design or manufacturing we have concerns over the possible mishandling of the instrument by practitioners and our inability to ensure the instrument’s proper use,” Miltex’s then-president Saul Kleinkramer wrote in a letter announcing the decision.

    But some of its devices are still in use. That troubles some medical experts, who say the Mogen clamp, unlike others, has a critical design flaw: It does not allow doctors or mohels to see what they are cutting.

    In 2000, Miltex reached a confidential settlement with a North Hollywood couple whose newborn was injured during circumcision, according to their lawyer, Robert Mandell. Last year, a New York judge awarded $10.8 million in damages to a Florida couple whose son lost the head of his penis when he was circumcised with a Mogen clamp during a Jewish ceremony called a brith milah, or bris. The maker of that device, Mogen Circumcision Instruments of New York, already was in default on a $7.5-million judgment in Massachusetts.

    The lawyer who represented the Florida couple, David Llewellyn, is an outspoken opponent of circumcision. He and other so-called intactivists have pushed for laws banning the practice.

    Only about 10% to 20% of doctors use the Mogen clamp, according to Dr. David Tomlinson, who teaches family medicine at Brown University in Providence, R.I., and serves as the World Health Organization’s chief expert on circumcision. But the clamp is popular with mohels because some orthodox Jews recognize only circumcisions performed with devices based on the traditional design, according to Dr. Fred R. Kogen, a mohel in Los Angeles.

    Kogen has performed circumcisions with the Mogen, the Gomco and the Plastibell. He said he prefers the Mogen, which he has used on more than 7,000 babies, including his son.

    With the Mogen clamp, a circumcision requires just one cut and is over in minutes. The Gomco and Plastibell devices require doctors to make multiple incisions, which takes more time and causes more pain, according to studies cited in the April issue of the Journal of Family Practice.

    “In my mind, it was less traumatic to the child” to use the Mogen clamp, Kogen said. “I felt comfortable with it.”

    Besides, he added, “some families are specifically looking for a Mogen for religious reasons, and if I pull something else out, they might get suspicious.”

    An Integra spokeswoman in Plainsboro, N.J., declined to comment about the device. In its response to Hall’s lawsuit, Integra argued that the Mogen clamp was safe, carried adequate warnings and that those who used it should be held responsible for any harm caused.

    Terrel now lives with his mother in Austin, Texas. He has had two reconstructive surgeries, and doctors predict he will need at least two more while in his teens and 20s to repair the physical damage. Then will come plastic surgery.

    Terrel’s father, Terrence Hall, 44, a football and track coach in Los Angeles, said parents need to discuss circumcision with their child’s doctor and do their research about the Mogen.

    “Be very cautious,” he said. “Find out what instrument your doctor uses for circumcisions, and if it’s this one, cancel.”

    molly.hennessy-fiske@latimes.com

  36. http://joseph4gi.blogspot.com/2013/03/circumcision-death-yet-another-one-i.html

    Friday, March 8, 2013 CIRCUMCISION DEATH: Yet Another One (I Hate Writing These)

    It has all happened before.

    And, until the non-therapeautic circumcision of infants is banned, it will all happen again.

    But this time, it happened in Sacramento, California.

    Within the last hour, Brayden Tyler Frazier died after circumcision put him in critical condition.

    He started bleeding uncontrollably after he was circumcised Wednesday at UC Davis Medical Center in Sacramento.

    They tried to use coagulants, platelets, plasma etc. to try and save his life, but to no avail.

    His body started having seizures because of it, which lead to his liver and kidneys starting to shows signs of failure.

    He was 9 days old when he was circumcised, and he died at 11 days of age.

    He was alive and well for 9 days until the day he was circumcised, and it was found that he had hemophilia.

    His parents are now grieving at the Lodi Memorial Hospital.

    As a Californian who was born and raised in this area, this is very, very close to home for me.

    What will happen now?

    Here’s what will happen.

    Just like all circumcision deaths, this one will be swept neatly underneath the rug.

    The cause of death will be recorded as “hemorrhaging to death.”

    Hemophilia will be blamed.

    The baby will have died of “organ failure.”

    No mention is going to be made of his circumcision.

    Ever.

    Nobody is going to ask why doctors didn’t test the child for hemophilia prior.

    Everyone will demand nobody bother the parents because they are grieving.

    They will not press charges.

    They will be complicit in covering up this circumcision, and protecting the doctor that did it.

    They may have yet another child, and go on to circumcise him too.

    People will keep quiet, and demand others do too.

    And so it will continue.

    One conservative estimate says that 117 deaths a year happen in the US as a result of circumcision.

    Although, a recent study in Brasil suggests that rate is closer to 156 deaths a year.

    Because circumcision is performed in healthy, non-consenting children without any medical or clinical indication whatsoever, how is anything above 0 conscionable?

    Death is a risk of circumcision.

    Were these parents not made aware of this risk?

    Do the benefits truly “outweigh” it, as the AAP repeats over and over?

    I hate having to write these.

    When will it end?

    Note: Pictures and links to Facebook accounts were not used for this post in respect of the grieving parents.

  37. Edits to the story above:

    EDIT: The circumcision was actually carried out in Lodi, not at UC Davis Medical Center, as Brayden’s grandfather has clarified. He was transferred to UC Davis Medical Center afterward, and the doctors there had absolutely nothing to do with Brayden’s circumcision.

    EDIT: Brayden’s grandfather says that he had been ill and taken to the Dr. for 2 days prior to the circumcision, as Brayden was sleeping constantly and not eating. Initial sticks and pricks were not healing quickly, and most bandages were kept on him for 2 days before the wounds sealed. It appeared his body was not producing “clotting” materials prior to the circumcision. But, according to Brayden’s grandfather, “…it wasn’t so much that anyone was alarmed.”

    EDIT: “He had “generalized bleeding”…sepsis, among other things,” according to Brayden’s grandfather.

    In 1999, the American Academy of Pediatrics concluded their Circumcision Policy Statement with these words: “If circumcision is performed in the newborn period, it should only be done on infants who are stable and healthy. “

  38. http://failedmessiah.typepad.com/failed_messiahcom/2013/01/breaking-another-nyc-baby-gets-herpes-from-haredi-circumcision-penis-sucking-ritual-234.html

    January 07, 2013

    Another NYC Baby Gets Herpes From Dangerous Haredi Circumcision Ritual

    The New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene has sent out an alert to medical providers warning them that another baby now has Herpes Simplex Virus 1 that was transmitted to the baby through metzitzah b’peh, the direct mouth-to-bleeding-penis sucking done briefly by haredi mohels after cutting off the foreskin.

    Direct oral suction during ritual Jewish circumcision (metzitzah b’peh) has been documented to transmit herpes simplex virus (HSV) type 1 to newborn males (1-4). In December 2012, the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (DOHMH) received a report of a new case of HSV-1 infection in a newborn male infant attributable to direct oral suction.

    In total, 12 laboratory-confirmed cases of HSV-infection attributable to direct oral suction have now been reported to DOHMH from 2000 – 2012. Two of these infants died, and two others suffered brain damage (4). In the most recent case, the location of herpes lesions (on the penis), viral type (HSV type 1, which is commonly found in the mouth of adults), and timing of infection (10 days after circumcision) are consistent with transmission during direct contact between the mouth of the ritual circumciser (mohel) and the newly circumcised infant penis. When evaluating an ill infant boy in the weeks following circumcision, providers should inquire whether direct oral suction was performed during circumcision and consider infection with HSV or other oral pathogens.

  39. http://blog.chron.com/healthzone/2013/05/doctors-perform-surgery-on-6-year-old-west-african-girl-suffering-from-botched-circumcision/?cmpid=hpfsln

    Doctors perform surgery on 6-year-old West African girl suffering from botched circumcision

    Wednesday, May 1, 2013

    Girl recovers from genital mutilation

    Women’s Hospital of Texas performed a life-changing surgery this week on 6-year-old West African girl suffering from complications of female circumcision for almost a year, hospitals officials announced today.

    On Monday, Hadiatu Jalloh underwent the surgery, in which doctors removed scar tissue from her genital area that helped open up vagina, which had been sewn shut from previous procedures, Texas Women’s officials said.

    The child’s family is Fulani, an ethnic group across West Africa. As tradition, the Fulanis usually circumcise their girls between age 5 and 10.

    Due to complications from the circumcision, Hadiatu could not stop bleeding, her mother, Umu, told doctors through an interpreter. After two non-medical procedures Hadiatu’s, vagina was sewn shut. She could not able properly urinate and was in almost debilitating pain. Her mother sought help for her child for close to year.

    Dr. Susan Hardwick-Smith, an OB/GYN specialist at Texas Women’s heard about Hadiatu’s case about a month ago and organized a team of doctors. She then approached the hospital, which offered its services and facilities at no cost. The Jallohs were able to obtain a visa for medical treatment.

    On Wednesday morning, after spending so much time in pain, Hadiatu is finally smiling again and on her way to a full recovery.

  40. http://www.suntimes.com/news/metro/20417085-418/jury-awards-13m-for-newborns-botched-circumcision-attorneys.html

    Jury awards $1.3M for newborn’s botched circumcision: attorneys

    Sun-Times Media May 29, 2013 2:36PM
    Updated: May 29, 2013 2:50PM

    A baby who suffered a partial amputation of his penis during a botched
    circumcision performed when he was 12 hours old has been awarded a
    judgment of more than $1.3 million, according to attorneys for the
    child’s family.

    The verdict was returned to the family of the boy, now 5, by a Cook
    County jury on Tuesday, according to a statement from the family’s
    attorneys.

    Defendant Marc S. Feldstein, M.D., delivered Daniel Burden on Oct. 4,
    2007, at Northwestern Memorial’s Prentice Women’s Hospital, the
    statement said. The following morning, during a circumcision procedure,
    a portion of the distal tip of the boy’s penis was inadvertently
    amputated, according to the statement from the attorneys.

    The child was rushed to Children’s Memorial Hospital, where a pediatric
    urologist successfully re-attached it. Though he will be left with
    moderate scarring and is at risk for altered nerve sensation in the
    affected area, his penis should be fully functional, the statement said.

    The trial began May 16 and ended Tuesday with the jury awarding the
    family $1,357,901.12, according to the statement.

    “I’m sure that [the boy]will be grateful that this injury was not as
    devastating as it could have been,” attorney Timothy Tomasik of Tomasik
    Kotin Kasserman said in the statement. “But he will always be
    different, and that is something he has to live with for the rest of
    his life.”

    Northwestern didn’t immediately comment on the case.

  41. http://www.news24.com/SouthAfrica/News/R10m-lawsuit-after-botched-circumcision-20130607

    R10m lawsuit after botched circumcision
    2013-06-07 14:43

    Barberton – The national and Mpumalanga health departments are being sued for R10.7m after a botched circumcision in which a 9-year-old boy lost the tip of his penis.

    A Sapa correspondent reported on Friday that the boy, who cannot be named because he is a minor, was mutilated at Barberton Hospital five years ago.

    “The matter has been referred to the State attorney, as we were sued for alleged medical negligence for an amount of R10.7m,” Mpumalanga health spokesperson Ronnie Masilela said.

    “At this stage, we have only received a letter of demand and summons will surely be served, but it has not yet been served.”

    Documentation

    Lawyer Milile Labe, who is representing the boy’s family, said the case had been taken to the North Gauteng High Court in Pretoria.

    “The case is before the Pretoria High Court as we speak. The court has asked that we provide information on the kind of treatment the boy underwent. I have requested the file from the hospital in order for us to be able to proceed with the case,” said Labe.

    Once the proper documentation had been presented to court, the summons would be signed by the court clerk and served, he said.

    Earlier, national health spokesperson Fidel Hadebe said the provincial department was better placed to handle the matter.

    “Lawsuits of this nature are being made against respective MECs. It is at provincial level that service delivery takes place, not nationally,” Hadebe said.

    However, the department was concerned about incidents of negligence that led to lawsuits.

    “The department is currently putting in place measures that are geared at improving the quality of care so that, hopefully, we don’t have incidents of negligence and lawsuits.

    “We expect affected departments to take measures against those healthcare workers who are found to be responsible for these incidents of negligence,” said Hadebe.

    Sexual dysfunction

    The boy’s mother, who also cannot be named to protect his identity, said a medical intern had performed the procedure on her son, who was now in Grade 3 at a primary school in Barberton.

    “The intern attached the glans back on the penis, but after five days it fell off. I took the piece back to the hospital, where they put it into a container. They then sent my son and the piece to Pretoria to get it reattached, but that procedure failed as well.

    “To this day my boy still feels pain in his groin, especially when he tries to urinate,” she said.

    The doctor told her the boy needed to undergo further medical treatment to be able to have sex in future.

    “I made this shocking discovery after my lawyer took the boy to the doctor,” said the mother.

    A report by urologist Mohamed Haffejee – which is part of the documents submitted to court – confirmed that the boy would experience problems later in life.

    “In future he may have some sexual dysfunction related to decreased sensation and inability to reach orgasm due to the amputation of the glans.

    “There may also be resulting psycho-social problems as a consequence of the amputation, related to low self-esteem,” Mohamed’s report stated.

  42. http://www.jewishpress.com/news/breaking-news/baby-dies-in-israeli-hospital-following-circumcision/2013/06/07/

    Baby Dies in Israeli Hospital following Circumcision

    The circumcision had actually been performed flawlessly, and apparently
    baby choked during feeding.
    By: Yori Yanover Published: June 7th, 2013

    Wolfson Medical Center

    A newborn baby who was hospitalized in serious condition at Wolfson
    Medical Center in Holon, Israel, from complications following a rite of
    circumcision, passed away on Friday. Both Chief Rabbis and the Chief
    Rabbinate of Israel expressed their sorrow to the mourning family.

    The Chief Rabbinate of Israel stated that “immediately after the
    initial report of the incident, the director of the dept. of
    circumcisions in the Chief Rabbinate was in constant contact with the
    mohel (ritual circumciser) who conducted the rite, with the doctors who
    treated the baby at the Wolfson Medical Center, and with the senior
    physicians who are members of the joint circumcisions committee of the
    Ministry of Health and the Rabbinate.”

    It was reported by the rabbinate that “since the initial diagnosis, the
    doctors who treated the baby were convinced that the complication in
    the baby’s condition was not the result of the circumcision but
    resulted from a previously existing medical condition. Later treatments
    administered to the baby confirmed this determination.”

    “An investigation revealed that the mohel who performed the
    circumcision is a veteran, certified mohel,” said the Rabbinate’s
    statement. “The mohel followed procedure and performed a test on the
    baby after the rite. Only about half an hour after circumcision did
    signs of the medical complication in the child began to appear, not
    related to the circumcision itself. The mohel accompanied the family to
    the hospital.”

    A week ago, at about 11 AM, MDA paramedics were called to a synagogue
    in Holon, after an infant who had undergone a rite of circumcision
    there had stopped breathing and lost consciousness, shortly after the
    ceremony. The rescue crew took him to Wolfson Medical Center. After
    resuscitation in the hospital shock room, the baby’s condition
    stabilized.

    Hatzolah volunteer Yehuda Mizrachi, who was among the first on the
    scene, told Channel 2 News: “We received a call about an unconscious
    baby. When I arrived I found a completely blue baby, not breathing and
    without a pulse. We started resuscitation and massaging, until the
    ambulance arrived and took him to the hospital.”

    After investigating the circumstances of the case, it was discovered
    that the circumcision had actually been performed flawlessly, and
    apparently baby choked during feeding.

    “The bris had concluded safely and then everyone sat down to eat,”
    Abraham, a friend of the family, related. “He was nursing from his
    mother and then she put him in his cart. At some point we noticed that
    the child was not responding and had turned blue.”

    “One of the guests called the MDA, and with their guidelines performed
    a cardiac massage,” added Abraham, described the event. “Then the
    rescue team continued the efforts, along with the MDA.”

  43. http://english.alarabiya.net/en/News/middle-east/2013/06/10/Egyptian-girl-dies-while-being-circumcised.html

    Egyptian girl dies while being circumcised
    Monday, 10 June 2013
    Al Arabiya

    A 13-year-old Egyptian girl has died while being circumcised at a private village in the Daqahliya governorate north east of Cairo, Egyptian media reported on Sunday.

    “We left our daughter with the doctor and the nurse. 15 minutes later, the nurse took my daughter out of the operation room to a nearby room, along with three other girls whom the doctor was circumcising,” Mohammed Ibrahim, a farmer, told al-Masry al-Youm.

    “I waited half an hour, hoping that my daughter would wake up, but, unfortunately, unlike the rest of the girls, she did not,” he said.

    The doctor who circumcised Suhair al-Bata’a had previously circumcised the victim’s elder sister two years ago.

    “I want nothing but to hold the doctor accountable and to have justice for my daughter,” the victim’s mother, Hasanat Naeem Fawzy, told the newspaper.

    The police summoned the doctor and ordered an autopsy to find out the cause of the young girl’s death.

    A health inspector report explained the cause of the death was due to “a sharp drop in blood pressure resulting from shock trauma,” the family’s lawyer, Abdel Salam, told al-Masry al-Youm.

    Egypt’s National Council for Women condemned the deadly incident of female circumcision as a criminal act that reflects “extreme savagery,” calling on the government to investigate the issue and punish the culprits.

    UNICEF Egypt has also condemned the incident, saying female circumcision has no justification, medical or religious.

    Abdel Wahab Suleiman, undersecretary of the Ministry of Health in Daqahliya, who said that the Health Directorate had not yet been notified of the incident, described Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) as against the law.

    In 1996, Egypt criminalized FGM; however, many families still bring their daughters to be illegally circumcised. In 2009, Egyptian authorities arrested a man for the first time since FGM’s ban was introduced. The man was arrested for his illegal circumcision of an eleven-year-old girl in the governorate of Minya, 600 kilometers south of Cairo.

  44. http://www.saudigazette.com.sa/index.cfm?method=home.regcon&contentid=20130613169689

    Saudi Gazette

    Circumcision doctor verdict due Sunday

    Majed Al-Seghairi
    Okaz/Saudi Gazette

    MADINAH — A medical Shariah committee has set next Sunday as a preliminary date for the public right sentencing of a doctor who allegedly performed botched circumcision procedures in Madinah.

    ENT specialist Dr. Naser Al-Sayed is accused of performing procedures that resulted in the complete loss of the penises of two babies and 50 percent damage to the genital areas of another five.

    The scheduled third hearing will also include the review of all medical reports before any verdict and sentencing.

    The owner of the polyclinic where the doctor worked, or its representative, did not attend the previous session.

    It was, however, attended by the clinic’s lawyer Abdulrahman Al-Muhammadi and the fathers of the seven affected babies.

    The session was attended by judge Badr Al-Tuwalah, surgery consultant at the local children’s hospital Dr. Hussain Sunduqji, the defendant, the Egyptian consulate’s official in charge of Egyptian affairs Ahmad Zaki, and friends of the doctor.

    The session began with what was supposed to be the testimony of Al-Sayed, who refused to testify.

    He said his lawyer will submit his defense at the next hearing.

    The doctor then left the court under tight security and the committee called the families of the affected babies.

    The fathers showed the committee photos of the affected organs and condemned the irresponsibility of the polyclinic for allowing an ENT doctor to perform such procedures.

    They also questioned the future of the affected babies who could not urinate normally and those who lost their penises.

    A medical report has accused the doctor of performing procedures that were not part of his specialty.

    The medical report also specified the percentage of damage of the affected babies’ penises.

    The committee has postponed sentencing in the private rights cases brought by the babies’ families, pending medical reports from King Faisal Specialist Hospital (KFSH).

    The babies will be admitted to KFSH this month for examinations and possible treatment.

    The medical Shariah committee issued a directive last Saturday for detaining the doctor.

    A specialist committee is expected to arrive in Madinah to examine the babies and submit its report to the medical Shariah committee.

    The families expressed gratitude to Madinah Emir Prince Faisal Bin Salman for his concern and instructions to concerned authorities to provide the best possible treatment for the babies.

  45. http://www.iol.co.za/news/crime-courts/r2-2m-for-boy-s-botched-circumcision-1.1534852

    R2.2m for boy’s botched circumcision

    June 20 2013 at 10:51am
    By Sharika Regchand

    Durban – The parents of a boy whose circumcision was botched at a Vryheid hospital were awarded R2.2 million to be paid within 14 days by the provincial Health Department, Deputy Judge President Achmat Jappie ordered in the Pietermaritzburg High Court on Wednesday.

    Judge Jappie also ordered that the department pay all the family’s legal costs.

    The mother of the child, now nine, sued the department on behalf of her son following his circumcision in October 2009.

    He suffered severe burning, infections and a loss of his normal penile tissue after the procedure.

    Plastic and reconstructive surgeon Paul McGarr said in a report before the court that he was “completely amazed by the inertia, lack of a sense of urgency and lack of sensitivity shown by the doctors” who initially managed the child.

    McGarr went into detail as to how the child’s injury had occurred and commented that the standard of practice and aftercare at the hospital constituted gross negligence by staff who had failed to follow the most basic principles of surgery.

    “The words lazy, incompetent and disinterested accurately describe the treating doctor’s actions,” he said.

    “In essence, nine minutes of a rushed, incompetent circumcision has significantly and severely impacted on the child for the rest of his life.”

    Attorney Sonette Boning said the boy’s parents were happy that the matter had been finalised after four years.

    She said they were not on medical aid and had found it difficult to get him the best medical and psychological treatment.

    He would also need to have further surgery.

    The mother previously told The Mercury that it was difficult for her son and there had been a big change in his life.

    “He went through a lot of anxiety, fear and psychological trauma. He also lost his self-confidence,” she said, recalling days when her son had panic attacks and times when she could do nothing to help him feel better.

  46. http://www.savingsons.org/2013/06/healthy-newborn-dies-post-circumcision.html

    (Photos of Jayvas Carson at the link above.)
    Friday, June 21, 2013

    Healthy Newborn Dies Post Circumcision Hemorrhage

    • Jayvas was born naturally on November 15th 2008, a very healthy baby boy. He was full term.

    • On 11-28-2008 he was circumcised by Dr. Beth Martin of Coeur d’Alene Pediatrics. While in the office he bled excessively. It took about fifteen minutes of constant pressure to the sight to get Jayvas to stop bleeding. He was sent home from the doctor’s office with instruction to have his blood checked the following week as it was a Friday. Dr. Beth Martin thought he may have a bleeding disorder because of the excessive bleeding, but did not think it needed to be checked until the following week.

    • When home and beginning to change his diaper, about an hour and half after leaving doctor’s office, he was again bleeding.

    • Jayvas was taken to Kootenai emergency room, where he saw Dr. Henry Amon Jr. When Jayvas arrived his diaper was full of blood. Dr. Amon examined Jayvas and said that it is normal for babies to bleed after they have been circumcised. He said there was nothing he could do – that Jayvas was not ‘bleeding enough.’ He was told about the visit with Dr. Martin and that she thought Jayvas may have a bleeding disorder. He ordered for Jayvas’ blood to be drawn. While at the hospital, Jayvas filled two diapers with blood. Dr. Amon saw the diapers and again said it was normal. Jayvas was sent home after Dr. Amon said that there was nothing that could be done and that it was completely normal.

    • Jayvas was taken home where he continued to bleed.

    • He was rushed backed back to the emergency room a couple hours later, with blood soaked through his diaper and onto his clothes. He was lethargic and very pale. Jayvas was examined by Dr. Jeffrey Zurosky. Dr. Zurosky immediately put SurgiSeal on the circumcision site. The bleeding stopped immediately. Dr. Zurosky contacted Dr. Neff from CDA pediatrics to find out what treatment he would like done with Jayvas. Dr. Terrence Neff said to give Jayvas a vitamin K shot and ordered more blood tests to be done and wanted to see Jayvas the following morning. Dr. Neff said that Jayvas did not need a blood transfusion.

    • The following morning, Saturday, Jayvas was seen by Dr. Terrence Neff at CDA Pediatrics. He said that Jayvas lost over 30 percent of his blood. He was still waiting for the results of the blood tests. He again said Jayvas did not need a blood transfusion, and that he would replace the blood volume on his own. He said he wanted Jayvas to take an iron supplement, and that he would recheck him on Monday.

    • Jayvas did not bleed anymore following the SurgiSeal application.

    • Jayvas was seen again by Dr. Terrence Neff on Monday. At this appointment Dr. Neff rechecked Jayvas’ blood and said that Jayvas lost over 40% of his blood. Dr. Neff said that Jayvas lost a lot of blood, but again said that Jayvas did not need a blood transfusion. He said that babies are miraculous creatures and he would replace the blood in no time. He said that Jayvas was fine and would not need to be rechecked until his next well baby exam. Jayvas was still pale at this time. Dr. Neff repeated that it was normal for the blood he lost with circumcision, but that he would replace the blood on his own.

    • Jayvas’ blood tests came back. Jayvas did not have any kind of bleeding disorders, yet he bled excessively from the circumcision that was performed by Dr. Beth Martin of Coeur d’Alene Pediatrics.

    • On Christmas night Jayvas began coughing a little bit. He also had a very small amount of blood under his nose and in his mouth. It was thought to come from his nose.

    • Jayvas was seen by Dr. Terrence Neff on the 26th of December for the cough. Dr. Neff admitted Jayvas to Kootenai Hospital for pneumonia.

    • When Jayvas arrived at the hospital he was breathing just over 100 breaths a minute. It was ordered for him to be put on oxygen and they started antibiotics for the pneumonia. His breathing rate immediately slowed when he was given oxygen. He stayed on the oxygen until the 29th. He was taken off the antibiotics after it was discovered Jayvas did not have bacterial pneumonia. When Jayvas’ blood was checked, his blood count was still low. Jayvas stayed at the hospital until the 30th of December when Dr. Neff discharged him. Dr. Neff said there was nothing more they could do and that Jayvas would continue to get better at home. Jayvas still had a cough and a low blood count.

    • The evening Jayvas was discharged he began taking longer pauses in his breathing followed by a few fast breaths. Jayvas was taken back to Kootenai hospital. While on the way, CDA Pediatrics was called to see if he could be brought back to the pediatrics unit without going through emergency. Dr. Beth Martin advised that Jayvas was fine. She said Jayvas just got out of the hospital – he had to be okay after just being released. She said that it probably seems worse than it really is from parents being paranoid from the hospital stay. She said that she would see Jayvas at the office if he was still having problems in the morning.

    • Jayvas was taken to see Dr. Beth Martin at CDA Pediatrics on December 31st. She examined Jayvas and said he was doing good. Jayvas was still breathing fast with longer pauses. He was also making grunting noises while breathing. Dr. Martin agreed to monitor Jayvas’ oxygen stats for twenty minutes. During this time Dr. Martin was never in the room, she had the nurse come in a couple times to read the monitor. The nurse noted that Jayvas was making “funny” noises while breathing. Jayvas’ oxygen readings ranged from the mid-eighties to the mid-nineties. Dr. Martin came back into the room after twenty minutes. Dr. Martin said that his oxygen saturation was fine and that he was doing good. She said Jayvas did not need to be seen until his next well baby exam. Dr. Martin then agreed that she would check Jayvas’ weight, but if he had not lost any weight that there would be nothing she could do. Jayvas had not lost any weight since at the hospital, nor had he gained any. Dr. Martin said there was nothing more she could do and that Jayvas was doing well.

    • About an hour after leaving Dr. Martin’s office Jayvas began making even more grunting noises and was breathing even faster. Jayvas was taken to see Dr. Terrence Neff at CDA pediatrics. While bringing Jayvas into the office blood was noticed in his mouth. Jayvas was brought in emergently without an appointment. Dr. Neff saw Jayvas. Dr. Neff saw the blood in Jayvas’ mouth. Dr. Neff noted that Jayvas was breathing ninety breaths per minute. Dr. Neff noted that Jayvas was making grunting noises while breathing. Dr. Neff said Jayvas was back to the same condition as he was when he was admitted to Kootenai Hospital. Dr. Neff said he did not know what was wrong with Jayvas. Dr. Neff went and made a phone call and came back to the room, saying he did not know what was wrong with Jayvas. Dr. Neff said that he wanted Jayvas to be admitted and seen by a specialist in Spokane at Sacred Heart Children’s Hospital. Dr. Neff said to drive Jayvas to the hospital. When asked about having Jayvas transported by ambulance Dr. Neff said it was not necessary, that he would be fine if he was driven there in a private car. When asked about the blood present, he could not explain where it came from or why he would have blood in his mouth. Dr. Neff was asked again if he was sure it was okay for Jayvas to be driven by private car to Spokane in the condition that Jayvas was in. Dr. Terrence Neff of Coeur d’Alene Pediatrics chuckled and again said yes, ‘as long as you don’t stop for burgers and shakes along the way’ Jayvas will be fine.

    • Jayvas was transported by private car to Spokane, WA from Coeur d’Alene, ID on December 31st, 2008. This was one of the worst winters, with record breaking amounts of snow for the Coeur d’Alene/Spokane area. While in route to Sacred Heart, Jayvas went into full cardiac arrest. Jayvas was taken to the closest emergency room. When Jayvas arrived there he was not breathing and had no pulse. The emergency doctors worked on Jayvas for over 20 minutes before getting his heart to begin beating again. Jayvas was placed on full life support and transported to Sacred Heart Children’s Hospital.

    • Jayvas arrived at Sacred Heart Children’s Hospital on December 31st 2008. The doctors there said that Jayvas was very sick because of the loss of oxygen during the cardiac arrest. Jayvas was given a blood transfusion at sacred heart. Jayvas never replenished the blood he had lost from circumcision. He had a few tests done and it was confirmed that Jayvas was completely brain dead from the loss of oxygen during the cardiac arrest. Jayvas continued to go into cardiac arrest at Sacred Heart. The doctors said they would no longer perform CPR because of the damage that had been done from the initial cardiac arrest. Jayvas’ body quit for the last time on January 1st 2009.

    • Dr. Neff has said that he considered Jayvas to be stable when he saw him. Jayvas was breathing at 90 breaths a minute, grunting noises, oxygen saturation in the low 90s, with blood noted and visible in his mouth from no obvious source, pale in color, and had a low hemoglobin count when Dr. Neff saw him. Dr. Neff was asked if he could go back and do anything differently knowing now that Jayvas went into cardiac arrest while in transport in a private car via his instruction, would he do anything differently? Dr. Neff said even knowing the outcome he would not have changed a single thing that was done when he saw Jayvas. He still would have advised to drive Jayvas in a private car.

    Source: Public sharing on 5.23.13 on CraigsList at: http://spokane.craigslist.org/vnn/3825460019.html

    This little one’s story was flagged by readers and removed from CraigsList on 6.20.13 It is shared here so that his suffering and loss are not in vain. Please, research thoroughly before your son’s arrival.

  47. http://www.newvision.co.ug/news/645118-man-loses-penis-in-medical-circumcision.html

    Man loses penis in medical circumcision Publish Date: Jul 16, 2013

    By Paul Kiwuuwa and Simon Masaba

    At 44 years, Patrick Izimba, is a lost man after he lost his penis to a botched male medical circumcision procedure in a private clinic. Izimba is at Mulago Hospital’s Urology Ward 2A, where he has endured pain for the past three weeks. Speaking
    with teary eyes, Izimba curses the day he read a sign post at the private clinic that offers free male medical circumcision. “I underwent an operation at Medik Medical Centre Limited in Kawempe,” he says. “Free things are expensive they have cost me a life. I depend on pain relievers. My penis is falling off and requires me to wear a skirt.”

    “Pain killers have become my daily bread because if I do not take them,
    I cannot sleep,” Izimba narrates. Izimba has a catheter connected to
    his bladder to allow urine to flow out. He says Dr. Francis Kakooza, an
    employee with Medik Medical Centre, carried out the operation under the
    supervision of Dr. Edward Kunoya, the clinic’s director and proprietor.
    The clinic is located along Bombo Road, Keti-Falawo zone, Kawempe
    division. Start of his woes

    On the fateful day, Izimba met Dr. Kunonya who told him the
    circumcision was free, but he had to pay sh20,000 for the drugs. Izimba
    paid the money and was asked to bring Jik and a polythene bag to place
    on the surgical table. He recalls that before the surgery, Dr. Kakooza
    administered an injection which was painful. “I objected to the
    operation, but Kunonya shouted at me: ‘Be a man, don’t fear.’
    Meanwhile, Kunonya sprayed something on my nose that threw me into
    sudden deep sleep,” Izimba recalls. He woke up three hours later. “My
    penis was very stiff and I had lost a lot of blood. They bandaged the
    penis to prevent further bleeding. Kunonya, Kakooza and two
    unidentified ladies surrounded me,” “Kunonya transferred me to another
    room and I was put on a drip. I was weak. They gave me tablets to
    swallow. I had a sleepless night due to the pain and the penis remained
    stiff. The following day I reported for dressing in terrible pain, the
    penis skin became dry and pale,” he says. On the third day, Izimba’s
    penis was still stiff; the skin had tuned so dark and began to peel
    off. However, Kunonya insisted I dress the wound using warm water mixed
    with salt. When it worsened, Kunonya, accompanied by Kakooza, took me
    to Mulago Hospital where one Dr. George Masaba admitted me under ward
    2A, on registration number 2152246. Dr. Kunonya gave me sh5,000 and
    visited me only once. Clinic’s response

    Efforts to talk to Dr. Masaba, were futile as he refused to talk. When
    contacted, Dr. Kunonya said: “I know Izimba as a patient who sought for
    male medical circumcision in my clinic. However, Dr. Francis Kakooza
    operated him successfully. We used sterilised equipment to carry out
    the operation.” “Izimba developed a complication during the recovery
    period during the dressing when the skin started peeling off. I
    referred Izimba immediately to a specialist in Mulago Hospital as any
    trained personnel do in case of emergency.

    But I am not under obligation to pay his medical bills. However, I have
    visited him once. Probably Izimba did not use the drugs as instructed.
    Many patients have undergone operation in the clinic, but they heal
    within one week,” Kunonya said.

    Expert opinion A medical worker on routine ward duty at Mulago Hospital
    who preferred to speak on condition of anonymity described Izimba’s
    condition as “gangrene.” This means that blood supply to the penis has
    been cut off, evidenced by the pale skin. “I suspect they injected
    certain drugs in the penile vein which blocked the supply of the blood
    to the penis, rendering the skin dry, causing the rotting,” the medical
    doctor says. He, however, says there is hope with plastic surgery to
    reconstruct the penis, to enable him pass urine, but not fulfill his
    conjugal rights. Enock Kusasira, the Mulago Hospital spokesperson, says
    plastic surgery is free of charge in the public ward.

    Police intervenes

    Siraje Bakaleke, the divisional Police commander, Kawempe Police
    Station, told Sunday Vision that Izimba’s relatives reported the matter
    to the Police on May 28 under JEF/May28/2013 and investigations are
    ongoing. Bakaleke says the Police is still waiting for a medical report
    from Mulago Hospital.Izimba is married with two wives and seven
    children. He sells animal feeds in Bwaise, a city suburb.

    Izimba’s relatives have also filed a case with the Uganda Medical and
    Dental Practitioners Council complaining of unprofessional conduct by
    Dr. Kakooza. The council has taken up the case because the clinic where
    the incident happened is registered under the medical council. Dr.
    Katumba Ssentongo, the registrar of the Medical and Dental
    Practitioners Council says: “We are waiting for a report from Dr.
    Kunonya pending investigating circumstances under which the medical
    operation was done.” The Government, under the Ministry of Health, has
    been encouraging men from the age of 18 and above to undergo safe male
    medical circumcision as one of the measures to prevent the spread of
    HIV.

  48. Pingback: Routine Infant Circumcision: Know the Whole Story | MotherWise

  49. http://www.iol.co.za/news/south-africa/gauteng/child-dies-after-circumcision-at-hospital-1.1563203

    South Africa – Child dies after circumcision at hospital

    August 16 2013 at 07:59am
    By VUYO MKIZE

    THE STAR

    Reggie Mokalapa is still in shock after his son Gugulethu, 4, was declared brain dead after undergoing a circumcision at a Germiston hospital. Photo: Bongiwe Mchunu

    Johannesburg – “They killed my child.” These were the pained words of a Germiston father whose son had to be taken off life support on Wednesday evening after he was declared brain dead by two surgeons following a medical circumcision operation a week ago.

    Reggie Mokalapa, 39, took his four-year-old son, Gugulethu, to Medicross Germiston for what doctors had assured him would be a “less than two-hour” procedure last Tuesday.

    “We arrived just after 7am on Tuesday; nurses gave him a sort of oral anaesthetic and put a nebuliser over his nose. The sister said that for him not to be scared, his mother should be with him until he dozed off and would go with him to the theatre,” he said.

    Mokalapa went to wait outside in their car and, minutes later, his wife Wilhemina joined him.

    “She went back inside to get something to drink, and a few minutes later, she came back and told me he was out of theatre,” he said, touching a framed photograph of Gugulethu.

    Mokalapa’s wife touched their son and tried to open his eyelids – but he was still anaesthetised, nurses said, and the couple were assured he would wake up shortly as the medication would wear off.

    An hour later, Wilhemina asked the sister on duty to wake their son as Mokalapa needed to get to work.

    “It was at that point they realised he wasn’t breathing,” Mokalapa said.

    “His heart had stopped.

    “It took them a while to resuscitate him, around 10 to 15 minutes, but eventually his heart started beating again.”

    Gugulethu was then transferred to Netcare Sunward Park Hospital, where the attending doctor expressed extreme concern over his condition.

    “She recommended we take him to Netcare Garden City Hospital and requested immediate authorisation to airlift him there. Eventually, we used an ambulance and he was admitted to the paediatric ICU,” said Mokalapa.

    The hospital’s intensive care specialist and paediatrician, Dr Miles Bartlett, advised Mokalapa that there was a possibility of brain injury and, in such a case, doctors needed to cool Gugulethu’s body so that if there was any injury to the brain, it did not spread further.

    “They did that over four days, and on the fourth day, they started warming him up.

    What was concerning for the doctors was that his eyes were dilated and he wasn’t responding in any way,” said Mokalapa, his voice trailing off.

    On Sunday, monitors showed that Gugulethu’s brain was not responding, and on Monday he was declared brain dead.

    On Wednesday, a second doctor confirmed that Gugulethu was brain dead and the family elected for doctors to take him off life support.

    “We are always advised to circumcise our children young, and we did this so that he’d be okay in future. Unfortunately, we took him to a slaughterhouse,” said Mokalapa.

    He added that all he wanted from Medicross was acknowledgement of what they did wrong.

    “Obviously something went wrong… someone didn’t follow the correct protocol. Another child shouldn’t die of what I perceive as negligence on their part.”

    Sitting on Gugulethu’s bed covered with a blue racing-car duvet, Mokalapa described his son, who he affectionately called “Boy-Boy”, as “the most loving child”.

    “For a boy, he loved touching and hugging… he was very playful. It’s still so unbelievable.”

    Medicross responds

    Medicross director Dr Oelie van Schalkwyk on Thursday said the doctors and staff at the Germiston centre were “devastated” by what happened to Gugulethu.

    “Gugulethu was admitted to Netcare Garden City Hospital after complications following his procedure, and everything humanly possible had been done by the doctors and nurses at Germiston medical centre to assist him.

    “We are unable to speculate on the possible factors which may have contributed until it has been fully investigated and conclusively established precisely what transpired.

    “We will assist with investigations in every way possible.

    “We are extremely saddened about this tragedy and will do our utmost to assist the Mokalapa family where possible. Our heartfelt condolences go out to the Mokalapa family.”

  50. http://www.newvision.co.ug/news/646806-man-implicated-in-circumcision-gone-wrong.html

    Man implicated in circumcision-gone-wrong
    Sep 03, 2013
    By Abdukarim Ssengendo

    The Rwizi regional police office has intervened in a case in which a seven-year-old boy lost his penis during circumcision and has amended the case against the suspect, Muhammad Baryayanga.

    Baryayanga, a resident of Kikaza cell in Ruhaama, Ntungamo district, is suspected to have cut off the upper part of boy’s penis while circumcising him in May this year.

    The amendment of the charge on August 14 follows a complaint by the boy’s father, Julius Kamwesiga, the UPDF 2nd Division Mbarara liaison officer. He complained that the Ntungamo state attorney reduced the charge from causing grievous harm to a rush-and-neglect act.

    The Rwizi regional Police spokesperson, Polly Namaye, said they recalled the file from Ntungamo and amended the charge to acting with intent to cause grievous harm contrary to Section 216 of the Penal Code Act.

    On May 3, a case was reported at Ntungamo Police Station that Baryayanga, while circumcising a boy, cut off the upper part of his penis and investigations into the case were launched.

    He was arrested after a medical report from Mbarara Hospital, where the boy was admitted, indicated that grievous harm had been inflicted on him. Baryayanga was later released on Police bond.

    Namaye said the case file was taken to the state attorney of Ntungamo for sanctioning and the advice was that the suspect be charged with carrying out a rush-and-neglect act other than causing grievous harm as indicated in the medical report.

    She said they are seeking further advice from the Director of Public Prosecutions (DDP).

    Kamwesiga, dissatisfied with the state attorney’s advice, sought redress from the regional police office.

    He told New Vision last week that his son is being treated at a private hospital in Mbarara but needs to be taken abroad for further treatment.

    Meanwhile, the Imam of Ntungamo Mosque on June 14 wrote to Ntungamo Police Station introducing Baryayanga, saying he had been circumcising their children for the last three years.

    He said Baryayanga attended a circumcision course in Jinja after which he was awarded a certificate.

  51. http://en.tengrinews.kz/health/Genitals-of-5-yo-boy-may-be-amputated-due-to-failed-circumcision-in-Atyrau-22110/

    Genitals of 5-y.o. boy may be amputated due to failed circumcision in Atyrau

    Tuesday, 10.09.2013, 10:56

    The genitals of a 5-y.o. boy may be amputated because of a failed circumcision in Atyrau city, Ak-Zhaiyk reports.

    The boy’s circumcision procedure was held incorrectly in one of the private surgeries of Atyrau city. The Chief Doctor of the children hospital Nurkabyl Aitmukhambetov confirmed the fact when the boy was hospitalized. The boy was transferred to Astana for treatment at the urological department of the National Center of Mother and Child of Kazakhstan.

    Aitmukhambetov said that the boy’s circumcision was made on August 21, several days before his 5th birthday. “The doctor who made the circumcision braced the penis balanus too tightly damaging the blood circulation and caused soft tissue necrosis,” the Head Doctor explained, adding that this is the second case of such failure in this private practice.

    “In the first case the parents applied to the hospital in time. But in this case, when the complications started to appear the parents went to surgeon who made the procedure. He said that everything was fine and the boy returned back home. As a result we now have to discuss the genitals amputation,” Aitmukhambetov said.

    “I have filed a complaint against the private surgical practice to the local Department of Medical and Pharmaceutical Activity Control Committee of Kazakhstan,” Aitmukhambetov added.

    The Committee confirmed that they had received two complained against the surgical practice: one from the prosecution office and another from the children’s hospital. An investigation commission for the case is being formed, it said.

    Another grave mistake was made during a circumcisions in Karaganda last year: the surgeon removed the penis balanus of a 5-y.o. boy during the circumcision in May, 2012. The boy’s parents sued the hospital, where the procedure was made.

    In August this year Kyzylorda branch of Nur Otan political party organized a campaign called Alpamys Goes to School that involved free circumcision services to 200 children in local hospitals.

  52. See the entire article, with photos of this case, at:

    http://www.cirp.org/library/complications/woodside2/

    AMERICAN JOURNAL OF DISEASES OF CHILDREN, Volume 134, Number 3: Pages 301-302, March 1980.

    Necrotizing fasciitis after neonatal circumcision

    Jeffrey R. Woodside, MD

    • A 6-day-old infant had extensive necrotizing fasciitis involving most of the abdominal wall develop after circumcision with a Plastibell device (Hollister, Inc). He survived this life-threatening infection after vigorous cardiovascular support, antibiotic therapy, and aggressive surgical debridement. The diagnosis, bacteriology, and management of necrotizing fasciitis are briefly discussed. The technical aspects and complications of Gomco (Gomco Surgical Manufacturing Corp) and Plastibell circumcision are compared. Strangulation and devitalization of the prepuce is invariably associated with Plastibell circumcision, and it may render neonates circumcised by this technique more susceptible to serious wound infection.
    (Am J Dis Child 134:301-302, 1980)

  53. Petrina Fadel says:

    May 29, 2013 at 5:20 pm

    http://www.suntimes.com/news/metro/20417085-418/jury-awards-13m-for-newborns-botched-circumcision-attorneys.html

    Jury awards $1.3M for newborn’s botched circumcision: attorneys

    Sun-Times Media May 29, 2013 2:36PM
    Updated: May 29, 2013 2:50PM

    A baby who suffered a partial amputation of his penis during a botched
    circumcision performed when he was 12 hours old has been awarded a
    judgment of more than $1.3 million, according to attorneys for the
    child’s family.

    The verdict was returned to the family of the boy, now 5, by a Cook
    County jury on Tuesday, according to a statement from the family’s
    attorneys.

    Defendant Marc S. Feldstein, M.D., delivered Daniel Burden on Oct. 4,
    2007, at Northwestern Memorial’s Prentice Women’s Hospital, the
    statement said. The following morning, during a circumcision procedure,
    a portion of the distal tip of the boy’s penis was inadvertently
    amputated, according to the statement from the attorneys.

    The child was rushed to Children’s Memorial Hospital, where a pediatric
    urologist successfully re-attached it. Though he will be left with
    moderate scarring and is at risk for altered nerve sensation in the
    affected area, his penis should be fully functional, the statement said.

    The trial began May 16 and ended Tuesday with the jury awarding the
    family $1,357,901.12, according to the statement.

    “I’m sure that [the boy]will be grateful that this injury was not as
    devastating as it could have been,” attorney Timothy Tomasik of Tomasik
    Kotin Kasserman said in the statement. “But he will always be
    different, and that is something he has to live with for the rest of
    his life.”

    Northwestern didn’t immediately comment on the case.

  54. http://www.news24.com/SouthAfrica/News/R10m-lawsuit-after-botched-circumcision-20130607

    R10m lawsuit after botched circumcision
    2013-06-07 14:43

    Barberton – The national and Mpumalanga health departments are being sued for R10.7m after a botched circumcision in which a 9-year-old boy lost the tip of his penis.

    A Sapa correspondent reported on Friday that the boy, who cannot be named because he is a minor, was mutilated at Barberton Hospital five years ago.

    “The matter has been referred to the State attorney, as we were sued for alleged medical negligence for an amount of R10.7m,” Mpumalanga health spokesperson Ronnie Masilela said.

    “At this stage, we have only received a letter of demand and summons will surely be served, but it has not yet been served.”

    Documentation

    Lawyer Milile Labe, who is representing the boy’s family, said the case had been taken to the North Gauteng High Court in Pretoria.

    “The case is before the Pretoria High Court as we speak. The court has asked that we provide information on the kind of treatment the boy underwent. I have requested the file from the hospital in order for us to be able to proceed with the case,” said Labe.

    Once the proper documentation had been presented to court, the summons would be signed by the court clerk and served, he said.

    Earlier, national health spokesperson Fidel Hadebe said the provincial department was better placed to handle the matter.

    “Lawsuits of this nature are being made against respective MECs. It is at provincial level that service delivery takes place, not nationally,” Hadebe said.

    However, the department was concerned about incidents of negligence that led to lawsuits.

    “The department is currently putting in place measures that are geared at improving the quality of care so that, hopefully, we don’t have incidents of negligence and lawsuits.

    “We expect affected departments to take measures against those healthcare workers who are found to be responsible for these incidents of negligence,” said Hadebe.

    Sexual dysfunction

    The boy’s mother, who also cannot be named to protect his identity, said a medical intern had performed the procedure on her son, who was now in Grade 3 at a primary school in Barberton.

    “The intern attached the glans back on the penis, but after five days it fell off. I took the piece back to the hospital, where they put it into a container. They then sent my son and the piece to Pretoria to get it reattached, but that procedure failed as well.

    “To this day my boy still feels pain in his groin, especially when he tries to urinate,” she said.

    The doctor told her the boy needed to undergo further medical treatment to be able to have sex in future.

    “I made this shocking discovery after my lawyer took the boy to the doctor,” said the mother.

    A report by urologist Mohamed Haffejee – which is part of the documents submitted to court – confirmed that the boy would experience problems later in life.

    “In future he may have some sexual dysfunction related to decreased sensation and inability to reach orgasm due to the amputation of the glans.

    “There may also be resulting psycho-social problems as a consequence of the amputation, related to low self-esteem,” Mohamed’s report stated.

  55. http://www.jewishpress.com/news/breaking-news/baby-dies-in-israeli-hospital-following-circumcision/2013/06/07/

    Baby Dies in Israeli Hospital following Circumcision

    The circumcision had actually been performed flawlessly, and apparently
    baby choked during feeding.
    By: Yori Yanover Published: June 7th, 2013

    Wolfson Medical Center

    A newborn baby who was hospitalized in serious condition at Wolfson
    Medical Center in Holon, Israel, from complications following a rite of
    circumcision, passed away on Friday. Both Chief Rabbis and the Chief
    Rabbinate of Israel expressed their sorrow to the mourning family.

    The Chief Rabbinate of Israel stated that “immediately after the
    initial report of the incident, the director of the dept. of
    circumcisions in the Chief Rabbinate was in constant contact with the
    mohel (ritual circumciser) who conducted the rite, with the doctors who
    treated the baby at the Wolfson Medical Center, and with the senior
    physicians who are members of the joint circumcisions committee of the
    Ministry of Health and the Rabbinate.”

    It was reported by the rabbinate that “since the initial diagnosis, the
    doctors who treated the baby were convinced that the complication in
    the baby’s condition was not the result of the circumcision but
    resulted from a previously existing medical condition. Later treatments
    administered to the baby confirmed this determination.”

    “An investigation revealed that the mohel who performed the
    circumcision is a veteran, certified mohel,” said the Rabbinate’s
    statement. “The mohel followed procedure and performed a test on the
    baby after the rite. Only about half an hour after circumcision did
    signs of the medical complication in the child began to appear, not
    related to the circumcision itself. The mohel accompanied the family to
    the hospital.”

    A week ago, at about 11 AM, MDA paramedics were called to a synagogue
    in Holon, after an infant who had undergone a rite of circumcision
    there had stopped breathing and lost consciousness, shortly after the
    ceremony. The rescue crew took him to Wolfson Medical Center. After
    resuscitation in the hospital shock room, the baby’s condition
    stabilized.

    Hatzolah volunteer Yehuda Mizrachi, who was among the first on the
    scene, told Channel 2 News: “We received a call about an unconscious
    baby. When I arrived I found a completely blue baby, not breathing and
    without a pulse. We started resuscitation and massaging, until the
    ambulance arrived and took him to the hospital.”

    After investigating the circumstances of the case, it was discovered
    that the circumcision had actually been performed flawlessly, and
    apparently baby choked during feeding.

    “The bris had concluded safely and then everyone sat down to eat,”
    Abraham, a friend of the family, related. “He was nursing from his
    mother and then she put him in his cart. At some point we noticed that
    the child was not responding and had turned blue.”

    “One of the guests called the MDA, and with their guidelines performed
    a cardiac massage,” added Abraham, described the event. “Then the
    rescue team continued the efforts, along with the MDA.”

  56. http://english.alarabiya.net/en/News/middle-east/2013/06/10/Egyptian-girl-dies-while-being-circumcised.html

    Egyptian girl dies while being circumcised
    Monday, 10 June 2013
    Al Arabiya

    A 13-year-old Egyptian girl has died while being circumcised at a private village in the Daqahliya governorate north east of Cairo, Egyptian media reported on Sunday.

    “We left our daughter with the doctor and the nurse. 15 minutes later, the nurse took my daughter out of the operation room to a nearby room, along with three other girls whom the doctor was circumcising,” Mohammed Ibrahim, a farmer, told al-Masry al-Youm.

    “I waited half an hour, hoping that my daughter would wake up, but, unfortunately, unlike the rest of the girls, she did not,” he said.

    The doctor who circumcised Suhair al-Bata’a had previously circumcised the victim’s elder sister two years ago.

    “I want nothing but to hold the doctor accountable and to have justice for my daughter,” the victim’s mother, Hasanat Naeem Fawzy, told the newspaper.

    The police summoned the doctor and ordered an autopsy to find out the cause of the young girl’s death.

    A health inspector report explained the cause of the death was due to “a sharp drop in blood pressure resulting from shock trauma,” the family’s lawyer, Abdel Salam, told al-Masry al-Youm.

    Egypt’s National Council for Women condemned the deadly incident of female circumcision as a criminal act that reflects “extreme savagery,” calling on the government to investigate the issue and punish the culprits.

    UNICEF Egypt has also condemned the incident, saying female circumcision has no justification, medical or religious.

    Abdel Wahab Suleiman, undersecretary of the Ministry of Health in Daqahliya, who said that the Health Directorate had not yet been notified of the incident, described Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) as against the law.

    In 1996, Egypt criminalized FGM; however, many families still bring their daughters to be illegally circumcised. In 2009, Egyptian authorities arrested a man for the first time since FGM’s ban was introduced. The man was arrested for his illegal circumcision of an eleven-year-old girl in the governorate of Minya, 600 kilometers south of Cairo.

  57. http://www.saudigazette.com.sa/index.cfm?method=home.regcon&contentid=20130613169689

    Saudi Gazette

    Circumcision doctor verdict due Sunday

    Majed Al-Seghairi
    Okaz/Saudi Gazette

    MADINAH — A medical Shariah committee has set next Sunday as a preliminary date for the public right sentencing of a doctor who allegedly performed botched circumcision procedures in Madinah.

    ENT specialist Dr. Naser Al-Sayed is accused of performing procedures that resulted in the complete loss of the penises of two babies and 50 percent damage to the genital areas of another five.

    The scheduled third hearing will also include the review of all medical reports before any verdict and sentencing.

    The owner of the polyclinic where the doctor worked, or its representative, did not attend the previous session.

    It was, however, attended by the clinic’s lawyer Abdulrahman Al-Muhammadi and the fathers of the seven affected babies.

    The session was attended by judge Badr Al-Tuwalah, surgery consultant at the local children’s hospital Dr. Hussain Sunduqji, the defendant, the Egyptian consulate’s official in charge of Egyptian affairs Ahmad Zaki, and friends of the doctor.

    The session began with what was supposed to be the testimony of Al-Sayed, who refused to testify.

    He said his lawyer will submit his defense at the next hearing.

    The doctor then left the court under tight security and the committee called the families of the affected babies.

    The fathers showed the committee photos of the affected organs and condemned the irresponsibility of the polyclinic for allowing an ENT doctor to perform such procedures.

    They also questioned the future of the affected babies who could not urinate normally and those who lost their penises.

    A medical report has accused the doctor of performing procedures that were not part of his specialty.

    The medical report also specified the percentage of damage of the affected babies’ penises.

    The committee has postponed sentencing in the private rights cases brought by the babies’ families, pending medical reports from King Faisal Specialist Hospital (KFSH).

    The babies will be admitted to KFSH this month for examinations and possible treatment.

    The medical Shariah committee issued a directive last Saturday for detaining the doctor.

    A specialist committee is expected to arrive in Madinah to examine the babies and submit its report to the medical Shariah committee.

    The families expressed gratitude to Madinah Emir Prince Faisal Bin Salman for his concern and instructions to concerned authorities to provide the best possible treatment for the babies.

  58. http://www.iol.co.za/news/crime-courts/r2-2m-for-boy-s-botched-circumcision-1.1534852

    R2.2m for boy’s botched circumcision

    June 20 2013 at 10:51am
    By Sharika Regchand

    Durban – The parents of a boy whose circumcision was botched at a Vryheid hospital were awarded R2.2 million to be paid within 14 days by the provincial Health Department, Deputy Judge President Achmat Jappie ordered in the Pietermaritzburg High Court on Wednesday.

    Judge Jappie also ordered that the department pay all the family’s legal costs.

    The mother of the child, now nine, sued the department on behalf of her son following his circumcision in October 2009.

    He suffered severe burning, infections and a loss of his normal penile tissue after the procedure.

    Plastic and reconstructive surgeon Paul McGarr said in a report before the court that he was “completely amazed by the inertia, lack of a sense of urgency and lack of sensitivity shown by the doctors” who initially managed the child.

    McGarr went into detail as to how the child’s injury had occurred and commented that the standard of practice and aftercare at the hospital constituted gross negligence by staff who had failed to follow the most basic principles of surgery.

    “The words lazy, incompetent and disinterested accurately describe the treating doctor’s actions,” he said.

    “In essence, nine minutes of a rushed, incompetent circumcision has significantly and severely impacted on the child for the rest of his life.”

    Attorney Sonette Boning said the boy’s parents were happy that the matter had been finalised after four years.

    She said they were not on medical aid and had found it difficult to get him the best medical and psychological treatment.

    He would also need to have further surgery.

    The mother previously told The Mercury that it was difficult for her son and there had been a big change in his life.

    “He went through a lot of anxiety, fear and psychological trauma. He also lost his self-confidence,” she said, recalling days when her son had panic attacks and times when she could do nothing to help him feel better.

  59. Petrina Fadel says:

    June 28, 2013 at 5:35 pm

    http://www.savingsons.org/2013/06/healthy-newborn-dies-post-circumcision.html

    (Photos of Jayvas Carson at the link above.)
    Friday, June 21, 2013

    Healthy Newborn Dies Post Circumcision Hemorrhage

    • Jayvas was born naturally on November 15th 2008, a very healthy baby boy. He was full term.

    • On 11-28-2008 he was circumcised by Dr. Beth Martin of Coeur d’Alene Pediatrics. While in the office he bled excessively. It took about fifteen minutes of constant pressure to the sight to get Jayvas to stop bleeding. He was sent home from the doctor’s office with instruction to have his blood checked the following week as it was a Friday. Dr. Beth Martin thought he may have a bleeding disorder because of the excessive bleeding, but did not think it needed to be checked until the following week.

    • When home and beginning to change his diaper, about an hour and half after leaving doctor’s office, he was again bleeding.

    • Jayvas was taken to Kootenai emergency room, where he saw Dr. Henry Amon Jr. When Jayvas arrived his diaper was full of blood. Dr. Amon examined Jayvas and said that it is normal for babies to bleed after they have been circumcised. He said there was nothing he could do – that Jayvas was not ‘bleeding enough.’ He was told about the visit with Dr. Martin and that she thought Jayvas may have a bleeding disorder. He ordered for Jayvas’ blood to be drawn. While at the hospital, Jayvas filled two diapers with blood. Dr. Amon saw the diapers and again said it was normal. Jayvas was sent home after Dr. Amon said that there was nothing that could be done and that it was completely normal.

    • Jayvas was taken home where he continued to bleed.

    • He was rushed backed back to the emergency room a couple hours later, with blood soaked through his diaper and onto his clothes. He was lethargic and very pale. Jayvas was examined by Dr. Jeffrey Zurosky. Dr. Zurosky immediately put SurgiSeal on the circumcision site. The bleeding stopped immediately. Dr. Zurosky contacted Dr. Neff from CDA pediatrics to find out what treatment he would like done with Jayvas. Dr. Terrence Neff said to give Jayvas a vitamin K shot and ordered more blood tests to be done and wanted to see Jayvas the following morning. Dr. Neff said that Jayvas did not need a blood transfusion.

    • The following morning, Saturday, Jayvas was seen by Dr. Terrence Neff at CDA Pediatrics. He said that Jayvas lost over 30 percent of his blood. He was still waiting for the results of the blood tests. He again said Jayvas did not need a blood transfusion, and that he would replace the blood volume on his own. He said he wanted Jayvas to take an iron supplement, and that he would recheck him on Monday.

    • Jayvas did not bleed anymore following the SurgiSeal application.

    • Jayvas was seen again by Dr. Terrence Neff on Monday. At this appointment Dr. Neff rechecked Jayvas’ blood and said that Jayvas lost over 40% of his blood. Dr. Neff said that Jayvas lost a lot of blood, but again said that Jayvas did not need a blood transfusion. He said that babies are miraculous creatures and he would replace the blood in no time. He said that Jayvas was fine and would not need to be rechecked until his next well baby exam. Jayvas was still pale at this time. Dr. Neff repeated that it was normal for the blood he lost with circumcision, but that he would replace the blood on his own.

    • Jayvas’ blood tests came back. Jayvas did not have any kind of bleeding disorders, yet he bled excessively from the circumcision that was performed by Dr. Beth Martin of Coeur d’Alene Pediatrics.

    • On Christmas night Jayvas began coughing a little bit. He also had a very small amount of blood under his nose and in his mouth. It was thought to come from his nose.

    • Jayvas was seen by Dr. Terrence Neff on the 26th of December for the cough. Dr. Neff admitted Jayvas to Kootenai Hospital for pneumonia.

    • When Jayvas arrived at the hospital he was breathing just over 100 breaths a minute. It was ordered for him to be put on oxygen and they started antibiotics for the pneumonia. His breathing rate immediately slowed when he was given oxygen. He stayed on the oxygen until the 29th. He was taken off the antibiotics after it was discovered Jayvas did not have bacterial pneumonia. When Jayvas’ blood was checked, his blood count was still low. Jayvas stayed at the hospital until the 30th of December when Dr. Neff discharged him. Dr. Neff said there was nothing more they could do and that Jayvas would continue to get better at home. Jayvas still had a cough and a low blood count.

    • The evening Jayvas was discharged he began taking longer pauses in his breathing followed by a few fast breaths. Jayvas was taken back to Kootenai hospital. While on the way, CDA Pediatrics was called to see if he could be brought back to the pediatrics unit without going through emergency. Dr. Beth Martin advised that Jayvas was fine. She said Jayvas just got out of the hospital – he had to be okay after just being released. She said that it probably seems worse than it really is from parents being paranoid from the hospital stay. She said that she would see Jayvas at the office if he was still having problems in the morning.

    • Jayvas was taken to see Dr. Beth Martin at CDA Pediatrics on December 31st. She examined Jayvas and said he was doing good. Jayvas was still breathing fast with longer pauses. He was also making grunting noises while breathing. Dr. Martin agreed to monitor Jayvas’ oxygen stats for twenty minutes. During this time Dr. Martin was never in the room, she had the nurse come in a couple times to read the monitor. The nurse noted that Jayvas was making “funny” noises while breathing. Jayvas’ oxygen readings ranged from the mid-eighties to the mid-nineties. Dr. Martin came back into the room after twenty minutes. Dr. Martin said that his oxygen saturation was fine and that he was doing good. She said Jayvas did not need to be seen until his next well baby exam. Dr. Martin then agreed that she would check Jayvas’ weight, but if he had not lost any weight that there would be nothing she could do. Jayvas had not lost any weight since at the hospital, nor had he gained any. Dr. Martin said there was nothing more she could do and that Jayvas was doing well.

    • About an hour after leaving Dr. Martin’s office Jayvas began making even more grunting noises and was breathing even faster. Jayvas was taken to see Dr. Terrence Neff at CDA pediatrics. While bringing Jayvas into the office blood was noticed in his mouth. Jayvas was brought in emergently without an appointment. Dr. Neff saw Jayvas. Dr. Neff saw the blood in Jayvas’ mouth. Dr. Neff noted that Jayvas was breathing ninety breaths per minute. Dr. Neff noted that Jayvas was making grunting noises while breathing. Dr. Neff said Jayvas was back to the same condition as he was when he was admitted to Kootenai Hospital. Dr. Neff said he did not know what was wrong with Jayvas. Dr. Neff went and made a phone call and came back to the room, saying he did not know what was wrong with Jayvas. Dr. Neff said that he wanted Jayvas to be admitted and seen by a specialist in Spokane at Sacred Heart Children’s Hospital. Dr. Neff said to drive Jayvas to the hospital. When asked about having Jayvas transported by ambulance Dr. Neff said it was not necessary, that he would be fine if he was driven there in a private car. When asked about the blood present, he could not explain where it came from or why he would have blood in his mouth. Dr. Neff was asked again if he was sure it was okay for Jayvas to be driven by private car to Spokane in the condition that Jayvas was in. Dr. Terrence Neff of Coeur d’Alene Pediatrics chuckled and again said yes, ‘as long as you don’t stop for burgers and shakes along the way’ Jayvas will be fine.

    • Jayvas was transported by private car to Spokane, WA from Coeur d’Alene, ID on December 31st, 2008. This was one of the worst winters, with record breaking amounts of snow for the Coeur d’Alene/Spokane area. While in route to Sacred Heart, Jayvas went into full cardiac arrest. Jayvas was taken to the closest emergency room. When Jayvas arrived there he was not breathing and had no pulse. The emergency doctors worked on Jayvas for over 20 minutes before getting his heart to begin beating again. Jayvas was placed on full life support and transported to Sacred Heart Children’s Hospital.

    • Jayvas arrived at Sacred Heart Children’s Hospital on December 31st 2008. The doctors there said that Jayvas was very sick because of the loss of oxygen during the cardiac arrest. Jayvas was given a blood transfusion at sacred heart. Jayvas never replenished the blood he had lost from circumcision. He had a few tests done and it was confirmed that Jayvas was completely brain dead from the loss of oxygen during the cardiac arrest. Jayvas continued to go into cardiac arrest at Sacred Heart. The doctors said they would no longer perform CPR because of the damage that had been done from the initial cardiac arrest. Jayvas’ body quit for the last time on January 1st 2009.

    • Dr. Neff has said that he considered Jayvas to be stable when he saw him. Jayvas was breathing at 90 breaths a minute, grunting noises, oxygen saturation in the low 90s, with blood noted and visible in his mouth from no obvious source, pale in color, and had a low hemoglobin count when Dr. Neff saw him. Dr. Neff was asked if he could go back and do anything differently knowing now that Jayvas went into cardiac arrest while in transport in a private car via his instruction, would he do anything differently? Dr. Neff said even knowing the outcome he would not have changed a single thing that was done when he saw Jayvas. He still would have advised to drive Jayvas in a private car.

    Source: Public sharing on 5.23.13 on CraigsList at: http://spokane.craigslist.org/vnn/3825460019.html

    This little one’s story was flagged by readers and removed from CraigsList on 6.20.13 It is shared here so that his suffering and loss are not in vain. Please, research thoroughly before your son’s arrival.

  60. http://www.newvision.co.ug/news/645118-man-loses-penis-in-medical-circumcision.html

    Man loses penis in medical circumcision Publish Date: Jul 16, 2013

    By Paul Kiwuuwa and Simon Masaba

    At 44 years, Patrick Izimba, is a lost man after he lost his penis to a botched male medical circumcision procedure in a private clinic. Izimba is at Mulago Hospital’s Urology Ward 2A, where he has endured pain for the past three weeks. Speaking
    with teary eyes, Izimba curses the day he read a sign post at the private clinic that offers free male medical circumcision. “I underwent an operation at Medik Medical Centre Limited in Kawempe,” he says. “Free things are expensive they have cost me a life. I depend on pain relievers. My penis is falling off and requires me to wear a skirt.”

    “Pain killers have become my daily bread because if I do not take them,
    I cannot sleep,” Izimba narrates. Izimba has a catheter connected to
    his bladder to allow urine to flow out. He says Dr. Francis Kakooza, an
    employee with Medik Medical Centre, carried out the operation under the
    supervision of Dr. Edward Kunoya, the clinic’s director and proprietor.
    The clinic is located along Bombo Road, Keti-Falawo zone, Kawempe
    division. Start of his woes

    On the fateful day, Izimba met Dr. Kunonya who told him the
    circumcision was free, but he had to pay sh20,000 for the drugs. Izimba
    paid the money and was asked to bring Jik and a polythene bag to place
    on the surgical table. He recalls that before the surgery, Dr. Kakooza
    administered an injection which was painful. “I objected to the
    operation, but Kunonya shouted at me: ‘Be a man, don’t fear.’
    Meanwhile, Kunonya sprayed something on my nose that threw me into
    sudden deep sleep,” Izimba recalls. He woke up three hours later. “My
    penis was very stiff and I had lost a lot of blood. They bandaged the
    penis to prevent further bleeding. Kunonya, Kakooza and two
    unidentified ladies surrounded me,” “Kunonya transferred me to another
    room and I was put on a drip. I was weak. They gave me tablets to
    swallow. I had a sleepless night due to the pain and the penis remained
    stiff. The following day I reported for dressing in terrible pain, the
    penis skin became dry and pale,” he says. On the third day, Izimba’s
    penis was still stiff; the skin had tuned so dark and began to peel
    off. However, Kunonya insisted I dress the wound using warm water mixed
    with salt. When it worsened, Kunonya, accompanied by Kakooza, took me
    to Mulago Hospital where one Dr. George Masaba admitted me under ward
    2A, on registration number 2152246. Dr. Kunonya gave me sh5,000 and
    visited me only once. Clinic’s response

    Efforts to talk to Dr. Masaba, were futile as he refused to talk. When
    contacted, Dr. Kunonya said: “I know Izimba as a patient who sought for
    male medical circumcision in my clinic. However, Dr. Francis Kakooza
    operated him successfully. We used sterilised equipment to carry out
    the operation.” “Izimba developed a complication during the recovery
    period during the dressing when the skin started peeling off. I
    referred Izimba immediately to a specialist in Mulago Hospital as any
    trained personnel do in case of emergency.

    But I am not under obligation to pay his medical bills. However, I have
    visited him once. Probably Izimba did not use the drugs as instructed.
    Many patients have undergone operation in the clinic, but they heal
    within one week,” Kunonya said.

    Expert opinion A medical worker on routine ward duty at Mulago Hospital
    who preferred to speak on condition of anonymity described Izimba’s
    condition as “gangrene.” This means that blood supply to the penis has
    been cut off, evidenced by the pale skin. “I suspect they injected
    certain drugs in the penile vein which blocked the supply of the blood
    to the penis, rendering the skin dry, causing the rotting,” the medical
    doctor says. He, however, says there is hope with plastic surgery to
    reconstruct the penis, to enable him pass urine, but not fulfill his
    conjugal rights. Enock Kusasira, the Mulago Hospital spokesperson, says
    plastic surgery is free of charge in the public ward.

    Police intervenes

    Siraje Bakaleke, the divisional Police commander, Kawempe Police
    Station, told Sunday Vision that Izimba’s relatives reported the matter
    to the Police on May 28 under JEF/May28/2013 and investigations are
    ongoing. Bakaleke says the Police is still waiting for a medical report
    from Mulago Hospital.Izimba is married with two wives and seven
    children. He sells animal feeds in Bwaise, a city suburb.

    Izimba’s relatives have also filed a case with the Uganda Medical and
    Dental Practitioners Council complaining of unprofessional conduct by
    Dr. Kakooza. The council has taken up the case because the clinic where
    the incident happened is registered under the medical council. Dr.
    Katumba Ssentongo, the registrar of the Medical and Dental
    Practitioners Council says: “We are waiting for a report from Dr.
    Kunonya pending investigating circumstances under which the medical
    operation was done.” The Government, under the Ministry of Health, has
    been encouraging men from the age of 18 and above to undergo safe male
    medical circumcision as one of the measures to prevent the spread of
    HIV.

  61. http://www.iol.co.za/news/south-africa/gauteng/child-dies-after-circumcision-at-hospital-1.1563203

    South Africa – Child dies after circumcision at hospital

    August 16 2013 at 07:59am
    By VUYO MKIZE

    THE STAR

    Reggie Mokalapa is still in shock after his son Gugulethu, 4, was declared brain dead after undergoing a circumcision at a Germiston hospital. Photo: Bongiwe Mchunu

    Johannesburg – “They killed my child.” These were the pained words of a Germiston father whose son had to be taken off life support on Wednesday evening after he was declared brain dead by two surgeons following a medical circumcision operation a week ago.

    Reggie Mokalapa, 39, took his four-year-old son, Gugulethu, to Medicross Germiston for what doctors had assured him would be a “less than two-hour” procedure last Tuesday.

    “We arrived just after 7am on Tuesday; nurses gave him a sort of oral anaesthetic and put a nebuliser over his nose. The sister said that for him not to be scared, his mother should be with him until he dozed off and would go with him to the theatre,” he said.

    Mokalapa went to wait outside in their car and, minutes later, his wife Wilhemina joined him.

    “She went back inside to get something to drink, and a few minutes later, she came back and told me he was out of theatre,” he said, touching a framed photograph of Gugulethu.

    Mokalapa’s wife touched their son and tried to open his eyelids – but he was still anaesthetised, nurses said, and the couple were assured he would wake up shortly as the medication would wear off.

    An hour later, Wilhemina asked the sister on duty to wake their son as Mokalapa needed to get to work.

    “It was at that point they realised he wasn’t breathing,” Mokalapa said.

    “His heart had stopped.

    “It took them a while to resuscitate him, around 10 to 15 minutes, but eventually his heart started beating again.”

    Gugulethu was then transferred to Netcare Sunward Park Hospital, where the attending doctor expressed extreme concern over his condition.

    “She recommended we take him to Netcare Garden City Hospital and requested immediate authorisation to airlift him there. Eventually, we used an ambulance and he was admitted to the paediatric ICU,” said Mokalapa.

    The hospital’s intensive care specialist and paediatrician, Dr Miles Bartlett, advised Mokalapa that there was a possibility of brain injury and, in such a case, doctors needed to cool Gugulethu’s body so that if there was any injury to the brain, it did not spread further.

    “They did that over four days, and on the fourth day, they started warming him up.

    What was concerning for the doctors was that his eyes were dilated and he wasn’t responding in any way,” said Mokalapa, his voice trailing off.

    On Sunday, monitors showed that Gugulethu’s brain was not responding, and on Monday he was declared brain dead.

    On Wednesday, a second doctor confirmed that Gugulethu was brain dead and the family elected for doctors to take him off life support.

    “We are always advised to circumcise our children young, and we did this so that he’d be okay in future. Unfortunately, we took him to a slaughterhouse,” said Mokalapa.

    He added that all he wanted from Medicross was acknowledgement of what they did wrong.

    “Obviously something went wrong… someone didn’t follow the correct protocol. Another child shouldn’t die of what I perceive as negligence on their part.”

    Sitting on Gugulethu’s bed covered with a blue racing-car duvet, Mokalapa described his son, who he affectionately called “Boy-Boy”, as “the most loving child”.

    “For a boy, he loved touching and hugging… he was very playful. It’s still so unbelievable.”

    Medicross responds

    Medicross director Dr Oelie van Schalkwyk on Thursday said the doctors and staff at the Germiston centre were “devastated” by what happened to Gugulethu.

    “Gugulethu was admitted to Netcare Garden City Hospital after complications following his procedure, and everything humanly possible had been done by the doctors and nurses at Germiston medical centre to assist him.

    “We are unable to speculate on the possible factors which may have contributed until it has been fully investigated and conclusively established precisely what transpired.

    “We will assist with investigations in every way possible.

    “We are extremely saddened about this tragedy and will do our utmost to assist the Mokalapa family where possible. Our heartfelt condolences go out to the Mokalapa family.”

  62. http://www.newvision.co.ug/news/646806-man-implicated-in-circumcision-gone-wrong.html

    Man implicated in circumcision-gone-wrong
    Sep 03, 2013
    By Abdukarim Ssengendo

    The Rwizi regional police office has intervened in a case in which a seven-year-old boy lost his penis during circumcision and has amended the case against the suspect, Muhammad Baryayanga.

    Baryayanga, a resident of Kikaza cell in Ruhaama, Ntungamo district, is suspected to have cut off the upper part of boy’s penis while circumcising him in May this year.

    The amendment of the charge on August 14 follows a complaint by the boy’s father, Julius Kamwesiga, the UPDF 2nd Division Mbarara liaison officer. He complained that the Ntungamo state attorney reduced the charge from causing grievous harm to a rush-and-neglect act.

    The Rwizi regional Police spokesperson, Polly Namaye, said they recalled the file from Ntungamo and amended the charge to acting with intent to cause grievous harm contrary to Section 216 of the Penal Code Act.

    On May 3, a case was reported at Ntungamo Police Station that Baryayanga, while circumcising a boy, cut off the upper part of his penis and investigations into the case were launched.

    He was arrested after a medical report from Mbarara Hospital, where the boy was admitted, indicated that grievous harm had been inflicted on him. Baryayanga was later released on Police bond.

    Namaye said the case file was taken to the state attorney of Ntungamo for sanctioning and the advice was that the suspect be charged with carrying out a rush-and-neglect act other than causing grievous harm as indicated in the medical report.

    She said they are seeking further advice from the Director of Public Prosecutions (DDP).

    Kamwesiga, dissatisfied with the state attorney’s advice, sought redress from the regional police office.

    He told New Vision last week that his son is being treated at a private hospital in Mbarara but needs to be taken abroad for further treatment.

    Meanwhile, the Imam of Ntungamo Mosque on June 14 wrote to Ntungamo Police Station introducing Baryayanga, saying he had been circumcising their children for the last three years.

    He said Baryayanga attended a circumcision course in Jinja after which he was awarded a certificate.

  63. http://en.tengrinews.kz/health/Genitals-of-5-yo-boy-may-be-amputated-due-to-failed-circumcision-in-Atyrau-22110/

    Genitals of 5-y.o. boy may be amputated due to failed circumcision in Atyrau

    Tuesday, 10.09.2013, 10:56

    The genitals of a 5-y.o. boy may be amputated because of a failed circumcision in Atyrau city, Ak-Zhaiyk reports.

    The boy’s circumcision procedure was held incorrectly in one of the private surgeries of Atyrau city. The Chief Doctor of the children hospital Nurkabyl Aitmukhambetov confirmed the fact when the boy was hospitalized. The boy was transferred to Astana for treatment at the urological department of the National Center of Mother and Child of Kazakhstan.

    Aitmukhambetov said that the boy’s circumcision was made on August 21, several days before his 5th birthday. “The doctor who made the circumcision braced the penis balanus too tightly damaging the blood circulation and caused soft tissue necrosis,” the Head Doctor explained, adding that this is the second case of such failure in this private practice.

    “In the first case the parents applied to the hospital in time. But in this case, when the complications started to appear the parents went to surgeon who made the procedure. He said that everything was fine and the boy returned back home. As a result we now have to discuss the genitals amputation,” Aitmukhambetov said.

    “I have filed a complaint against the private surgical practice to the local Department of Medical and Pharmaceutical Activity Control Committee of Kazakhstan,” Aitmukhambetov added.

    The Committee confirmed that they had received two complained against the surgical practice: one from the prosecution office and another from the children’s hospital. An investigation commission for the case is being formed, it said.

    Another grave mistake was made during a circumcisions in Karaganda last year: the surgeon removed the penis balanus of a 5-y.o. boy during the circumcision in May, 2012. The boy’s parents sued the hospital, where the procedure was made.

    In August this year Kyzylorda branch of Nur Otan political party organized a campaign called Alpamys Goes to School that involved free circumcision services to 200 children in local hospitals.

  64. See the entire article, with photos of this case, at:

    http://www.cirp.org/library/complications/woodside2/

    AMERICAN JOURNAL OF DISEASES OF CHILDREN, Volume 134, Number 3: Pages 301-302, March 1980.

    Necrotizing fasciitis after neonatal circumcision

    Jeffrey R. Woodside, MD

    • A 6-day-old infant had extensive necrotizing fasciitis involving most of the abdominal wall develop after circumcision with a Plastibell device (Hollister, Inc). He survived this life-threatening infection after vigorous cardiovascular support, antibiotic therapy, and aggressive surgical debridement. The diagnosis, bacteriology, and management of necrotizing fasciitis are briefly discussed. The technical aspects and complications of Gomco (Gomco Surgical Manufacturing Corp) and Plastibell circumcision are compared. Strangulation and devitalization of the prepuce is invariably associated with Plastibell circumcision, and it may render neonates circumcised by this technique more susceptible to serious wound infection.
    (Am J Dis Child 134:301-302, 1980)

  65. http://www.wmctv.com/story/23899878/a-look-ahead-mother-claims-doctor-disfigured-son-after-botched-circumcision

    A look ahead: Mother claims doctor disfigured son after ‘botched’ circumcision
    Posted: Nov 06, 2013 9:40 PM EST Updated: Nov 07, 2013 12:04 AM EST

    By Janice Broach

    (WMC-TV) – Circumcision for newborn boys is considered one of the most common medical procedures in the world. But one Memphis mother says her son was mutilated during the common surgery.

    Maggie Rhodes turned to the Action News Five Investigators to warn other parents about her experience.

    “When he was in the room, he was screaming like life and death like, like there wasn’t no tomorrow,” she said. “When she pulled back the cloth, like the thing was like gone.”

    Rhodes’ son will need reconstruction work to correct what she considers a botched procedure. According to the American Academy of Pediatrics 1 in 500 newborn boys experience significant acute complications as a result of circumcision.

  66. http://www.wmctv.com/story/23899878/a-look-ahead-mother-claims-doctor-disfigured-son-after-botched-circumcision

    A look ahead: Mother claims doctor disfigured son after ‘botched’ circumcision
    Posted: Nov 06, 2013 9:40 PM EST Updated: Nov 07, 2013 12:04 AM EST

    By Janice Broach

    (WMC-TV) – Circumcision for newborn boys is considered one of the most common medical procedures in the world. But one Memphis mother says her son was mutilated during the common surgery.

    Maggie Rhodes turned to the Action News Five Investigators to warn other parents about her experience.

    “When he was in the room, he was screaming like life and death like, like there wasn’t no tomorrow,” she said. “When she pulled back the cloth, like the thing was like gone.”

    Rhodes’ son will need reconstruction work to correct what she considers a botched procedure. According to the American Academy of Pediatrics 1 in 500 newborn boys experience significant acute complications as a result of circumcision.

  67. http://www.emirates247.com/news/18-day-old-baby-s-organ-partially-cut-off-during-circumcision-2013-11-14-1.528015

    18-day-old baby’s organ partially cut off during circumcision

    By Staff

    Published Thursday, November 14, 2013

    An Arab doctor accidentally cut off the top of the genital organ of an 18-day-old Saudi boy during circumcision, prompting the hospital to call a well known pediatric surgeon for an urgent operation, a newspaper in the Gulf Kingdom reported on Thursday.

    The doctor tried to correct his mistake by stitching the severed part but the bleeding did not stop and the boy could not stop screaming of pain, Sabq said.

    “The hospital then called a pediatric surgeon from King Abdul Aziz Hospital for an urgent surgery…the doctor managed to stop the bleeding and restore the severed part,” the paper said in a report from the western Saudi town of Taif.

  68. http://www.emirates247.com/news/18-day-old-baby-s-organ-partially-cut-off-during-circumcision-2013-11-14-1.528015

    18-day-old baby’s organ partially cut off during circumcision

    By Staff

    Published Thursday, November 14, 2013

    An Arab doctor accidentally cut off the top of the genital organ of an 18-day-old Saudi boy during circumcision, prompting the hospital to call a well known pediatric surgeon for an urgent operation, a newspaper in the Gulf Kingdom reported on Thursday.

    The doctor tried to correct his mistake by stitching the severed part but the bleeding did not stop and the boy could not stop screaming of pain, Sabq said.

    “The hospital then called a pediatric surgeon from King Abdul Aziz Hospital for an urgent surgery…the doctor managed to stop the bleeding and restore the severed part,” the paper said in a report from the western Saudi town of Taif.

  69. http://www.courthousenews.com/2013/12/05/63485.htm

    Mom Claims Rabbi Botched Circumcision

    By NICK DIVITO

    BROOKLYN (CN) – A rabbi botched the bris of an infant who had a birth defect involving his penis, and then failed to preserve the foreskin, the boy’s mother claims in Kings County Superior Court.
    Rabbi Eliyahu Shain performed the bris on Benjamin Altman in December 2009 at New York University Medical Center’s Pediatric Associates of New York City.
    But the boy’s mother, Staci H. Altman, says the mohel failed to recognize that the boy had hypospadias, a medical condition where the urethra develops on the underside of the penis.
    Since then, the boy’s permanent injuries have caused him to suffer “great physical pain and mental anguish and loss of enjoyment of life,” according to the lawsuit.
    The circumcision was allegedly performed “outside of a hospital or appropriate medical facility,” but the complaint does not specify where.
    A hospital spokeswoman did not immediately respond to a request for comment Thursday.
    The boy’s mother seeks unspecified actual and punitive damages for negligence.
    She and her son are represented by John Bailly with Bailly and McMillan.

    http://failedmessiah.typepad.com/failed_messiahcom/2013/12/famous-chabad-mohel-allegedly-botched-bris-permanently-damaged-child-678.html

    December 06, 2013

    Famous Chabad Mohel Allegedly Botched Bris, Permanently Damaged Child

    Rabbi Eliyahu Shain, a famous Crown Heights-based Chabad rabbi-mohel, allegedly botched the circumcision of a child, causing that child “great physical pain and mental anguish and loss of enjoyment of life” and permanent damage.

    Famous Chabad Mohel Allegedly Botched Bris, Permanently Damaged Child
    Shmarya Rosenberg • FailedMessiah.com

    Rabbi Eliyahu Shain, a famous Crown Heights-based Chabad rabbi-mohel, allegedly botched the circumcision of a child, causing that child “great physical pain and mental anguish and loss of enjoyment of life” and permanent damage, Courthouse News reported.

    Benjamin Altman was allegedly born with hypospadias, a birth defect in which the urethra develops outside the body on the underside of the penis.

    Shain – who has more than 40 years of experience and who claims to have done over 20,000 circumcisions – circumcised the boy at New York University Medical Center’s Pediatric Associates of New York City in December 2009 but allegedly failed to recognize the birth defect or preserve the foreskin needed to repair it, the boy’s mother, Staci H. Altman, alleges in a suit reportedly filed in Kings County (Brooklyn) Superior Court. She is reportedly asking for unspecified actual and punitive damages.

  70. http://www.courthousenews.com/2013/12/05/63485.htm

    Mom Claims Rabbi Botched Circumcision

    By NICK DIVITO

    BROOKLYN (CN) – A rabbi botched the bris of an infant who had a birth defect involving his penis, and then failed to preserve the foreskin, the boy’s mother claims in Kings County Superior Court.
    Rabbi Eliyahu Shain performed the bris on Benjamin Altman in December 2009 at New York University Medical Center’s Pediatric Associates of New York City.
    But the boy’s mother, Staci H. Altman, says the mohel failed to recognize that the boy had hypospadias, a medical condition where the urethra develops on the underside of the penis.
    Since then, the boy’s permanent injuries have caused him to suffer “great physical pain and mental anguish and loss of enjoyment of life,” according to the lawsuit.
    The circumcision was allegedly performed “outside of a hospital or appropriate medical facility,” but the complaint does not specify where.
    A hospital spokeswoman did not immediately respond to a request for comment Thursday.
    The boy’s mother seeks unspecified actual and punitive damages for negligence.
    She and her son are represented by John Bailly with Bailly and McMillan.

    http://failedmessiah.typepad.com/failed_messiahcom/2013/12/famous-chabad-mohel-allegedly-botched-bris-permanently-damaged-child-678.html

    December 06, 2013

    Famous Chabad Mohel Allegedly Botched Bris, Permanently Damaged Child

    Rabbi Eliyahu Shain, a famous Crown Heights-based Chabad rabbi-mohel, allegedly botched the circumcision of a child, causing that child “great physical pain and mental anguish and loss of enjoyment of life” and permanent damage.

    Famous Chabad Mohel Allegedly Botched Bris, Permanently Damaged Child
    Shmarya Rosenberg • FailedMessiah.com

    Rabbi Eliyahu Shain, a famous Crown Heights-based Chabad rabbi-mohel, allegedly botched the circumcision of a child, causing that child “great physical pain and mental anguish and loss of enjoyment of life” and permanent damage, Courthouse News reported.

    Benjamin Altman was allegedly born with hypospadias, a birth defect in which the urethra develops outside the body on the underside of the penis.

    Shain – who has more than 40 years of experience and who claims to have done over 20,000 circumcisions – circumcised the boy at New York University Medical Center’s Pediatric Associates of New York City in December 2009 but allegedly failed to recognize the birth defect or preserve the foreskin needed to repair it, the boy’s mother, Staci H. Altman, alleges in a suit reportedly filed in Kings County (Brooklyn) Superior Court. She is reportedly asking for unspecified actual and punitive damages.

  71. http://www.sunherald.com/2013/12/18/5204359/pa-rabbi-facing-circumcision-lawsuit.html

    Pa. Rabbi facing circumcision lawsuit

    The Associated Press December 18, 2013

    PITTSBURGH — A couple has filed a lawsuit against a Pittsburgh rabbi, alleging that he seriously hurt an 8-day-old infant during a circumcision ceremony.

    The Pittsburgh Tribune-Review (http://bit.ly/1dn5A4j ) reports Wednesday that the unidentified couple alleges that Rabbi Mordechai Rosenberg performed a Jewish ritual circumcision on their son in April.

    The lawsuit filed by Pittsburgh attorney Neil Rosen claims that the baby had to be taken to a nearby hospital for emergency reconstructive surgery and leech therapy.

    Rosenberg’s webpage says he’s a certified mohel, or ritual circumciser, who’s done the operations since 1990.

    Rosenberg and his attorney didn’t immediately respond to requests for comment.

  72. http://www.sunherald.com/2013/12/18/5204359/pa-rabbi-facing-circumcision-lawsuit.html

    Pa. Rabbi facing circumcision lawsuit

    The Associated Press December 18, 2013

    PITTSBURGH — A couple has filed a lawsuit against a Pittsburgh rabbi, alleging that he seriously hurt an 8-day-old infant during a circumcision ceremony.

    The Pittsburgh Tribune-Review (http://bit.ly/1dn5A4j ) reports Wednesday that the unidentified couple alleges that Rabbi Mordechai Rosenberg performed a Jewish ritual circumcision on their son in April.

    The lawsuit filed by Pittsburgh attorney Neil Rosen claims that the baby had to be taken to a nearby hospital for emergency reconstructive surgery and leech therapy.

    Rosenberg’s webpage says he’s a certified mohel, or ritual circumciser, who’s done the operations since 1990.

    Rosenberg and his attorney didn’t immediately respond to requests for comment.

  73. http://triblive.com/news/adminpage/5277845-74/child-mohel-circumcision#axzz2neRB9Skf

    Lawsuit claims Squirrel Hill rabbi botched 8-day-old’s circumcision

    Adam Brandolph 412-391-0927
    Staff Reporter
    Pittsburgh Tribune-Review

    By Adam Brandolph

    Published: Wednesday, Dec. 18, 2013, 12:18 p.m.

    A Squirrel Hill rabbi botched a ritual circumcision, causing a “life-changing injury” to an 8-day-old boy, the parents of the child claim in a civil lawsuit filed this week.

    Pittsburgh attorney Neil Rosen, who represents the mother, father and child identified only by their initials in the seven-page complaint, called the incident “unimaginable,” but declined further comment. Rosen said he used his client’s initials to protect the identity of the child, now 8 months old.

    The lawsuit filed Monday claims Rabbi Mordechai Rosenberg, 54, performed a Jewish ritual circumcision on the boy on April 28, 2013, eight days after the child was born as required by Jewish custom.

    Rosenberg, a mohel — or ritual circumciser — referred calls to his attorneys at Weber Gallagher Group, who did not immediately return calls.

    Although the suit does not specify the child’s injuries, it claims Rosenberg acted “with a total disregard” for the child and “caused a catastrophic and life-changing injury.”

    Additionally, the injury occurred in the presence of his parents, “who witnessed the entire gruesome and torturous event” and rushed their son to UPMC Children’s Hospital in Lawrenceville for emergency reconstructive surgery and leech therapy, the lawsuit says.

    The lawsuit doesn’t specify what the nature of the leech therapy was. The baby required several follow-up visits.

    Rosenberg’s website says he apprenticed under the late Rabbi Benjamin Nadoff in Pittsburgh, was trained by Rabbi Yosef Dovid Weisberg, the chief mohel of Jerusalem, and is recognized as a certified mohel by the American Board of Ritual Circumcision in New York.

    Mohels are not certified by a government agency because the circumcision is considered a religious ceremony, not a medical procedure, according to Philadelphia-area mohel Mark Kushner.

    Kushner said most of the community mohel certifying boards shut down because they had been named in lawsuits. He was not sure how new mohels become certified.

    “I’m guessing it’s a free-for-all, but I don’t know,” he said.

  74. http://triblive.com/news/adminpage/5277845-74/child-mohel-circumcision#axzz2neRB9Skf

    Lawsuit claims Squirrel Hill rabbi botched 8-day-old’s circumcision

    Adam Brandolph 412-391-0927
    Staff Reporter
    Pittsburgh Tribune-Review

    By Adam Brandolph

    Published: Wednesday, Dec. 18, 2013, 12:18 p.m.

    A Squirrel Hill rabbi botched a ritual circumcision, causing a “life-changing injury” to an 8-day-old boy, the parents of the child claim in a civil lawsuit filed this week.

    Pittsburgh attorney Neil Rosen, who represents the mother, father and child identified only by their initials in the seven-page complaint, called the incident “unimaginable,” but declined further comment. Rosen said he used his client’s initials to protect the identity of the child, now 8 months old.

    The lawsuit filed Monday claims Rabbi Mordechai Rosenberg, 54, performed a Jewish ritual circumcision on the boy on April 28, 2013, eight days after the child was born as required by Jewish custom.

    Rosenberg, a mohel — or ritual circumciser — referred calls to his attorneys at Weber Gallagher Group, who did not immediately return calls.

    Although the suit does not specify the child’s injuries, it claims Rosenberg acted “with a total disregard” for the child and “caused a catastrophic and life-changing injury.”

    Additionally, the injury occurred in the presence of his parents, “who witnessed the entire gruesome and torturous event” and rushed their son to UPMC Children’s Hospital in Lawrenceville for emergency reconstructive surgery and leech therapy, the lawsuit says.

    The lawsuit doesn’t specify what the nature of the leech therapy was. The baby required several follow-up visits.

    Rosenberg’s website says he apprenticed under the late Rabbi Benjamin Nadoff in Pittsburgh, was trained by Rabbi Yosef Dovid Weisberg, the chief mohel of Jerusalem, and is recognized as a certified mohel by the American Board of Ritual Circumcision in New York.

    Mohels are not certified by a government agency because the circumcision is considered a religious ceremony, not a medical procedure, according to Philadelphia-area mohel Mark Kushner.

    Kushner said most of the community mohel certifying boards shut down because they had been named in lawsuits. He was not sure how new mohels become certified.

    “I’m guessing it’s a free-for-all, but I don’t know,” he said.

  75. http://www.cjad.com/cjad-news/2013/12/24/circumcision-doc-suspended-for-now

    Circumcision doc suspended, for now

    Posted on 12/24/2013 4:10:00 PM by Patrick Lejtenyi

    Dr. Raymond Rezaie will not be performing any more circumcisions, at least in the immediate future.

    He’s accused of botching 31 circumcisions between July 2010 and October 2013 so badly that many of the babies needed corrective surgery.

    The complaints against him were brought to the College of Physicians by a fellow doctor at Ste-Justine hospital.

    An investigation into the complaints earlier this month concluded that the circumcisions were “inadequate” and “inappropriate.”

    It also described Rezaie as a danger to the public.

    He faces a disciplinary hearing before the College some time in the new year.

    In all 31 cases, the corrective surgery had to be performed while the baby was under general anesthetic.

    The doctor who made the complaints says she has 80 files on him, and that the hospital received numerous complaints about his work from parents.

  76. http://www.cjad.com/cjad-news/2013/12/24/circumcision-doc-suspended-for-now

    Circumcision doc suspended, for now

    Posted on 12/24/2013 4:10:00 PM by Patrick Lejtenyi

    Dr. Raymond Rezaie will not be performing any more circumcisions, at least in the immediate future.

    He’s accused of botching 31 circumcisions between July 2010 and October 2013 so badly that many of the babies needed corrective surgery.

    The complaints against him were brought to the College of Physicians by a fellow doctor at Ste-Justine hospital.

    An investigation into the complaints earlier this month concluded that the circumcisions were “inadequate” and “inappropriate.”

    It also described Rezaie as a danger to the public.

    He faces a disciplinary hearing before the College some time in the new year.

    In all 31 cases, the corrective surgery had to be performed while the baby was under general anesthetic.

    The doctor who made the complaints says she has 80 files on him, and that the hospital received numerous complaints about his work from parents.

  77. http://forward.com/articles/191918/new-york-baby-infected-with-herpes-after-metzitza/

    New York Baby Infected With Herpes After Metzitza B’peh Circumcision Rite

    Doctors Treat Third Case Tied to Controversial Practice

    By Paul Berger

    Published January 30, 2014.

    A baby boy has been infected with neonatal herpes following a Jewish ritual circumcision in New York — the third such infection in two years tied to a controversial rite that involves the direct application of the ritual circumciser’s mouth to the baby’s genitals to suction blood from the wound.

    The baby was treated for a genital rash five days after he was circumcised, according to a January 28 health alert issued by New York City’s Department of Health and Mental Hygiene. He is still undergoing treatment and his current condition is unclear.

    The department attributed the rash to the controversial circumcision technique, known as metzitzah b’peh, or MBP, which some ultra-Orthodox mohels, or ritual circumcisers, say is an essential component of the ancient religious ritual.

    Fourteen babies have contracted herpes following MBP since 2000, according to New York City’s Department of Health and Mental Hygiene. Two of those babies died and two more suffered brain damage.

    In this case, the baby’s rash spread despite being treated with cream. He was later admitted to a hospital, the department said.

    Because of the risks of MBP, New York City instituted a consent form in January 2012. Mohels were directed to ask parents to sign the form, which spells out the risks of MBP before it is performed.

    A department of health spokeswoman declined to say whether a consent form was signed in this latest case. “We are currently investigating the case and won’t discuss its details,” the spokeswoman said.

    Ultra-Orthodox leaders vehemently oppose the consent form. They say that the risks of babies contracting herpes from MBP are overblown.

    The ultra-Orthodox umbrella group, Agudath Israel of America, along with a handful of ultra-Orthodox rabbis and mohels launched a lawsuit in late 2012 challenging the legality of the forms, which they say is a violation of free speech.

    During the recent New York mayoral campaign, many ultra-Orthodox Jews believed that Bill de Blasio would revoke the consent forms.

    Instead, de Blasio, who began in office on January 1, told a recent press conference that he would keep the forms in place “while searching for a solution that would make it more effective.”

    Contact Paul Berger at berger@forward.com or on Twitter @pdberger

  78. http://forward.com/articles/191918/new-york-baby-infected-with-herpes-after-metzitza/

    New York Baby Infected With Herpes After Metzitza B’peh Circumcision Rite

    Doctors Treat Third Case Tied to Controversial Practice

    By Paul Berger

    Published January 30, 2014.

    A baby boy has been infected with neonatal herpes following a Jewish ritual circumcision in New York — the third such infection in two years tied to a controversial rite that involves the direct application of the ritual circumciser’s mouth to the baby’s genitals to suction blood from the wound.

    The baby was treated for a genital rash five days after he was circumcised, according to a January 28 health alert issued by New York City’s Department of Health and Mental Hygiene. He is still undergoing treatment and his current condition is unclear.

    The department attributed the rash to the controversial circumcision technique, known as metzitzah b’peh, or MBP, which some ultra-Orthodox mohels, or ritual circumcisers, say is an essential component of the ancient religious ritual.

    Fourteen babies have contracted herpes following MBP since 2000, according to New York City’s Department of Health and Mental Hygiene. Two of those babies died and two more suffered brain damage.

    In this case, the baby’s rash spread despite being treated with cream. He was later admitted to a hospital, the department said.

    Because of the risks of MBP, New York City instituted a consent form in January 2012. Mohels were directed to ask parents to sign the form, which spells out the risks of MBP before it is performed.

    A department of health spokeswoman declined to say whether a consent form was signed in this latest case. “We are currently investigating the case and won’t discuss its details,” the spokeswoman said.

    Ultra-Orthodox leaders vehemently oppose the consent form. They say that the risks of babies contracting herpes from MBP are overblown.

    The ultra-Orthodox umbrella group, Agudath Israel of America, along with a handful of ultra-Orthodox rabbis and mohels launched a lawsuit in late 2012 challenging the legality of the forms, which they say is a violation of free speech.

    During the recent New York mayoral campaign, many ultra-Orthodox Jews believed that Bill de Blasio would revoke the consent forms.

    Instead, de Blasio, who began in office on January 1, told a recent press conference that he would keep the forms in place “while searching for a solution that would make it more effective.”

    Contact Paul Berger at berger@forward.com or on Twitter @pdberger

  79. http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/Flash.aspx/286645

    2/6/2014

    Baby Hospitalized after Circumcision

    An eight-day-old boy was admitted to Hadassah Mount Scopus Hospital in Jerusalem, Thursday, with heavy bleeding following ritual circumcision (brit milah in Hebrew).

    The family took the baby part of the way to the hospital and transferred him to the Magen David Adom (Red Star of David) emeregency service, next to the Hizme Crossing at the entrance to northern Jerusalem. At last report, the baby’s condition was described as stable.

  80. http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/Flash.aspx/286645

    2/6/2014

    Baby Hospitalized after Circumcision

    An eight-day-old boy was admitted to Hadassah Mount Scopus Hospital in Jerusalem, Thursday, with heavy bleeding following ritual circumcision (brit milah in Hebrew).

    The family took the baby part of the way to the hospital and transferred him to the Magen David Adom (Red Star of David) emeregency service, next to the Hizme Crossing at the entrance to northern Jerusalem. At last report, the baby’s condition was described as stable.

  81. http://www.emirates247.com/news/region/boy-lashed-near-girls-college-for-dating-2014-03-18-1.542036

    Circumcision goes wrong

    A man practicing circumcision without authorisation skinned the genitals of a little boy by mistake during a circumcision operation in the Gulf Kingdom.

    Doctors treating the baby found that the wound caused by that man needs a long time to be healed and could affect his virility in the future.

    “The wrong circumcision operation performed by that man caused the baby to totally lose the skin of his genitals. He was rushed to hospital for treatment but doctors said the wound could affect his marriage life when he grows up,” Okaz daily said in a report from the northern town of Turaif.

  82. http://www.emirates247.com/news/region/boy-lashed-near-girls-college-for-dating-2014-03-18-1.542036

    Circumcision goes wrong

    A man practicing circumcision without authorisation skinned the genitals of a little boy by mistake during a circumcision operation in the Gulf Kingdom.

    Doctors treating the baby found that the wound caused by that man needs a long time to be healed and could affect his virility in the future.

    “The wrong circumcision operation performed by that man caused the baby to totally lose the skin of his genitals. He was rushed to hospital for treatment but doctors said the wound could affect his marriage life when he grows up,” Okaz daily said in a report from the northern town of Turaif.

  83. http://www.times-news.com/local/x1984797598/Hospital-patient-safety-improves

    The number of reports of wrong-side surgeries, wrong-patient surgeries
    and wrong procedures dropped significantly to one each. One such
    surgery was a circumcision of an infant without parental consent.

    CUMBERLAND — Maryland’s hospitals reported for fiscal 2013 a decrease
    in the number of unexpected events in treatment that resulted in
    serious injury or death.

    Since 2004, state law has mandated such reports. That same law requires
    only aggregate public disclosure of the incidents, thus shielding the
    state’s 63 hospitals from quantifying or describing the events that
    took place in their respective facilities.

  84. http://www.times-news.com/local/x1984797598/Hospital-patient-safety-improves

    The number of reports of wrong-side surgeries, wrong-patient surgeries
    and wrong procedures dropped significantly to one each. One such
    surgery was a circumcision of an infant without parental consent.

    CUMBERLAND — Maryland’s hospitals reported for fiscal 2013 a decrease
    in the number of unexpected events in treatment that resulted in
    serious injury or death.

    Since 2004, state law has mandated such reports. That same law requires
    only aggregate public disclosure of the incidents, thus shielding the
    state’s 63 hospitals from quantifying or describing the events that
    took place in their respective facilities.

  85. http://www.sfgate.com/health/article/Man-may-be-1st-to-father-child-with-reconstructed-5416853.php#page-1

    Man may be 1st to father child with reconstructed penis

    Vivian Ho

    Updated 11:09 pm, Sunday, April 20, 2014

    Mike Moore kisses his son, Memphis, whom he was able to conceive
    naturally after a plastic surgeon reconstructed his genitalia. Photo:
    Codi Mills, The Chronicle

    Mike Moore spent most of his life feeling different, after a botched
    circumcision at age 7 resulted in an infection and forced doctors to
    amputate almost the entire organ.

    But now, at 30, he is reveling in the joy of an accomplishment that is
    fairly ordinary for someone his age, but almost completely unheard of
    for men in his situation. He fathered a child. Naturally.

    After a Stanford plastic surgeon gave him a new appendage seven years
    ago, Moore went on to become perhaps the first man in the U.S. to
    conceive a child with a reconstructed penis.

    The medical eye-opener came full circle earlier this month when Moore
    and his wife traveled to Palo Alto from their home in Mississippi to
    introduce their 6-month-old son, Memphis, to Dr. Gordon Lee, the
    surgeon who made it all possible.

    “The one thing I wanted most in this world was a family, and I didn’t
    think it was going to happen – to have kids, to have a wife who loves
    me for who I am. It wasn’t going to happen, not to me,” Moore said in
    an interview during his trip to the Bay Area.

    “Then Oct. 4, 2013, we had Memphis, and I love that little boy with all
    my heart,” he said. “The only thing I can do now is thank Dr. Lee.”

    Moore’s story is an example of the leaps made in reconstructive surgery
    over the years, and of the benefits of a particular technique Lee
    developed and used to help Moore. But both the doctor and the patient
    say they wish to make a different point by telling their unusually
    delicate story: There’s hope for everyone who has been disfigured.

    Fought years of depression

    Though Moore’s Southern drawl is spoken with the breathless bliss of a
    new parent these days, it took years of fighting depression and low
    self-confidence to get him to this point in his life.

    The journey began with a mistake – the doctor who performed his
    circumcision used the wrong machine, bringing on a dangerous and
    painful infection. Soon, the 7-year-old was rushed back to a hospital.

    “The last thing I can remember is talking to the anesthesiologist,” he
    said. “When I woke up, it was gone.”

    Moore saw several doctors as he grew up. But because of his age, none
    of them could guarantee that reconstructive surgery, or phalloplasty,
    would work.

    “It was hell,” Moore said. “If you’re different, you get made fun of.
    When one person finds out something is wrong, it spreads and you’re
    constantly the center of everybody’s joke.”

    When he got older, he underwent three phalloplasty procedures. But each
    failed, and he and his family “pretty much just gave up.”

    It was 1936 when the first phalloplasty was performed using abdominal
    tissue and rib cartilage. But by the time Lee – a 1997 graduate of
    Stanford Medical School – entered the field, penile reconstruction
    relied on forearm tissue.

    Though fairly successful, the technique has limitations, Lee said. It
    leaves large scars and the skin colors don’t match. The temporary
    detachment of the tissue from the body, meanwhile, can cause
    complications.

    Search for better way

    And the operations don’t always work – Moore’s failed procedures
    featured arm tissue.

    “I just thought, ‘There has to be a better way to do what we’re doing
    right now,’ ” Lee said.

    He looked at a nearer candidate, tissue on the upper thigh. Not only
    was it stronger and thicker, but it also could be cut away, rolled and
    shaped into what is known as a neophallus – with a temporary catheter
    at the center – and looped under the skin of the groin while still
    attached to the body.

    Lee practiced on cadavers and eventually streamlined a technique that
    could be done in one stage. In 2005, he operated on a 63-year-old man
    who had lost his penis to cancer.

    The first procedure gained media attention, and, by chance, Moore’s
    uncle happened to notice it on television. He called Moore, who was
    reluctant to try again after his failed procedures.

    Still, he got in contact with Lee, and in 2007 he was ready to try again.

    Lee had returned to Stanford Medical Center, this time as director of
    microsurgery, and Moore, then 23, had to shuttle back and forth between
    Mississippi and Palo Alto for consultations. On July 26, 2007, he went
    under the knife.

    “It was a painful process,” Moore said. But after nearly a year of
    healing, he finally felt a measure of the normalcy he had craved his
    whole life. Still, it wasn’t enough to erase a lifetime of self-doubt.
    “I had been in several relationships and when it came down to having a
    sexual relationship, it wasn’t there with anybody – they couldn’t deal
    with it,” he said. “I had a wife at the time of the surgery in 2007 and
    she couldn’t even deal with the sight of what it looked like after Dr.
    Lee repaired it. That was a major contribution to her leaving as well.

    Wife offers assurance

    “It put me in a deep depression,” he said. “You just think, ‘It’s never
    going to happen. Would anybody want to be with me because of it?’ ”

    In 2011, he met his wife, Heather Moore, now 25. She knew of his
    situation, but assured him that normal is relative – to her he was, and
    still is, “perfectly normal.”

    “She accepted me for who I was, and not for what was wrong with me,” he
    said. “She continues to this day to assure me that there’s nothing
    wrong.”

    They married, and in September 2012 decided to try for a baby. After so
    many medical procedures, Moore said, he wanted to do it naturally.
    Months went by, though, and the couple eventually consulted a fertility
    doctor, who recommended artificial insemination.

    ‘We’re pregnant’

    “He told us it may take 12 to 18 months,” he said. “This was in January 2013.”

    A month later Heather ran into the room. “We’re pregnant,” she said.

    He grabbed her and held her close. Eight months later, he was holding
    his son, Memphis.

    After the birth, Moore said, all he wanted to do was thank Dr. Lee. He
    didn’t realize he might have made history.

    “I was speechless,” said Lee of hearing the news. “I thought to myself,
    ‘Did I really help make a baby?’ That’s not something that happens when
    you’re a plastic surgeon – maybe as a gynecologist, but not as a
    plastic surgeon.”

    Lee said he scoured the medical journals and contacted all his
    colleagues in the field.

    “We have patients that have amputations, and we reattach the penis, and
    there have been reports of these reattached penises being able to allow
    for a child,” Lee said. “But to my knowledge, there are no reports of a
    patient who had a completely reconstructed penis that has been able to
    conceive in this fashion.”

    Moore was a sort of phalloplasty exception. Most operations are
    performed on transgender people or men who had penile cancer or
    sustained severe trauma, and few patients have the “plumbing” necessary
    to create a child, Lee said.

    Surgeons despise taboos

    Neophalluses cannot become erect on their own, and require the use of
    pumps or stiffeners for sexual intercourse. But Moore’s thigh tissue
    was strong enough for penetration.

    And because Moore still had the plumbing, he could ejaculate and
    conceive Memphis.

    Lee has performed four such surgeries, but has been training his
    students at Stanford in the method and confers with doctors all over
    the world.

    Plastic surgeons, he said, despise the social taboos surrounding
    phalloplasty, which may fade as more people like Moore come forward.

    “Ask Michael,” the doctor said. “The real taboo was that nobody would
    talk about it, that nobody would help him. There needs to be greater
    awareness. There are patients that have deformities or defects who are
    living this secret life of embarrassment, shame and torture. They don’t
    have to suffer.”

    Far from suffering, Moore said he’s happy. And that he has no reason to
    be embarrassed sharing his story.

    “I still have people to this day that want to make fun of me, but I
    don’t let it bother me anymore,” he said. “I have a beautiful wife, I
    have a handsome son. What more can I ask for?”

    Vivian Ho is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. E-mail:
    vho@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @VivianHo

  86. http://life-intact.tumblr.com/post/35149456377/in-memoriam

    In Memoriam

    I have been debating publishing this post for a while, unsure of what I feel about this situation. I feel like he would have wanted the truth to be known. I feel like his sadness, his life, and his dark truth deserve a legacy of their own.

    The young man in the photos above is Brian Mathew Brandt.

    He was born on October 7th, 1983.

    Brian grew up in Santa Cruz where he attended Westlake Elementary School, Mission Hill Junior High School, and was a graduate of Santa Cruz High School.

    After graduating from SCHS, Brian went on to take on a few jobs after high school, finally ending up working at a local gym for about two and a half years.

    Brian enjoyed traveling and playing the guitar. Brian also loved skateboarding.

    Brian would have been 29 this year.

    Behind his smile and his brown eyes, Brian was harboring a deep and and haunting pain.

    He hated both himself and his mother over a botched circumcision that had been performed on him shortly after birth.

    He felt that he was mutilated and could never have sexual relations.

    He used to speak frequently about intactivism at his workplace when he was still alive.

    He sought out closure on the botched circumcision that had haunted him his entire life—he tried to go through court, judges, and doctors only to have door after door shut on him. None of them took his feelings or concerns seriously.

    On November 2, 2011, Brian passed away in his home. He took his own life.

    He left behind his parents, a sister, a step sister, maternal grandparents, and many nieces, uncles, cousins, and aunts.

    His obituary was published a little over a year ago.

    His Facebook account is still around.

    His Twitter account tells of the torment that he felt.

    He is more than just another name.

    He joins the ranks of people like Jamaal Coleson, Ryleigh McWillis, and David Reimer.

    He is more than a statistic.

    He was a human being with life, hope, emotions, and dreams.

    He is a casualty of male genital mutilation.

    May he rest in peace, and may his memory and his message live on.

  87. http://arclaw.org/news/sad-news-danish-baby-goes-coma-after-circumcision

    Sad news: Danish baby goes into coma after circumcision
    5/30/2014

    A circumcision has led to terrible, potentially fatal complications in Denmark. The lamentable situation is drawing further attention to the dangers of the procedure.

    Steven Svoboda
    Attorneys for the Rights of the Child

    ——————————————————————————–

    http://www.bt.dk/danmark/laege-omskaering-gik-helt-galt-i-nordvest-baby-i-koma

    BT [translation into English by Jonathan Friedman of ARC fusing Microsoft and Google machine translations]

    May 23, 2014

    Doctor: Circumcision went very wrong in Northwest [of Copenhagen, ed.] – baby in coma

    A little baby has been so badly injured in connection with a circumcision at a private clinic in Nørrebro [Northwest district of Copenhagen, ed.] that he has been put into a coma.

    That is what was reported in a post on Facebook, which has been spread with lightning speed on facebook over the past few days. Among others, people like Suzanne Bjerrehus and renowned consultant and researcher in sexual health Morten Frisch have shared the post widely.

    The latter confirms that the story is true to BT.

    “I can confirm that the story is true. I have spoken with the doctor who performed the surgery, and he confirms that the boy is on life support,” says Morten Frisch.

    According to the post, allegedly written by a family member of the little boy, the baby ended up in a coma after he was circumcised on Tuesday at a private clinic in the Northwest District of Copenhagen. The boy was subsequently hospitalized at Hvidovre Hospital, where he was in a coma.

    “Before circumcision, he (the doctor) gave anesthetic, unfortunately the amateur gave the baby too much anesthetic ca. 8ml. (He ought to give a maximum of 3 ml. Since the baby only weighs 3 kg.) Shortly after circumcision, and while the baby was still at the clinic, he began to find it difficult to breathe and the color of his face changed while liquid was coming out of his mouth,” according to the wording of the post, which warns everyone against using the mentioned doctor.

    Circumcision of boys has been a hot political issue in recent years, and this unhappy story has also reached politicians at Christiansborg [the Danish Parliament, ed.].

    Danish People’s Party member Liselott Blixt asked on Thursday following question to Health Minister Nick Hækkerup (Social Democrat):

    “Can the Minister confirm or deny the story that is rife in the media about a baby who was administered too much anesthetic during circumcision and is now hospitalized at Hvidovre Hospital?”

    Liselott Blixt said to BT on Friday morning that she has not yet received a reply from Nick Hækkerup .

    BT has tried to get a comment from the doctor who performed the circumcision, but a woman who answers his phone said he has no comment on the matter. On Thursday BT visited the clinic in Nørrebro, there was no one present.

    Hvidovre Hospital will neither confirm nor deny the story, but BT’s other sources have confirmed that the little boy has been hospitalized at Hvidovre Hospital.

    Despite several attempts, it has not been possible to make contact with the little boy’s family.

  88. http://www.iol.co.za/news/crime-courts/boy-12-tells-of-botched-circumcision-1.1738812

    Boy, 12, tells of botched circumcision

    August 21 2014 at 11:27am By Ntando Makhubu

    Pretoria – Tears rolled down the boy’s face and were gently wiped away
    by his grandmother, as the two sat in the kitchen of their home and
    recounted the recent six-week horror after his medical circumcision
    went horribly wrong.

    The boy was been temporarily overcome by emotion as he spoke about the
    intense pain he been through over the duration of four weeks, after
    sepsis set in and was not properly managed by the local doctor in whose
    rooms he had been circumcised.

    The 12 year-old, who cannot be named due to the sensitivity of the
    matter, and his mother went to the rooms of Dr Lindiwe Shange in
    Atteridgeville for the “cut” at the beginning of July, and when he went
    back for his seven day check-up he was told that he was recovering very
    well. But pain set in a few days after: “I started feeling discomfort
    and pain in general, but when I tried to urinate it felt like my penis
    was on fire,” he said.

    His mother took him back to the doctor’s rooms, where he was treated
    and sent home with a bandage, and instructions not to remove it until
    he came back seven days later, for a check-up.

    The pain intensified, leading to him being hospitalised only two days
    after that visit.

    He was admitted and treated for sepsis on his penis.

    On Wednesday, he recounted the numbing pain of those first few days,
    and said: “I was in constant pain from which I could not escape, so
    much more pain that I could ever have imagined.”

    His grandmother added: “Nurses would tell me he would cry and beg them
    for pain medication throughout the day.”

    She said her visits to the hospital were very difficult, the feelings
    of helplessness overwhelming as she watched him go through agony.

    She explained how she had been taking care of all his growing pains and
    difficulties all his life. “This time I could do nothing, not from the
    time he would scream out and beg me to help after the pain started here
    at home, and not when I found him in a state in the hospital.”

    Doctors at Kalafong Hospital put the Grade 7 pupil into theatre twice
    during his four-week stay, and upon his discharge last weekend, they
    pronounced him healed of the infection.

    At a check-up on Wednesday morning they told his grandmother that he
    was mending beautifully. “They examined him, prodded and asked
    questions on pain, blood in his urine and other issues, after which
    they said they were very happy with his condition.”

    He is due back for a final examination the middle of next month.

    ntando.makhubu@inl.co.za

  89. KALAFONG HOSPITAL – ATTERIDGEVILLE, PRETORIA, GAUTENG, SOUTH AFRICA
    Sent by : Petrina Fadel

    Comment:
    http://www.iol.co.za/news/crime-courts/boy-12-tells-of-botched-circumcision-1.1738812

    Boy, 12, tells of botched circumcision

    August 21 2014 at 11:27am By Ntando Makhubu

    Pretoria – Tears rolled down the boy’s face and were gently wiped away by his grandmother, as the two sat in the kitchen of their home and recounted the recent six-week horror after his medical circumcision went horribly wrong.

    The boy was been temporarily overcome by emotion as he spoke about the intense pain he been through over the duration of four weeks, after sepsis set in and was not properly managed by the local doctor in whose rooms he had been circumcised.

    The 12 year-old, who cannot be named due to the sensitivity of the matter, and his mother went to the rooms of Dr Lindiwe Shange in Atteridgeville for the “cut” at the beginning of July, and when he went back for his seven day check-up he was told that he was recovering very well. But pain set in a few days after: “I started feeling discomfort and pain in general, but when I tried to urinate it felt like my penis was on fire,” he said.

    His mother took him back to the doctor’s rooms, where he was treated and sent home with a bandage, and instructions not to remove it until he came back seven days later, for a check-up.

    The pain intensified, leading to him being hospitalised only two days after that visit.

    He was admitted and treated for sepsis on his penis.

    On Wednesday, he recounted the numbing pain of those first few days, and said: “I was in constant pain from which I could not escape, so much more pain that I could ever have imagined.”

    His grandmother added: “Nurses would tell me he would cry and beg them for pain medication throughout the day.”

    She said her visits to the hospital were very difficult, the feelings of helplessness overwhelming as she watched him go through agony.

    She explained how she had been taking care of all his growing pains and difficulties all his life. “This time I could do nothing, not from the time he would scream out and beg me to help after the pain started here at home, and not when I found him in a state in the hospital.”

    Doctors at Kalafong Hospital put the Grade 7 pupil into theatre twice during his four-week stay, and upon his discharge last weekend, they pronounced him healed of the infection.

    At a check-up on Wednesday morning they told his grandmother that he was mending beautifully. “They examined him, prodded and asked questions on pain, blood in his urine and other issues, after which they said they were very happy with his condition.”

    He is due back for a final examination the middle of next month.

    ntando.makhubu@inl.co.za

  90. http://gulfnews.com/news/gulf/yemen/man-seeks-justice-for-son-s-botched-circumcision-in-yemen-1.1375753

    Man seeks justice for son’s botched circumcision in Yemen

    Al Samae’s son was a victim of a botched circumcision in 2009
    By Saeed Al Batati, Correspondent
    Published: 12:25 August 24, 2014

    Sana’a: Five years after his son’s botched circumcision, Sultan Al Samae has approached a court in the southern city of Taiz looking to be compensated. In 2009, Al Samae’s son, Abdul Gaher, was admitted to a government hospital in Taiz to carry out a routine circumcision, a common practice among Muslims.

    The surgery was performed by an anaesthesia technician, and the boy’s penis was burnt during the procedure.

    “To cover his mistake, the man wrapped the penis with a piece of gauze and asked the father to unwrap it a week later,” Usama Al Asbahi, the boy’s lawyer, told Gulf News. After the gauze was removed a week later, Al Samae said that his son’s penis was inflamed and the skin was peeling off.

    In 2010, Al Samae brought the case to court and was awarded compensation; the technician was jailed. However, Al Samae was surprised to learn than the man had been released. The father, in a fit of emotion, stripped his son naked in front of the judges in the Taiz court to remind them of the tragedy caused by the botched operation.

    “The judges were horrified,” Al Asbahi said.

    The hospital then formed a committee of six doctors to investigate the matter which cleared the technician from blame. Al Asbahi says the report was a cover-up citing evidence from a coroner who independently examined the case. The coroner placed the blame squarely on the technician. The six doctors were prosecuted for fraud and the court has since then suspended their medical licences.

    Al Samae hopes to send his son abroad to undergo a penis transplant operation but he says that since the court ordered both the hospital and the technician to pay damages — the combined sum over Dh400,000 — he has yet to receive any money.

  91. http://7thspace.com/headlines/487728/fourniers_gangrene_after_adult_male_circumcision.html

    Fournier’s gangrene after adult male circumcision

    In the advent of mass voluntary medical male circumcision (VMMC) for the partial prevention of HIV, previously rare adverse events associated with adult male circumcision are likely to be encountered with higher frequency. Fournier?s gangrene, defined as a polymicrobial necrotizing fasciitis of the perineal, perianal or genital areas, is one such rare and life-threatening adverse event.

    In this report, we present two cases that were identified in the context of a VMMC programme over a 3-year period during which approximately 100,000 adult circumcisions were performed.Case presentations Case 1: A 19-year-old male who had VMMC performed using the dorsal slit technique developed pain and blisters on the scrotal skin on the sixth postoperative day. He had no co-morbidities, and serology for HIV was negative.

    On examination, locally he had scrotal skin necrosis with an offensive odour and was dehydrated but afebrile. Repeated aggressive debridement was done while he stayed in a hospital for 3 weeks; at which point, he had a healthy granulation tissue and was free of infection.

    The wound had closed spontaneously and completely on the fifth month. Case 2: A 52-year-old male who had VMMC performed with the sleeve resection method developed pain and swelling of the penis and scrotum on the fourth postoperative day. He had a low-grade fever of 37.6 C.

    He was not diabetic or immunosuppressed and had a negative HIV serology. He was admitted and was given IV antibiotics, and repeated aggressive debridement was performed.

    On the third week of hospitalization, he had a healthy granulation tissue and received a split skin graft on the penile shaft. At 4 months, the scrotal defect was completely closed.

    Conclusion: Fournier’s gangrene is a rare occurrence after adult male circumcision with associated high morbidity.

    These are the first descriptions in the VMMC era.

    Author: Moses Galukande, Dennis Sekavuga, Alex Muganzi, Alex Coutinho
    Credits/Source: International Journal of Emergency Medicine 2014, 7:37

  92. http://www.ajc.com/news/news/lawsuit-filed-claiming-botched-clayton-county-circ/nhX9h/

    Posted: 6:37 p.m. Monday, Sept. 29, 2014

    Lawsuit filed claiming botched Clayton County circumcision

    By Rhonda Cook

    The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

    A Clayton County mother is suing a clinic and a nurse midwife claiming they botched the circumcision of her newborn, allegedly scarring him to the extent that he cannot normally urinate and most likely will be unable to have sex once he is an adult.

    According to the attorney who filed the lawsuit in Clayton County State Court, the tip of the baby’s penis was amputated, leaving a stump.

    “They cut through his urethra,” attorney Jonathan Johnson told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution Monday.

    He said child’s body is reacting to the wound by sealing up and they are “continuing having to go and have holes punched in that wound so he can urinate.”

    The mother of the 1-year-old said she has to insert an instrument in the hole three times a day to prevent it from closing.

    “He will be deprived for the rest of his life. Our society is so judgmental,” Stacie Willis said about her son, the youngest of three boys she and her husband have. “This may be a kid who never wants to have intercourse or kids, or will be ashamed. He may be suicidal or depressed. Nobody knows.”

    His medical bills so far have total $20,000, some of it covered by insurance.

    Johnson said psychiatric care for the child is expected to total at least $1 million over his lifetime.

    Willis says doctors still don’t know if any future surgeries can repair the damage.

    The lawsuit, filed Thursday, says the boy was disfigured because of negligence of Life Cycle Pediatrics, nurse midwife Melissa Jones, who performed the circumcision on Oct. 3, 2013, and Anne Sigouin, owner of Life Cycle OB/GYN.

    Neither Jones, Sigouin nor other officials at the businesses could be reached for comment late Monday afternoon.

    The suit asks for monetary damages for physical and mental pain and suffering, for medical expenses and costs of care and equipment for the child and any lost income he may suffer as an adult.

    Willis said there was an extraordinary amount of blood during the procedure, and she immediately took her son to a nearby emergency room.

    “That’s when I found out the tip of his glans (had been severed) and urethra was seriously damaged,” Willis said. “His penis will never be normal. He’ll have to go through (more) surgeries for the rest of his life.”

  93. More on the Georgia Lawsuit:

    http://www.wsbtv.com/news/news/local/mother-sues-clinic-following-childs-alleged-botche/nhYmT/

    Posted: 6:25 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 30, 2014

    Mom sues clinic after child’s alleged botched circumcision

    CLAYTON COUNTY, Ga. —

    A local mother tells Channel 2 Action News a terrible mistake made during her son’s circumcision left him permanently disfigured.

    She’s suing the clinic and the staff member who she says performed the procedure.

    While Dejuan Williams is all smiles just days ahead of his first birthday, his mom is anything but. “No child deserves to go through this,” says Stacie Willis.

    Willis struggled to fight back tears as she described the botched circumcision at a Riverdale clinic that left her son permanently disfigured.

    “I was in disbelief, because I had concerns about this from the beginning, so it was like reality had just smacked me in the face,” Willis.

    This week Willis filed a $2 million lawsuit against Life Cycle Pediatrics, the owner Anne Sigouin, and nurse midwife Melissa Jones, who Willis said performed the procedure.

    “It’s shocking. It’s catastrophic. I don’t know what other extreme words you could use about someone having essentially the end of their penis amputated, for a male, is almost the worst thing you can imagine,” said attorney Jonathan Johnson.

    Willis said the clinic’s staff sent her and her son home when the bleeding slowed, rather than seek emergency care. The lawsuit claims Dejuan now faces a lifetime of medical and psychological care. “I feel like you stole his whole teenage years, his whole adult life,” Willis said.

    Channel 2’s Aaron Diamant showed up at the clinic Monday to get their side. A staff member said the owner wasn’t there. Neither was the nurse-midwife when Diamant stopped by her home. “To me it’s not about the money. To me it’s more of making sure she’s not allowed to do anything like this to any other child,” Willis said.

    Willis’ lawyers said while the woman they said performed the procedure has been served with the suit, they haven’t been able to track down the clinic’s owner.

    Channel 2 Action News will continue to reach out the nursing staff to get their side of all the lawsuit.

  94. https://au.news.yahoo.com/nsw/a/25156469/the-truth-about-male-circumcision/

    The truth about male circumcision

    Dr Andrew Rochford
    7NewsOctober 1, 2014, 6:22 pm

    Shane Peterson made Australian legal history after successfully suing the doctor who performed his circumcision soon after birth.

    “What right do parents or doctors have to hold down a screaming boy or girl and surgically inflict their sexual, cosmetic or religious preferences on that child?,” he said.

    Instead of just snipping his foreskin, nearly all the skin on his penis shaft was removed, leaving him permanently disfigured and unable to obtain normal function.

    “The penis itself has pain, even after all these years,” Shane said.

  95. More Information about Shane Peterson of Australia, and other circumcision deaths and complications:

    http://www.historyofcircumcision.net/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=93&Itemid=50

    http://www.circinfo.org/account.html

    http://www.circumstitions.com/Shane.html

    Shane’s circumcision nightmare

    “I wish I’d never been born”

    Awarded $360,000 [~$US234,000] compensation, this deeply traumatised medical student now wants to help others trapped by the same horror

    SHANE Peterson’s blue eyes are windows into a life of pain and mental anguish. Since his first teenage yearnings, he’s longed for the thrill of a kiss, the caress of a woman and the fulfilment of love and sexual intimacy.

    Shane Peterson
    Instead, Shane has contemplated celibacy, sex change and even suicide. Shane was robbed at birth of the chance to be a normal, functioning male by a bungled circumcision that left life-long damage.

    “I often wish I’d never been born. My life has been a living hell,” says the shy 26-year-old, who has been paid $360,000 by a West Australian doctor.

    “My right to the intact body I was born with has been violated. As far as I’m concerned, it’s a breach of my human rights. I’ve been assaulted.”

    “Someone held me down, then amputated part of my body while I screamed and went into shock.”

    “My parents were not told that circumcision had no medical benefit, or of the risk of complications, which I believe amounts to fraud.”

    Eric and Kerry Peterson were unaware of the wrongdoing to their baby when they left the hospital and returned to their Perth home.

    Shane’s childhood years were carefree. At puberty, as his body grew into manhood, he became aware of a problem with his penis.

    “Sex education classes gave little information on circumcision. I didn’t even know I’d been circumcised,” Shane says. “I assumed I’d been born deformed, which was totally devastating. I was too ashamed to tell anyone. Erections caused pain and my penis was misshapen and twisted.”

    “There were girls I felt attracted to, and who liked me, but I was so fearful of rejection because of my deformity, I avoided relationship. I hid from other guys in change rooms and toilets.”

    “At uni[versity] the problem escalated. As my interest in girls intensified, I felt frustrated because I couldn’t do anything about it.”

    At 18, Shane sought medical help. Referral to specialists revealed an ‘aggressive’ circumcision had been performed. In addition to the foreskin, the shaft skin had been removed and the scrotal skin pulled up to the head of the penis. Only shreds of sensitive fraenulum (sometimes known as the male G-Spot) remained.

    “Going from believing I was born deformed to realising I had been mutilated by a needless procedure made it worse,” Shane recalls. “I hated my parents.”

    Angry and severely depressed, Shane, studying for a biotechnology, degree pored over medical journals for surgical options open to him.

    “If the most functional result meant a sex change, I would have gone for it,” he says, matter-of-factly.

    “The circumcision destroyed my sexuality. I didn’t feel like a man and I didn’t feel like a woman. Suicide seemed my only option if the damage couldn’t be repaired.”

    A Perth plastic surgeon grafted skin from Shane’s left thigh to his penis. And a half thickness of skin harvested from his right thigh replaced the skin excised from the left.

    Shane could now get a full erection and climax, but sensation was dramatically reduced due to removal of the remnant fraenulum. The pain from the graft sites was agonising, the cosmetic results disheartening.

    Counselling failed to bolster Shane’s spirits. At 19, he crushed 100 painkillers into liquid, gulped it down, then prayed for death.

    Shane survived. He directed his anger into a need for justice and began a seven-year ordeal to obtain evidence and sue the GP who circumcised him.

    Using his own medical expertise to build a solid case and achieve legal recognition of his injury and suffering has given Shane’s fragile confidence a much-needed boost.

    “The money is no redress for what I’ve been through. Aside from the pain and social stigma, so much of my freedom of choice has been removed. A part of my body and part of my life were taken away, and they can never be replaced.”

    “The months since settlement have been the first for many years, that I haven’t contemplated killing myself on a daily basis.”

    Now studying for a doctorate in medical science, Shane plans to form a support group for other men who suffer trauma from circumcision, and to establish an independent, non-profit research foundation to evaluate the impact of circumcision.

    The Australian Medical Association (AMA) doesn’t advise circumcision for many reasons. They claim the practice can lead to scarring, deformity, severe blood loss, as well as infection.

    No national medical body endorses the practice, yet up to 15 per cent of baby boys are circumcised each year. Federal president of the AMA Dr David Brand said it would be wrong to ban the practice because in some cases there was a medical need for it.

    “Routine circumcision is imposed on 10 to 15 percent of healthy Australian boys. I want my case to bring to people’s awareness how dangerous and potentially disastrous it is,” Shane says.

    “Parents should not have the right to surgically inflict their religious, sexual or cosmetic preferences on their children. It’s for the child to decide, when old enough. Until then, they must be legally protected from this assault and mutilation.”

    Shane has reconciled with his family, but his father Eric cannot forget the trauma that affected everyone’s lives.

    “Not for a moment did I imagine the impact this so-called safe and routine procedure would have on my son Shane’s life, or the heartbreak it would cause those who love him,” Eric says.

    “Are parents prepared for the guilt they’ll feel if their son is harmed, and the very real possibility it will tear their family apart?”

    For Shane’s mother, Kerry, having her baby circumcised is her biggest regret.

    “I thought circumcision prevented medical problems.” she says. ” I really had no idea it removed functional, sensory tissue, or could cause such devastating deformity.”

    Story: Di Stanley
    Reprinted by permission from Woman’s Day, June , 2000

  96. http://www.ghanaweb.com/GhanaHomePage/health/artikel.php?ID=330385

    Health News of Tuesday, 14 October 2014

    Ghana – Penile amputation cases rise; doctors concerned

    The number of baby boys who are suffering as a result of their penises being cut off during circumcision is rising.

    Three months ago, when JOY News first broke the story in the hotline documentary titled “Borrowed Manhood”, about 76 children who reported at the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital (KATH) were affected.

    Despite the awareness creation, the number of cases of penile amputation during circumcision of baby boys has continued to rise.

    Dr. Kwaku Addai Arhin of KATH’s Urology Department has deplored the rise in circumcision-related injuries.

    According to him, the number has risen to 86 in less than three months and the urologist warns of more cases if immediate steps are not taken to deal with the situation.

    “The problem has not been resolved. The issues we raised have not been tackled. The first documentary we made was meant to raise public awareness, but nothing else has been done.”

    To buttress his point, the Urologist mentioned a recent case where a one-week-old boy endured an almost complete mutilation of his glans during an operation by a “qualified” nurse.

    He indicated the need for workshops to educate all circumcision practitioners (wanzams), nurses and even doctors on the subject.

    “Until that is done, we cannot be safe. We cannot say we have achieved anything.”

    Dr. Arhin called for a National policy on circumcision, insisting that “We need first and foremost to identify all those who conduct circumcisions and give them hands-on training so they can do safe [circumscision].”

    In Ghana, male infants are circumcised when they are a few days old. The practice can be traced to Abrahamic tradition and uncircumcised boys usually, suffer stigmatisation.

    This delicate operation is conducted either in a hospital or by traditional surgeons locally referred to as “wanzams”.

  97. Petrina says:

    October 16, 2014 at 8:57 pm

    https://www.facebook.com/video.php?v=708429772568196

    Interview with Dr. Rotta, MD- Saw Baby DIE from circumcision

    Circumcision Resources

    Dr. Alexandre Rotta knows first-hand that circumcision can kill. He has seen at least four infants come into his Emergency Department post-circumcision, condition critical. One of the little boys died.

    Dr. Alexandre Rotta has 21 years of experience as a pediatrician and practices in Cleveland, Ohio.

  98. http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/boy-aged-10-dies-infection-4541486

    Boy aged 10 dies from infection ’caused by circumcision’ during school holidays

    Oct 31, 2014 13:09
    By Marcus Chippindale

    A ten-year-old schoolboy died from an infection which could have been caused by a circumcision carried out in Africa, an inquest heard today.

    Stanley Chola had the procedure carried out in Zimbabwe during the school summer holidays

    But nearly two months later the youngster – from Reading – went into septic shock and died in hospital.

    An inquest heard today that officials looking into Stanley’s death concluded it was possible that the circumcision could have been the start of the infection.

    The day before Stanley died, he was due to see a doctor about his condition but his mother failed to take him to the appointment – a decision described as a “pivotal” moment.

    “If they had been able to come down I think we could have admitted him to hospital and treated him,” said Dr Jeremy Lade, director of the Westcall out-of-hours GP service in Berkshire, told the inquest.

    Stanley, a pupil at New Christ Church School in Reading, went with his family to Zimbabwe during the summer holidays last year and was circumcised on August 23.

    However, he was absent during the first week of the new term and his step-father, Malik Issa, told a member of school staff this was because he had developed an infection from the circumcision.

    On October 7 his mother, Ellen Gomes, took Stanley to the Royal Berkshire Hospital in Reading, with her son complaining about a knee problem caused while playing football.

    It was claimed later in the inquest that the injury may have been caused by another pupil hitting Stanley with a plastic hockey stick, with the 10 year old lying about it for fear of being beaten again. Nurse practitioner Roger Wood diagnosed him with having a soft tissue injury.

    Ms Gomes took Stanley to a GP the next day, but there appeared to be no reason for major concern.

    On October 11, his mother spoke to a doctor on the phone and told them Stanley had developed a chesty cough, abdominal pains and was not eating.

    She also said he was suffering from vomiting and diarrhoea. Stanley was prescribed antibiotics, with the doctor saying the information his mother had given did not suggest he needed to be seen in person.

    At around 4.40am on October 12 paramedics were called to the family’s home in Whitley, after a call to say Stanley was unable to walk because of his knee pain.

    The paramedics said he was able to walk but that his breathing and oxygen saturation level were unusual and Stanley also had a slight temperature.

    It was arranged for the boy to see a doctor at 8am the next morning, but he did not attend the appointment.

    Dr Lade said: “This was a pivotal moment in Stanley’s case because, had he been seen by a doctor that Saturday morning and appropriate treatment and investigations taken place, he might have been saved.”

    When Stanley did not go to his appointment, the Westcall service would normally have contacted the family, but a systems failure that day and the fact they could not find a number for Ms Gomes, made this impossible.

    The next day a paramedic was scrambled to the family home at around 7.40pm after Stanley started having breathing difficulties.

    His right calf was very firm and swollen and the paramedic found marks on his thigh, which his mother said were healing boils.

    On arrival at the Royal Berkshire Hospital, doctors diagnosed Stanley with septic shock and thought his chances of survival were slim.

    His condition rapidly deteriorated and doctors twice performed CPR before Stanley was declared dead at 11.35pm.

    Dr Lade told the inquest it was not uncommon for children with sepsis to die very quickly.

    “They will walk into a ward and then suddenly pass away a short time afterwards,” said Dr Lade.

    It was thought the infection might also have been caused by an injury to his knee, either from being hit with a hockey stick by another pupil or while playing football.

    However, a leading doctor said the two latter theories were “very unlikely” to be the case.

    Asked if being hit by an object on his leg, such as a hockey stick, could have caused the septic infection, Dr Lade said: “That seems very unlikely.”

    The inquest heard that the boils on Stanley’s thigh could have been caused by the circumcision infection and Dr Shabnam Iyer, a microbiologist who helped with the post-mortem examination, said the infection could have spread from the skin and into Stanley’s leg.

    The two-day inquest, before coroner Peter Bedford, continues.

  99. This is a Comment on the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Notice: Recommendations for Providers Counseling Male Patients and Parents Regarding Male Circumcision and the Prevention of HIV Infection, STIs, and other Health Outcomes

    Public Submission Posted:12/11/2014
    ID:CDC-2014-0012-0613
    Agency:CDC RIN:Not Assigned Docket ID:CDC-2014-0012
    Organization:
    Submitter Name: Cranford, Brooke

    http://www.regulations.gov/#!documentDetail;D=CDC-2014-0012-0613

    Comment:

    Seven years ago my son almost died from his circumcision. He was circumcised with a gomco clamp and had his entire shaft skin removed. Almost bled to death. Since then he has had three surgeries to try and repair the damage that was done. I’ve had two more sons since and they are not circumcised, have never been retracted and have never had a single issue.

    I don’t understand how only in America do we have killer foreskins? How is it possible that no other country has all the issues that so many American’s think foreskins cause? Maybe because other countries know proper intact care? Which is to not retract the foreskin until it is retractable which usually doesn’t happen till around puberty.

    The foreskin has a purpose, it is not just a piece of skin. And circumcision has real risks that include death which is rarely mentioned to unsuspecting parents

    Please for the health of our children get your facts straight.

  100. http://www.examiner.com/article/circumcision-s-complications-what-could-go-wrong

    Circumcision’s complications: what could go wrong?

    (T)here are so many complications from infant circumcision that there is a flourishing sub-specialty of pediatric urologists who treat children with severe circumcision-induced complications.

    Dr. David Gibbons is one such pediatric urologist serving the Washington, DC area. He has seen so many bad results from circumcision in his practice that he wishes the procedure would fall out of favor. Here is a post of his reproduced in entirety to preserve completeness of his point of view.

    “Neonatal circmcision [sic] is totally unnecessary, and there is no current role for preventative or prophylactic neonatal circumcision.

    Unfortunately, 70-80% of neonatal circumcisions are performed by obstetricians, who can neither manage their complications (2-5% incidence) nor obtain proper informed consent (defined as outlining risks and benefits of a procedure, as well as alternatives-including nothing) for neonatal circumcision. Currently, the American College of OB-GYN (ACOG) have no paramenters [sic] for training (learning and performing neonatal circumcision, managing complications) of residents, who then go out and continue this practice.

    In my practice, as a pediatric urologist, I manage the complications of neonatal circumcision. For example, in a two year period, I was referred >275 newborns and toddlers with complications of neonatal circumcision. None of these were ‘revisions’ because of appearance, which I do not do. 45% required corrective surgery (minor as well as major, especially for amputative injury), whereupon some could be treated locally without surgery.

    Complications of this unnecessary procedure are often not reported, but of 300 pediatric urologists in this country who have practices similar to mine…well, one can do the math, to understand the scope of this problem…let alone, to understand the adverse cost-benefit aspect of complications (>$750,000) in this unfortunate group of infants and young children.

    Fortunately, neonatal circumcision is on the decline as parents become educated…but the complications still continue.”

  101. https://www.facebook.com/SavingOurSons

    Another newborn has lost his life to unnecessary circumcision. (Names Removed)

    December 18, 2014

    12.16.14

    I don’t even know how to handle this. This isn’t fair, it’s not supposed to be like this. I know she had an emergency c section but she just said that he had massive blood loss from his circ done yesterday morning but didn’t say what exactly he passed away from. This breaks my heart, I can’t even imagine. Please keep her in your prayers. I know this pregnancy was hard and took so long to come, and now this. Ugh. I can’t imagine. :”(
    Yesterday at 10:21 PM

    OMG how horrible.
    Yesterday at 10:25 PM

    My friends son had huge blood loss too from a circ yesterday. Scary to think what could have happened.
    Yesterday at 10:26 PM

  102. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25482996

    Arch Pediatr. 2014 Nov 15. pii: S0929-693X(14)00509-0. doi: 10.1016/j.arcped.2014.10.023. [Epub ahead of print]

    [Severe local anesthetic intoxication in an infant undergoing circumcision.]

    Doye E1, Desgranges FP2, Stamm D1, de Queiroz M3, Valla FV1, Javouhey E1.

    Abstract

    “Local anesthetic intoxication is an uncommon complication of regional anesthesia. We report the case of a 4-month-old infant who presented with generalized tonic-clonic seizure complicated by cardiac arrest secondary to a severe intoxication to local anesthesia. These complications were observed after a bilateral dorsal penile nerve block with lidocaine for circumcision in a non-hospital setting. “

  103. http://www.capitalnewyork.com/article/city-hall/2014/12/8559130/city-reports-new-case-herpes-after-metzitzah-bpeh

    City reports new case of herpes after metzitzah b’peh

    By Dan Goldberg12:09 p.m. | Dec. 23, 2014follow this reporter

    The city’s health department reported that another infant has been diagnosed with neonatal herpes following the Jewish circumcision ritual known as metzitzah b’peh.

    There have now been four reported cases in 2014, and though Mayor Bill de Blasio promised to address the issue on “Day 1” of his term, there have been no policy changes during his first year in office.

    Metzitzah b’peh involves a mohel sucking the blood directly from the wounded penis and has been roundly criticized by public health experts and by most authorities in the Jewish community.

    While some in the Orthodox community contend this is the only acceptable way to perform a circumcision, or Brit Milah, many authorities condone squeezing the blood out or using sterile pipette to suction the blood, which decreases the chance of infection.

    This is the 17th case since 2000, the health department said. Of those 17, two infants have died and at least two more have suffered brain damage.

    The most recent case involved a boy born in November. Twelve days after his circumcision, the baby was brought to a pediatrician’s office because of concerns about fussiness after feeding, according to the health department. The boy had a “cluster of papules” on his penis and was sent to a dermatologist who then sent the boy to the emergency room.

    The location of the lesions, timing of signs and symptoms, and laboratory identification of HSV-1 are consistent with transmission of the herpes virus during direct contact between the mouth of the ritual circumciser and the newly circumcised infant penis, the health department said.

    Circumcision usually occurs on the eighth day of life, a time when an infant’s immune system is not fully developed. While many adults can have mild cases of herpes, the virus can be far more dangerous if contracted by a newborn.

    Dr. Thomas Farley, the city health commissioner under former mayor Michael Bloomberg, “strongly advised” the practice “never be performed.”

    In 2013, the Bloomberg administration instituted a rule that required mohels to obtain written consent before performing metzitzah b’peh. The consent form contained the warning that “the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene advises parents that direct oral suction should not be performed.”

    The policy, which did nothing to prohibit the practice, enraged many in the Orthodox community who felt their religious freedoms were being violated.

    The regulation, according to reports in The Jewish Daily Forward, was rarely enforced, and in August a federal appeals court ruled it must pass a stricter constitutional test than was applied by the lower court.

    During a Democratic mayoral primary debate in 2013, de Blasio was asked if he approved of the consent form, and he criticized Bloomberg for not engaging in a dialogue with the “community.”

    “I would start over,” de Blasio said. “Change the policy to find a way to protect all the children but also respect religious tradition in an appropriate manner and come in Day 1 to City Hall with a new policy that’s fair.”

    De Blasio has not changed the policy.

    When introducing Dr. Mary Bassett, his choice for health commissioner, de Blasio said he intended to leave the Bloomberg consent policy in place until some better policy could be found.

    “I’ve said we will keep it in place while searching for a solution that is more effective,” de Blasio said at the time. “The current approach can be better and that’s what we are going to figure out a way to do—with the community.”

    De Blasio has not changed the approach.

    His office did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

  104. http://www.thestar.com.my/News/Nation/2015/01/07/Boy-gets-a-cut-too-deep-Family-says-botched-circumcision-procedure-is-to-blame/

    Published: Wednesday January 7, 2015 MYT 12:00:00 AM
    Updated: Wednesday January 7, 2015 MYT 8:12:13 AM

    Family says botched circumcision procedure is to blame

    by r.s.n. murali

    MALACCA: A 12-year-old boy could suffer permanent disability following what his family believes to be a botched circumcision procedure at a private clinic here.

    The boy from Bukit Rambai underwent the surgery on Dec 13, but to this day still complains of excruciating pain in his private parts and has difficulty urinating, according to his uncle who identified himself as Mohd Ridzuan.

    Mohd Ridzuan alleged that the doctor had not adhered to the right procedure when carrying out the circumcision.

    His nephew, he added, endured much pain after the surgery, stemming from the swelling in his private parts and continuous bleeding.

    “My nephew is experiencing pain until today and we are afraid that he will be permanently disabled,” he said yesterday.

    Mohd Ridzuan said that on Dec 14, his brother took his son to the Malacca Hospital, where he was warded for three days.

    “Doctors at the hospital then conducted a corrective surgery on Dec 24, but there is no certainty that the boy could lead a normal life later.

    “The scar is still there … his future might be badly affected,” he said.

    Mohd Ridzuan added that the clinic had refused to take responsibility despite his brother informing them that doctors at the Malacca Hospital had found medical negligence in the case.

    “We are planning to seek legal redress, which we hope will caution others against the clinic,” he said.

    The boy’s 34-year-old father, a factory worker, had lodged a police report against the doctor and the clinic.

    Melaka Tengah police confirmed receiving the report.

    Barisan Nasional’s social service bureau (Pembela) urged the boy’s family to see them as they had received similar grouses about the clinic from other patients.

    Pembela director Amir Hamzah Aziz said he would compile the complaints and submit them to the relevant authorities for further action.

  105. http://thetimes-tribune.com/news/couple-claims-moses-taylor-doc-botched-son-s-circumcision-1.1825389

    Couple claims Moses Taylor doc botched son’s circumcision

    JON O’CONNELL, STAFF WRITER

    Published: January 30, 2015

    A Spring Brook Twp. couple have sued a Scranton doctor and Moses Taylor
    Hospital for what they say was a botched circumcision for their son.

    The couple’s attorney, Peter Paul Olszewski Jr., on Thursday filed the
    civil suit in Lackawanna County Court claiming Maria T. Bigus, D.O.,
    disfigured and caused permanent damage to the boy’s penis while
    performing a routine circumcision procedure in August 2013.

    The Times-Tribune is withholding the names of the parents and their son
    because of the child’s age.

    Commonwealth Health, Moses Taylor Hospital’s parent company, does not
    comment on pending litigation, spokeswoman Renita Fennick said.

    The lawsuit says Dr. Bigus performed the circumcision on Aug. 7, one
    day after the boy was born, but failed to take extra precautions to
    account for hypospadias, an abnormalitiy in his penis that occurs when
    the urethra is in the wrong position.

    The suit accuses Dr. Bigus and the hospital of failing to assess the
    infant’s condition before and during the procedure.

    A physical exam report dated Aug. 8 — the day after the procedure —
    noted the abnormality, but by that point, the damage had been done.

    After leaving the hospital, the boy’s parents noticed a split urine
    stream, a symptom of a blockage in his penis, which will require
    complicated surgery to correct.

    The parents have been told their son’s condition could require future
    surgeries, and the injuries from the circumcision are of a “continuing
    and permanent nature,” the suit says.

    The suit seeks restitution for all damages that are allowed by law.

    Contact the writer:

    joconnell@timesshamrock.com

    @jon_oc on Twitter

  106. http://www.news.com.au/lifestyle/real-life/man-tried-to-circumcise-nephew-20-months-with-kitchen-knife/story-fnq2oad4-1227204879102

    Man tried to circumcise nephew, 20 months, with kitchen knife
    by: Ian Horswill

    From: News Corp Australia Network
    February 02, 2015 12:25PM

    A MAN, 24, allegedly attempted to circumcise his 20-month-old nephew with a kitchen knife when his father left the house to pick up groceries, police allege.

    Larry Leroy Floyd was charged with domestic aggravated battery after his father returned to his home in the city of Ocala, Florida, and found his son, covered in blood, crying at 6:30pm Saturday, Ocala Police Department’s Sergeant Michael Sommer told New York Daily News.

    Floyd used a kitchen knife for the bizarre procedure as he was babysitting at his sister’s house, Sommer said.

    Another brother-in-law was also in the home but was in another room and had no idea what was happening, he said.

    “He heard the baby crying as the father arrived (back home),” he said. “He rushed out and said your son is bleeding.”

    The child was injured and taken to hospital, Sommer said. An update on his condition was not available on Sunday but Sommer expected the toddler to make a recovery.

    “By the time we got the call the father scooped up the child and left for the hospital,” he said.

    He rushed out and said your son is bleeding.

    Floyd has a history of crime including charges of drug possession, domestic violence, armed robbery, trespassing and aggravated stalking of a child, Orlando Sentinel reported.

    Last year he was arrested following an altercation in a parking lot when he and an accomplice allegedly told a woman they “shoot people for a living” and pulled a knife on her.

  107. “Experts estimate that around 250 lose their penises each year to medical complications.”

    The 21-year-old from South Africa received the new penis from a deceased donor after he had his amputated three years ago over a botched (circumcision) initiation ritual.

    http://www.theguardian.com/world/2015/mar/13/south-africa-man-penis-transplant

    Man gets world’s first successful penis transplant after botched circumcision

    A 21-year-old man in South Africa has received the world’s first successful penis transplant and accepts the organ as his own, doctors said on Friday.

    The operation took a team of surgeons nine hours and has allowed the patient to become sexually active.

    The man’s penis was amputated three years ago after a circumcision went wrong at a traditional initiation ceremony. The patient, who has not been named, received the new organ from a deceased donor on 11 December and has regained all functions.

    Professor Andre van der Merwe, head of the urology division at Stellenbosch University, whose staff carried out the operation at Tygerberg hospital in Cape Town, said the recipient is doing “extremely well” both physically and psychologically.

    “The patient accepted the penis as his own,” he told the eNews Channel Africa (eNCA). “He told me in no uncertain terms that the fact it belonged to somebody else is completely out of his mind and he’s moved on with this as his own penis. That’s absolutely the way we want it.”

    Van der Merwe indicated that doctors had ensured the donor and recipient were of the same race. “Cosmetically we’ve got a very good match for colour,” he added. “We obviously transplanted a good normal penis and the erections that the patient gets are very good.

    “We repaired a small hole in his urethra, the pee pipe, last week so we could remove his catheter and just that induced an erection on the operating table. We were so surprised at that erection that he certainly is getting very good results for his transplant.”

    Van der Merwe described the groundbreaking operation as “very, very difficult”. He told eNCA: “What we did was to manage the small blood vessels in the penis, which are really only a little bit more than a millimetre wide, to existing blood vessels in the abdomen that has come down, and we could connect that up.

    “So many things could have gone wrong. Actually one of the blood vessels did clot up for a few hours. We could relieve the clot, thankfully.”

    Immediately after the operation there was an “oozing” that led to bleeding, he continued. “We were dealing with infection and clot formation and bleeding. That was the most difficult thing initially.”

    But the patient is “a very fit young man” and making “a good recovery”.

    In 2006, a Chinese man had a penis transplant but his doctors removed the organ after two weeks due to “a severe psychological problem of the recipient and his wife”.

    But the South African man and his partner are coping well, according to Van der Merwe. “Huge psychological effects. If you add an organ you make a ripple effect on somebody’s ego, you can even induce psychosis … He was obviously carefully screened to be psychologically stable before we did this.”

    The recipient’s girlfriend was offered counselling but declined, Van der Merwe said during the interview broadcast on Friday. “We were very thankful that it all worked out in the end and the patient’s doing well … The patient is sexually active again and is very happy.”

    More on this topicCircumcision: South Africans should stop allowing our boys to be butchered

    Every year thousands of teenage boys from the Xhosa tribe in South Africa embark on a secretive rite of passage in Eastern Cape province, spending up to a month in seclusion where they study, undergo circumcision by a traditional surgeon, and apply white clay to their bodies.

    While many initiation schools are officially sanctioned, others are unregulated and bogus surgeons are blamed every year for numerous deaths and injuries, including gangrene caused by unsterilised blades. Experts estimate that around 250 lose their penises each year to medical complications.

    “There is a greater need in South Africa for this type of procedure than elsewhere in the world,” Van der Merwe said in a statement. “For a young man of 18 or 19 years, the loss of his penis can be deeply traumatic. He doesn’t necessarily have the psychological capability to process this. There are even reports of suicide among these young men.”

    Van der Merwe described the anonymous donor and his family as “the heroes” of the story. “They saved the lives of many people because they donated the heart, lungs, kidneys, liver, skin, corneas and then the penis,” he said.

    The South African team included three senior doctors, transplant coordinators, anaesthetists, theatre nurses, a psychologist and an ethicist. The driving force was Professor Frank Graewe, head of plastic reconstructive surgery at Stellenbosch University. He said: “We’ve proved that it can be done – we can give someone an organ that is just as good as the one that he had. It was a privilege to be part of this first successful penis transplant in the world.”

    The team now now plan to perform nine more similar operations. Some techniques were developed from the first facial transplant in France in 2005.

    In 1967, Christiaan Barnard performed the world’s first heart transplant at Groote Schuur hospital in Cape Town.

  108. http://www.obgmanagement.com/the-latest/past-issues-single-view/unsupervised-resident-performed-circumcision/39fae8309302f1350f3b1816eb93e13f.html

    Unsupervised resident performed circumcision

    February 2006 · Vol. 18, No. 2

    New York County (NY) Supreme Court

    A 2-day-old infant underwent circumcision by an unsupervised
    second-year ObGyn resident. The resident removed a substantial portion
    of glans tissue. Despite 2 subsequent repair surgeries, the infant was
    left with a deformed penis and altered urine flow.

    In suing, the plaintiff faulted the hospital for failing to adequately
    supervise the resident. The resident claimed it was reasonable to
    perform the surgery without supervision after 10 successful proctored
    procedures and that the result was an acceptable risk. The hospital
    admitted liability.

    The jury awarded the plaintiff $1.5 million.

  109. http://www.israelhayom.com/site/newsletter_article.php?id=24575

    Thursday April 2, 2015
    Maytal Yasur Beit-Or

    Thanks to doctors, botched circumcision ends well

    Some five months after doctors reattach urethra tissue, infant is on his way to a full recovery • “Had the patient been an adult, things could have been more complicated … patient’s young age meant organ’s blood supply was very high,” physician says.

    Urologists at Hadassah Medical Center in Jerusalem have successfully reattached part of a baby’s penis following a botched circumcision. The baby was rushed to the hospital some five months ago after his family noticed he was bleeding profusely following the procedure. His doctors said the mohel, who was in charge of performing the ritual under Jewish law, cut part of the urethra rather than just the foreskin.

    The baby was rushed to the hospital shortly after the circumcision. Even before the baby arrived, the head of the Pediatric Urology Unit at the center, Professor Ezekiel Landau, and Dr. Guy Hidas, a pediatric urologist, were told to report immediately to the emergency room and prepare for surgery.

    “The baby was admitted with severe bleeding, and we immediately proceeded to suture the affected area, under local anaesthesia of course,” Hidas said. “The parents were understandably much more concerned than we were, and they had little hope. They have had a tormenting few months,” he noted.

    Hidas said that 80% of the reattached tissue was successfully accepted by the body. “The operation was carried out some two hours after the circumcision took place. Had the patient been an adult, things could have been more complicated, but the infant’s young age meant that the organ’s blood supply was very high, which was very conducive to his recovery.”

    “The baby will need at least one more surgery in the coming year, but it is unlikely that this will have long-term impact on his reproductive system,” he said.

    According to the Health Ministry’s statistics, complications following circumcision take place in less than 1% of cases, and the most common complication involves excessive bleeding.

  110. http://www.wesh.com/news/lake-mary-woman-let-baby-bleed-for-4-hours-before-seeking-help-deputies-say/32229552

    Lake Mary woman let baby bleed for 4 hours before seeking help, deputies say
    By Catherine Mejia

    Published 8:25 AM EDT Apr 07, 2015

    LAKE MARY, Fla. —A Lake Mary woman is accused of letting a baby bleed for hours before seeking medical help, according to the Seminole County Sheriff’s Office.

    Deputies said Katherine Ajamie, 23, waited four hours to get help for the baby who started bleeding after a medical procedure.

    Ajamie said the child bled through four diapers, bed sheets and onto a bed mattress, but she didn’t seek help until the baby became pale, according to an arrest report.

    She was arrested and charged with two counts of child neglect with great bodily harm.

    The baby’s medical condition was not released.

    Comment:

    Baby bled after unneeded circumcision. They didn’t say that? Well, I don’t know of any other routine procedure where the baby bleeds into the diaper.

  111. http://www.courthousenews.com/2015/04/24/circumcision-clamp-caused-amputation-family-says.htm

    Circumcision Clamp Caused Amputation, Family Says
    By GINA CARRANO

    PHILADELPHIA (CN) – A defective penile-circumcision clamp caused
    the tip of a 7-day-old infant’s penis to be amputated, his mother
    claims in court.

    Though the mother identifies herself and her son in the complaint
    filed on April 22 in the Philadelphia County Court of Common Pleas,
    Courthouse News has redacted their last names because of the sensitive
    nature of the claims.

    The March 2010 “horrific injury” occurred in Oxnard, Calif., while
    baby Benjamin’s doctor “performed what was supposed to be a routine
    circumcision procedure,” according to the complaint.

    For the procedure, Benjamin’s doctor allegedly used a “Mogen
    Clamp,” manufactured by Misdom-Frank Corp., Medco Group and Sklar
    Instruments, all of West Chester, Pa.

    Unlike other circumcision instruments, the lawsuit says, the Mogen
    Clamp lacks a protective shield or bell to safeguard the head of the
    penis.

    Its design is also such that the doctor performing the procedure
    is unable to see the head of the penis while applying the scalpel to
    the foreskin, according to the complaint.

    The defendants nevertheless allegedly market the Mogen Clamp “as
    safer and more effective as compared to other competing circumcision
    products.”

    Benjamin’s mother says that “the long history of penile
    amputations” associated with the Mogen Clamp, “unlike other
    circumcision devices,” contradicts these claims.

    “In fact, though the Mogen Clamp comprises a small percentage of
    the circumcision product market, it accounts for the majority of penile
    amputations,” the complaint states.

    Benjamin’s mother says the defective nature of the Mogen Clamp
    caused the tip of her son’s penis to be amputated during the routine
    procedure.

    The amputation will allegedly require future corrective surgery
    and has led baby Benjamin to experience “significant mental and
    physical pain and suffering.”

    “Every year there are steady reports made to the FDA of penile
    amputations due to the Mogen Clamp,” the complaint states, abbreviating
    Food and Drug Administration. “To date there have been over 20 reports
    made to the FDA. These reports account for only a small portion of
    actual amputations in the medical community.”

    Despite their knowledge of the Mogen Clamp’s historical failure
    and injury risks, the defendants have never recalled the clamp or
    changed its design.

    Benjamin seeks punitive damages for defective manufacture and
    design, failure to warn, negligence, breach of warranty and other
    claims.

    He is represented by Priscilla Jimenez with Kline Specter in
    Philadelphia, and by the firms Balaban & Spielberger in Los Angeles and
    Browne Greene in Santa Monica.

    http://www.law360.com/productliability/articles/646537/circumcision-clamp-makers-sued-over-amputated-penis

    Circumcision Clamp Makers Sued Over Amputated Penis

    By Y. Peter Kang

    Law360, Los Angeles (April 22, 2015, 4:00 PM ET) — Companies
    associated with the production of a clamp used in performing
    circumcisions were hit with a product liability suit in Pennsylvania
    state court on Wednesday alleging that the medical instrument’s poor
    design led to the amputation of the tip of an infant’s penis.

    California resident Victoria Hoekstra, the mother of a minor child,
    filed the suit against Misdom-Frank Corp. and related entities Sklar
    Corp. and Medco Group Inc., accusing the Pennsylvania-based companies
    of negligence and product liability in connection with the partial
    amputation of her week-old…

  112. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25932038

    Abstract

    Korean J Pediatr. 2015 Apr;58(4):154-7. doi: 10.3345/kjp.2015.58.4.154. Epub 2015 Apr 22.

    Urosepsis and postrenal acute renal failure in a neonate following circumcision with Plastibell device.

    Kalyanaraman M1, McQueen D1, Sykes J1, Phatak T1, Malik F1, Raghava PS1.

    Plastibell is one of the three most common devices used for neonatal circumcision in the United States, with a complication rate as low as 1.8%. The Plastibell circumcision device is commonly used under local anesthesia for religious circumcision in male neonates, because of cosmetic reasons and ease of use. Occasionally, instead of falling off, the device may get buried under the skin along the shaft of the penis, thereby obstructing the normal flow of urine. Furthermore, the foreskin of neonates is highly vascularized, and hence, hemorrhage and infection are possible when the skin is cut. Necrosis of penile skin, followed by urethral obstruction and renal failure, is a serious surgical mishap requiring immediate corrective surgery and medical attention. We report a case of fulminant urosepsis, acute renal failure, and pyelonephritis in a 4-day-old male neonate secondary to impaction of a Plastibell circumcision device. Immediate medical management was initiated with fluid resuscitation and mechanical ventilation; thereby correcting life threatening complications. Pediatricians and Emergency Department physicians should be cognizant of the complications from Plastibell circumcision device in order to institute appropriate and timely management in neonates.

    PMID: 25932038 [PubMed] PMCID: PMC4414631 Free

    http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4414631/

  113. http://cookcountyrecord.com/stories/510626914-doctor-practice-hospital-sued-over-allegedly-botched-circumcision

    Doctor, practice, hospital sued over allegedly botched circumcision Wednesday, Jul 15, 2015 @ 1:09pm by Dan Harkins

    A mother and her son are suing a doctor, his practice and a local hospital for a circumcision that allegedly left the boy bleeding and deformed.

    Glenda Manning and her son, Marquese Robinson, filed a complaint July 14 in Cook County Circuit Court against Dr. Lawrence Boysen, the University of Chicago Medical Center and OB/GYN Health Associates SC.

    On July 19, 2007, Boysen performed a circumcision just after Robinson was born. Only a partial circumcision was done, the lawsuit states. As a result of the surgery, it continues, Robinson suffered “bleeding, deformation of the penis and other complications.”

    The doctor, his practice and the supervising hospital all are cited with carelessness and negligence for operating on Robinson in a way that caused him to bleed and have a deformed penis and failing to properly assess him; perform the surgery with the proper equipment; and properly perform the surgery.

    As a result, Robinson suffered injury, pain and suffering, disability, disfigurement, loss of a normal life and medical expenses.

    The mother and son seek damages of more than $100,000, plus costs.

    The plaintiff is represented by the Law Offices of Craig L. Manchik and Associates PC in Chicago.

    http://www.healthgrades.com/physician/dr-lawrence-boysen-ypvnj/background-check#BackgroundEducationAndTraining_anchor

    Dr. Lawrence Boysen, MD
    Specializes in Obstetrics & Gynecology • Male • Age 58

    Education & Training

    Medical School
    University of Illinois At Chicago / College of Medicine Graduated in 1982

    Residency Hospital
    Rush Presby St Lukes Complete in 1986

  114. http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-3165342/Medical-students-mistakenly-SLICE-newborn-s-penis-cut-umbilical-cord.html

    Medical students mistakenly SLICE into newborn’s penis as they cut his umbilical cord

    By Lizzie Parry for MailOnline

    Published: 08:29 EST, 17 July 2015 | Updated: 09:37 EST, 17 July 2015

    Medical students almost sliced a newborn baby boy’s penis off as they cut the umbilical cord, it is claimed.

    Doctors at a hospital in Mexico have been accused of attempting to hide the boy’s injury.

    His father grew suspicious that something had happened after being denied access to his son for more than two hours after the birth.

    The incident happened after his partner Zulem Contreras gave birth at a hospital in the City of Saltillo in the state of Coahuila, north-eastern Mexico.

    Doctors told her husband Diego Rangel Izaguirre that the boy had suffered ‘a minor accident’.

    But he discovered that medical students had accidentally cut a part of his son’s penis after mistakenly thinking it was the umbilical cord.

    The organ was sewn back together by a surgeon – but the couple maintain their son’s penis ultimately ended up with three separate cuts, some of them 2cm deep.

    Diego Rangel Izaguirre, said: ‘When my child was born and they cut his umbilical cord, they injured his penis.

    ‘And unfortunately when the surgeon started sewing it, he made other two new injuries, almost two centimetres deep’

    The baby’s mother, Zulem Contreras, said: ‘This shouldn’t have happened, they should have assigned a gynaecologist to take care of him, not students’.

    The couple have made an official complaint but hospital officials claim the newborn is healthy and that the operation was both minor and the baby’s parents gave their consent.

    A hospital spokesman said: ‘The Regional Delegation rejects the versions spread by media according to which the genitals of a newborn ‘were cut’ in the General Hospital no. 1.

    ‘During the cut of the umbilical cord the skin of the prepuce (the technical term for foreskin) was accidentally injured and repaired through the usual circumcision process that was consented by the parents.’

    The hospital has also launched an internal investigation.

  115. http://www.ansamed.info/ansamed/en/news/sections/generalnews/2015/07/15/algeria-infant-circumcision-complications-raise-alarm_971ac66a-8ebd-433b-809f-ae30a747548f.html

    Algeria: infant circumcision complications raise alarm

    Especially for undiagnosed hemophiliac children

    15 July, 13:22

    (by Diego Minuti) (ANSAmed) – ROME, JULY 15 – Non-compliance with Algerian health ministry instructions on infant circumcision has led to very high risks to children.

    Children who suffer from hemophilia, a hereditary disease that affects male children more often than female children, but that have not yet been diagnosed with it are at especially high risk. The Quran does not specifically mention circumcision, but it is mentioned in the hadith and the sunnah and is thus considered obligatory within eight days of birth, according to most interpretations. Some 13 children suffered serious health problems after circumcision in 2007 in El Khroub, near Constantine. Every year in Algeria, due to circumcisions during the month of Ramadan, most of the children who die are operated with parents being unaware that they are hemophiliacs. Experts are concerned that circumcision is rarely preceded by exams ascertaining the health of the children. One of the major concerns is circumcision not carried out by surgeons following ministerial protocol, which calls for a series of exams prior to the operation. Many people opt not to go to doctors but others who may carry out the operation as well but who do not have the tools to ascertain whether the child is at risk. Doctor Meriem Benseddouk, hematologist from the Beni-Messous polyclinic, has launched an appeal in a forum of the daily El Moudjahid, so that circumcision be carried out later than in the first few days after birth. The disorder is found at the age in which children begin to walk and fall down, with consequent bruising. Hematologists also say that exams to check whether a child is a hemophiliac is not costly and can be carried out in public and private laboratories. The idea of setting a minimum age has been aired. (ANSAmed)

  116. http://www.israelhayom.com/site/newsletter_article.php?id=27435

    Friday August 7, 2015

    Baby’s penis reattached in hospital after brit goes wrong

    After circumcision is botched, family members keep severed tissue on ice until baby arrives at hospital • “We are optimistic about the baby’s chances of recovery,” surgeon says after operation • Unclear what led mohel to remove part of baby’s urethra.

    Danny Brenner and Israel Hayom Staff

    An 8-day-old boy from northern Israel was rushed to the Pediatric Emergency Unit at the Rambam Healthcare Campus this week after a botched circumcision in which the mohel severed part of the baby’s urethra. The infant underwent penis reattachment surgery, which doctors later pronounced successful.

    The medical team praised the family for placing the severed tissue on ice until they arrived at the hospital, increasing the chances for a successful operation.

    The reattachment surgery was performed by senior pediatric urologist Benjamin Hardak.

    “These kind of procedures are relatively rare,” Hardak said. “The operation was a success and we are optimistic about the baby’s chances of recovery, but it is still too soon to know what the ramifications will be for the baby. We are monitoring his condition closely.”

    Following the surgery the infant was admitted to the Intensive Care Unit at the Ruth Rappaport Children’s Hospital, part of the Rambam Campus.

    Mohels (ritual circumcisers) undergo special training before being allowed to perform the delicate medical procedure.

    According to the Health Ministry’s statistics, complications following circumcisions occur in less than 1% of cases, with the most common complication being excessive bleeding. Details of what went wrong in the brit in question were not immediately available.

  117. http://allafrica.com/stories/201509161373.html

    16 September 2015

    The Monitor (Kampala)

    Uganda: Baby Loses Penis During Circumcision

    By Felix Basiime and Scovia Atuhaire
    Kabarole — A six-months-old baby in Fort Portal has lost his penis during circumcision, a procedure his mother claims she never authorised.

    Ms Rosette Katushabe, a resident of Rwengoma village in Fort Portal municipality, says her baby was on September 2 circumcised by a sheikh without her consent.

    “I left my baby with a caretaker but when I came back I found that his penis had been cut off reportedly during circumcision. I asked the caretaker and she told me the baby’s auntie came with a sheikh who circumcised him,” Ms Katushabe told Daily Monitor on Monday.

    Examination report from Fort Portal Regional Referral Hospital where the baby was taken on September 11 says “baby’s genitals were mutilated during a cultural circumcision”.

    The testis and scrotal structure are normal.

    Police in Fort Portal have arrested two suspects in connection with the circumcision.

    The OC CIID at Fort Portal Central Police Station, Mr Joshua Tusingwiire, said, “definitely there is an offence committed. We examined the child together with Dr Charles Olaro (the Medical Superintendent at Fort Portal Regional Referral hospital), and he confirmed that the baby’s organ was cut off but that it can grow.”

    He said they are going to charge the suspects; the child’s auntie and the Sheikh with main harm, and that doctors from Spain are expected in two weeks’ time to further examine the child.

    Previous cases

    In 2013, a 44-year-old lost his penis to a botched male medical circumcision procedure in a private clinic in Kawempe Division, Kampala. The man said the circumcision was free, but he had to pay shs20,000 for the drugs. He said he woke up three hours after the procedure to find his penis stiff and was removed days later at Mulago hospital when it darkened and began peeling off.

  118. http://cookcountyrecord.com/stories/510640320-mother-sues-doctors-chicago-hospital-alleging-botched-circumcision

    Mother sues doctors, Chicago hospital, alleging botched circumcision

    Robert Hadley
    Sep. 29, 2015, 1:33 pm

    A Cook County woman is suing a Chicago hospital, alleging malpractice during the birth of her son.

    Miriam Rodriguez, mother of Angel Rodriguez (a minor), filed a lawsuit Sept. 21 in Cook County Circuit Court against Advocate North Side Health Network doing business as Advocate Illinois Masonic Medical Center, Advocate Health & Hospitals Corp. doing business as advocate Medical Group, Dr. Elise Halajian and Dr. Gloria Redondo.

    According to the complaint, on Sept. 10, 2013, Rodriguez gave birth to her son at the defendant’s hospital in Chicago. The suit says Halajian and Redondo improperly circumcised the infant, leading to tissue loss, disfigurement, loss of sensation and additional corrective surgeries.

    As a result of the injuries, the suit alleges Angel Rodriguez suffered mental pain and anguish and loss of a normal life.

    Rodriguez seeks punitive damages of more than $50,000, litigation costs and reimbursement for lost wages and additional medical costs. She is represented by attorney Cindy G. Fluxgold of Goldstein Fluxgold and Baron in Chicago.

    Cook County Circuit Court case number 2015-L-009624.

  119. Pingback: Removing Wisdom Tooth Riverdale Ga

  120. “Benjamin Hoekstra was born on March 19, 2010 in Oxnard, Calif. and circumcised one week later. During the procedure, the tip of Hoekstra’s genitals was amputated, allegedly due to the defective nature of a device designed and marketed by the defendants called the Mogen Clamp.”

    http://pennrecord.com/stories/510643946-defense-counsel-wants-venue-transfer-plaintiffs-seeking-to-add-outside-counsel-in-circumcision-defect-case

    Defense counsel wants venue transfer, plaintiffs seeking to add outside counsel in circumcision defect case

    Nicholas MalfitanoOct. 21, 2015, 9:50am

    PHILADELPHIA – Motions for preliminary objections and pro hac vice admissions for counsel are on the table in a product liability case, centered on a young boy who allegedly suffered permanent injuries during a circumcision procedure.

    Defense counsel Megan E. Grossman filed a motion for preliminary objections on July 14, seeking the lawsuit filed by Benjamin Hoekstra and his mother Victoria Hoekstra of Garden Grove, Calif,. against West Chester defendants Misdom-Frank Corporation, Sklar Corporation and Medco Group, Inc., to be moved to Chester County.

    Since the defendants are based in Chester County, Grossman argued that was the only appropriate venue. Though the Hoekstras have dropped claims of negligent infliction of emotional distress and breach of express warranty, Grossman also challenged the legal sufficiency of the plaintiffs’ remaining claims, including those for punitive damages.

    Three months later, plaintiff attorney Lee B. Balefsky filed a pair of motions for pro hac vice admission on Oct. 7, seeking to add Daniel K. Balaban and Andrew J. Spielberger of Balaban & Spielberger in Los Angeles as fellow counsel.

    Balefsky said Balaban and Spielberger are both in good standing and able to practice in California courts, have obtained pro hac vice admission in the state of New Jersey and have agreed to comply with Pennsylvania’s Rules of Professional Conduct.

    A hearing in this matter was set for this past Monday in Court chambers, at Philadelphia City Hall.

    According to the lawsuit, Benjamin Hoekstra was born on March 19, 2010 in Oxnard, Calif. and circumcised one week later. During the procedure, the tip of Hoekstra’s genitals was amputated, allegedly due to the defective nature of a device designed and marketed by the defendants called the Mogen Clamp. The suit states Hoekstra sustained permanent injury and will require future corrective surgeries.

    The plaintiffs say the Mogen Clamp only accounts for a small percentage of the market for medical devices assisting in circumcision, but allegedly accounts for the majority of penile amputations, with more than 20 reports made to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) this year.

    The suit states the Mogen Clamp’s defects include no protection for the head of the genitals, and the design of the device leaving doctors unable to see the head of the genitals when applying the scalpel to the foreskin.

    However, the plaintiffs claim the defendants have not changed the product design, suppressed the information and failed to share it with both healthcare providers and patients, despite alleged awareness of these defects.

    The plaintiffs are suing for strict liability – defective manufacture and design, strict liability – failure to warn, negligence, negligent misrepresentation, breach of implied warranty and gross negligence.

    The plaintiffs are seeking a sum, jointly and severally, in excess of $50,000, plus compensatory damages, punitive damages, costs and other relief.

    The plaintiffs are represented by Lee B. Balefsky of Kline & Specter, in Philadelphia.

    The defendants are represented by Megan E. Grossman and Kim N. Nguyen of Segal McCambridge Singer & Mahoney, also in Philadelphia.

    Philadelphia County Court of Common Pleas case 150402154

    From the Pennsylvania Record: Reach Courts Reporter Nicholas Malfitano at nickpennrecord@gmail.com

  121. http://joseph4gi.blogspot.com/2015/10/circumcision-risk-two-more-circumcision.html

    Thursday, October 22, 2015

    CIRCUMCISION RISK: Two More Circumcision Botches

    Let’s see we have a child admitted to the ER in Arizona because he wouldn’t stop bleeding…

    (See what the mother, Courtney, wrote on Facebook at the link above.)

    …and an infection in Illinois the mother wants to sue for.

    (See what the father, Daniel, wrote on Facebook at the link above.)

    This last one was actually cropped from the original because it’s too graphic to post. If you really want to see it, click here at your own risk. CAUTION: GRAPHIC

    http://circumcisioninsanity.blogspot.jp/2015/10/daniel-from-illinois.html

    You won’t find these in the news, because they rarely, if ever, make it.

    Instead you’ll read about them on Facebook, where they’ll surface for a bit while a parent is actually reacting the way they should at every circumcision, and then you never hear about them again. (Perhaps doctors get them to settle and keep quiet about it? Who knows…)

    The AAP and friends repeat a 0.2% risk in circumcision complications and they really don’t get into what they are.

    Is that number accurate?

    Has the AAP actually looked into it, or are they just pulling it out of thin air so as to minimize the risk to cover their circumcising members’ rear ends?

    Circumcision has risks.

    They include infection, partial or full ablation, hemorrhage and even death.

    Here are yet two more botch cases that have surfaced on the internet.

    Is the AAP counting?

    Because we are.

    Shit floats, and the AAP is going to look very bad if real numbers don’t reflect their 0.2% figure.

    But even so, what does 0.2% of 1.3 million newborn infants look like?

    Unless my math skills completely suck, and someone correct me here, that’s approximately 2600 babies that will suffer some sort of mishap.

    Really? That’s an acceptable risk for an elective, non-medical procedure?

    Posted by Joseph at 3:14 AM

  122. http://news.nationalpost.com/health/ontario-newborn-bleeds-to-death-after-family-doctor-persuades-parents-to-get-him-circumcised

    Ontario newborn bleeds to death after family doctor persuades parents to get him circumcised

    Tom Blackwell | October 25, 2015 | Last Updated: Oct 25 11:27 PM ET
    More from Tom Blackwell | @tomblackwellNP

    TORONTO — An Ontario doctor has been cautioned after a 22-day-old baby bled to death from a circumcision gone horribly wrong, underscoring the heated debate over a simple yet contentious procedure.

    Another physician involved in the case was urged by a medical governing body to be “mindful” of the operation’s dangers.

    But Ryan Heydari’s parents say the regulators who handled their complaints have shed little light on what led to Ryan’s death – or how to prevent similar tragedies in future.

    They say they did not even want the newborn circumcised — a view in line with longstanding recommendations from the Canadian Pediatric Society — but were persuaded to do so by a family physician.

    “We are so shocked that we will not have an answer to bring us some peace for our broken hearts, to prevent other cruel deaths like Ryan’s and to ensure that doctors take proper care of their patients,” mother Homa Ahmadi told the National Post.

    In fact, the case only became public because the couple appealed the original Ontario College of Physician and Surgeons rulings, which were rendered in secret.

    An appeal tribunal upheld this month a decision by the College to caution the doctor who saw Ryan in the emergency department hours after his circumcision, his diaper stained red with blood.

    The Health Professions Appeal and Review Board also confirmed the college’s separate advice to the pediatrician who conducted the procedure to be aware of its potential hazards, and document his efforts to get informed consent.

    We are so shocked that we will not have an answer to bring us some peace for our broken hearts, to prevent other cruel deaths.

    The pediatric society said in a recent report that death from bleeding caused by circumcision is “extremely rare,” though it’s not completely unheard of. A five-week-old B.C. baby bled to death after being circumcised in 2003.

    Ahmadi gave birth on Jan. 3, 2013 to a boy who loved attention, cried relatively little and seemed to actually smile. “He gave us the most amazing moments of our life,” says Ryan’s mother.

    She and husband John Heydari, who immigrated from Iran about 12 years ago, opposed having him circumcised, convinced that “mother nature created us the way she intended us to be.”

    But their family physician persuaded them it was a good idea for medical reasons, despite contrary advice from pediatric specialists.

    Once carried out on most Canadian boys and still common as a religious rite for Jews and Muslims, circumcision has generally fallen in popularity, rates hovering around 32 per cent.

    The pediatric society has long held that its risks – including pain to a small baby, bleeding and the chance of disfigurement of the penis – outweigh its benefits.

    The group revisited the issue with a report just last month that addressed growing evidence circumcision helps prevent sexually transmitted disease, acting almost like a vaccine in countries with high rates of HIV.

    Circumcised boys are also less likely to suffer urinary-tract infections and to develop rare penile cancer later in life, the society says.

    But its report still recommended against routine circumcision of every newborn male, saying that it may make sense in certain cases. For those who have the procedure, “close follow-up in the early post-circumcision time period is critical,” the society warns.

    One urologist says he has encountered a few cases where circumcised babies had to undergo transfusions because of dangerous bleeding, and sees less-serious complications routinely.

    Dr. Jorge DeMaria of Hamilton’s McMaster University believes regulators should require doctors to prove they have undergone proper training before doing circumcisions. He also questions circumcising newborns for preventive-health reasons, in a country with low levels of HIV and wide availability of condoms.

    It was so obvious from the blood his tiny body had lost that he was in danger
    .
    “In our setting, in North America, really it’s not necessary.”

    Ahmadi says she and her husband knew almost immediately after their son’s procedure that something was seriously wrong.

    The previously unfussy baby “was crying so much, so hard, and he wouldn’t stop,” she recalled in written answers to questions. “He was bleeding, and it only got worse over just hours … It was so obvious from the blood his tiny body had lost that he was in danger.”

    The pediatrician who did the circumcision told the College he conducts many of them, that Ryan’s was uneventful and there was no bleeding when he checked the dressing before the family left.

    Homa Ahmadi gave birth on Jan. 3, 2013 to a boy who loved attention, cried relatively little and seemed to actually smile. “He gave us the most amazing moments of our life,” says Ryan’s mother.

    The parents called about bleeding later that day, though, and he advised them to take Ryan to Toronto’s North York General Hospital, which they did.

    “We … waited for care that could have saved his life, but that level of care never came,” says Ahmadi.

    A sparse outline in the board’s decision says Ryan was eventually transferred to Sick Kids hospital, but died there seven days later. Pathologists said he succumbed to “hypovolemic shock” caused by bleeding from the circumcision, which emptied his body of 35 to 40 per cent of its blood.

    The doctor at North York General — whose name has been withheld according to College policy — was cautioned for failing to recognize the seriousness of the boy’s condition or treating “compensated shock” – the first stage of the condition.

    We hope that this never happens to any other baby
    .
    But the process left the family little further ahead in fathoming how Ryan could have died, said Brian Moher, their lawyer.

    “My clients felt that there was a big gap in what the College had done with the investigations, essentially missing the point around the infant’s death.”

    The devastated parents, meanwhile, have not had other children.

    “The loss of Ryan, our only child, has made us realize that we can’t possess anything, even our hopes and dreams,” Ahmadi says. “We hope that this never happens to any other baby.”

    National Post

    tblackwell@nationalpost.com

  123. http://joseph4gi.blogspot.com/2015/11/tunisia-6yo-loses-his-penis-to.html

    Wednesday, November 11, 2015
    TUNISIA: 6 yo Loses His Penis to Circumcision

    A child of 6 loses his entire penis to circumcision.

    In countries outside of the United States, Muslims tend to circumcise their male children at much later ages. (Approx. 98% of Tunisia’s population is Muslim)

    The surgery was performed in a hospital setting by a licensed professional handling the latest technology.

    The child was left for a week in excruciating pain as he suffered necrotic deterioration without any help for what was done.

    A functional dildo attached subcutaneously is being considered as a replacement.

    The main concerns seem to be that he be able to urinate standing up and that his future partners might “feel something.”

    Nevermind the child.

    And let’s forget about the fact that they’re trying to repair a botch for a surgery that was never needed in the first place.

    Read the article in French here.

    http://kapitalis.com/tunisie/2015/10/23/tunis-un-enfant-perd-son-penis-suite-a-une-circoncision/

  124. http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3356925/Royal-commission-hears-man-penis-cut-Sydney-boys-home.html

    Former pupil at Sydney boys’ home reveals ‘had his penis CUT OFF by a teacher who didn’t like students with foreskins’

    By Martha Azzi For Daily Mail Australia

    Published: 03:53 EST, 12 December 2015 | Updated: 04:06 EST, 12 December 2015

    At the age of 13, Gordon Myers allegedly woke up to find ‘blood everywhere’ after his teacher performed a botched circumcision because he ‘didn’t like little boys with foreskins.’

    Mr Myer’s, 50, attended Daruk Training School in Windsor, a Sydney boys’ home in 1978, for five years during which he claims he was raped and bashed by some staff, the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse heard.

    A member of the school performed the illegal circumcision after claiming to have received permission, reported the Mercury.

    ‘He knocked me out with a needle and I woke up in the middle of it and there was (a second staff member there as well), I screamed in pain.

    ‘Because I was so tiny, he probably thought, stupidly, ‘don’t give him as much anaesthetic to put him under’,’ said Mr Myers.

    Realising the surgery did not go to plan, Mr Myers was sent to Windsor where a surgeon reattached his penis.

    Unable to find any records of the incident Mr Myers believes the hospital covered up the incident.

    The deformity has effected Mr Myers life as he is unable to father children or have sex – left with a ‘child-like sized’ penis and scrotum.

    Hospital documents posted on an online support page for Mr Myers concluded he had been left with ‘testicular microlithiasis’ – a debilitating condition in which calcium builds up in the testicles.

    The gruesome details of Mr Myers’ extensive history of alleged child abuse are found in his official witness statement, which was sent to the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse.

  125. http://www.themalaysianinsider.com/world/article/botched-circumcisions-claim-43-lives-in-south-africa

    Botched circumcisions claim 43 lives in South Africa
    Published: 17 December 2015 11:52 AM

    The death toll from botched circumcisions has risen to 43 nationwide since the summer initiation season began in November, newly appointed Minister of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs, David van Rooyen said.

    This “is totally unacceptable”, Van Rooyen said in Pretoria.

    Eastern Cape Province reported 30 deaths, to be followed by Free State (six), Northern Cape (three), Western Cape (two), Gauteng (one) and North West (one) . . .

    Between 2005 and 2015, more than 500 initiates died while 300 have lost their manhood, official statistics show.

  126. https://www.facebook.com/BloodstainedMenTheirFriends#!/photo.php?fbid=556821227808369&set=a.105147402975756.9541.100004414898074&type=3&theater

    “My son was born perfect. I was 20 years old. I asked my mom about circumcision, she said, “Everyone does it”. They took him to be circumcised the next day, and he was gone much longer than expected. When he came back, I could tell that something was wrong. He had burst blood vessels on his face from screaming. I held him and cried. I went to change his diaper, and it was soaked in blood. I was terrified. I called the nurse and she nonchalantly told me that he was a bleeder and they’d had to cauterize his penis. I again held him and cried, immediately regretting my decision.

    “The healing process was hard. At times it looked like the head of his penis was going to fall off of his body. It was the color of a liver. A nurse friend said, “I have never seen anything like that in my life.” Once he was 15 months old, I knew it hadn’t healed correctly. There was an abundance of skin loose on the shaft directly under the head. I took him to the pediatrician who referred us to a pediatric urologist at children’s hospital. The urologist scheduled a “simple revision” for the following month. He said my son would have 6 stitches and the healing would be easy.

    “Fast forward to the surgery. I was called back to a little room that had two chairs and a box of tissues sitting on a table. I was petrified. Luckily my son was stable, but the revision turned into a complete penile reconstruction. They were initially supposed to remove the excess skin. The circumcision was botched so badly that at the base of the penis the skin was far too tight. They had to graft the skin from the head/shaft onto the base. My 16 month old ended up with 40+ stitches in his penis. The base of the penis split and it had to necrotize and heal from the inside out. The cost of the surgery was approx $11,000, to repair a botched surgery that was unnecessary from the beginning.

    “In this photo, he was laying in the bed recovering. They wanted us gone within an hour but I demanded to stay in a private room until I could get him to calm down. He is 7 now, and very much Aspergers. I have tried to ask if he has any sensation in his penis, but he doesn’t really understand the question.”

  127. http://www.savingsons.org/2016/01/my-sweet-boy-danny-collapsed-lung-from.html

    My Sweet Boy Danny… Collapsed Lung from Circumcision

    This is my sweet boy, Danny.

    He was born Jan 21, 2013. We left the hospital on Jan 28th. He was circumcised Jan 31st, and it’s a day none of us will ever forget.

    When we left the hospital he was a healthy 9lbs, 15oz perfect baby boy. And then we were talked into circumcision. My sweet boy went in at 10:30am. By 11:45 I was getting really worried. The doctor came out, his clothes stained in my son’s blood – what looked like a lot of it. He said, “There’s been some slight complications.”

    As it turns out, the complications were not so ‘slight.’ My son received a ‘numbing’ shot and sweetease. It still hurt. So badly, in fact, that my poor 10 day old baby screamed SO HARD that his lung collapsed.

    He also lost 1.8oz of blood. 2.3 ounces of blood loss causes death for a newborn. This is not as rare as they’d like you to believe.

    The complications are REAL. The risks are REAL.

    Please, research circumcision.

    -Nicole L.

  128. http://www.planet240.com/two-more-babies-stricken-with-herpes-after-ritual-ultra-orthodox-jewish-oral-blood-sucking-circumcision-in-new-york-city

    Two more babies stricken with herpes after ritual ultra-orthodox Jewish oral blood sucking circumcision in New York City

    By Danial Baig –

    February 20, 2016

    Two more new born have been infected with herpes virus in the last three months after undergoing a controversial religious oral circumcision in New York City.

    These latest cases bring the total count to 13 infants since 2000, two of which suffered brain damage and two died from the virus which can rapidly spread throughout its body.

    The ultra Orthodox Jewish ritual of metzitzah b’peh requires a practitioner to orally suck the penis of baby to ‘cleanse’ the open wound following its circumcision, making them vulnerable to the virus.

    The department of health says one of the latest infants to contract the virus developed a fever and a lesion on its scrotum, seven days after the procedure. The boy later tested positive for HSV-1. That virus differs from HSV-2, the genital herpes, which is contracted during sexual intercourse.

    ‘A herpes infection in a newborn baby has the risk of leading to severe illness and death,’ Jay Varma, deputy commissioner for disease control at the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene told ABC News.

    ‘The reason is that the baby doesn’t have the same fully developed immune system as an adult. Instead of staying in the genital area, it extends throughout different organs in the body,’ he explained.

    He said it’s too soon to tell whether the boys will suffer permanent effects.

    The identify of the rabbi who performed the circumcision is being withheld by the boys’ parents, preventing the health department to step in, they said.

    Dangers: Since 2000 13 known cases of herpes have resulted from the practice, two of which suffered brain damage and two others died

    The religious practice that dates back to more than 5,000 years defies warning by the city’s department of health which says there is no safe way to perform the oral suction on an open wound.

    More modern Jewish practices use a sterile aspiration device to clean the wound or a pipette opposed to the oral sucking.

    But some rabbis stand grounded behind the practice, calling it a religious freedom while noting its long history.

    In September the department voted to require parents to sign forms consenting to the risks of the practice after the death of two children who contracted the virus through the practice.

    The parents of those newly infected boys are said to have not signed those forms.

    According to Rabbi David Zwiebel, executive vice president of the Orthodox Jewish organization Agudath Israel of America, two-thirds of boys born in New York City’s Hasidic communities are circumcised in the oral suction matter.

    The health department claims they’ve had complaints in past by parents who say they weren’t made aware that the oral practice would be performed on their child.

  129. https://www.facebook.com/SavingOurSons/#!/SavingOurSons/photos/a.454443601241433.106735.166998263319303/1149366718415781/?type=3&theater

    Ontario (Canada) 2.29.16

    “My childhood friend’s baby is in intensive care and may not make it. His lung collapsed during circumcision and he lost a lot of blood. He is on a breathing venitlator and is fighting for his life. I am so broken. I sent them loving information when he was born but they went through with it.”

  130. http://joseph4gi.blogspot.com/2016/03/dominican-republic-circumcision-claims.html

    Friday, March 4, 2016 DOMINICAN REPUBLIC: Circumcision Claims Another Life

    A child of four has died after being circumcised, and his parents are left searching for answers.

    Below is the online news article translated from Spanish:

    http://www.orgullodominicano.com/articles/7541/muere-nino-luego-de-ser-operado-de-una-circuncision

    Child dies after being circumcised

    A child died on Tuesday morning after being circumcised at the Maternal Infant Center. The 4-year-old Yeidy Ramírez Beato was son of Johanna Beato and Anyelo Ramírez.

    The directors at the clinic located an Rosario Street still haven’t found reasonable explanation as to what caused the death of the minor.

    The child’s body was taken to INACIF of Santiago to carry out an autopsy to determine the cause of the child’s death. (As if this weren’t immediately obvious?)

    According to the police report and certificate issued by medical examiner Cinencio Uribe, the minor died after being operated by Dr. Nelson Aybar, and anesthesiologist Dr. Abrahán García Gómez.

    The child’s family told LosMocanos.com, that supposedly it’s about medical malpractice, and they seek an explanation as to why their son died.

    On the video, the mother was crying uncontrollably as she asked herself “Why my son?”

    The child died after having been circumcised.

    Hundreds of curious members of the press were inquiring over the sad tragedy, as one can see in the video.

  131. http://news.iafrica.com/sa/1022664.html

    Mother sues over botched circumcision

    Article By: Staff Reporter
    Mon, 07 Mar 2016 12:08 PM

    A botched circumcision at a clinic resulted in a teenage boy losing the tip of his penis – and now his mother is suing the doctor involved.

    The incident occurred at the Soshanguve Community Health Care Clinic on May 2, 2014, Pretoria News reported.

    The doctor was meant to circumcise the 16-year-old boy, but mistakenly amputated the tip of his penis, according to the boy’s mother.

    Doctors tried to reattach the tip of the penis, but they were unsuccessful.

    The boy’s mother has said that this is because the doctor who first operated on the boy had taken too much time to place the penis tip on ice and deliver it to the hospital where they boy had been taken.

    The mother has accused the doctor of negligence. She has launched a R1.1-million lawsuit on behalf of her son.

    The damages include the cost of reconstructive surgery that the teen will have to undergo (R150 000), R380 000 for his future medical expenses and R600 000 for trauma.

    The matter has been postponed.

  132. http://news.iafrica.com/sa/998383.html

    Botched circumcisions claim 14
    Mon, 06 Jul 2015 7:35 AM

    Traditional circumcision ceremonies in the Eastern Cape, where the rite-of-passage practice is common, have left 14 boys dead and 141 injured this year, local authorities said Sunday.

    Many of the injured teens suffered from “dehydration, wounds, pneumonia, aseptic penis and gangrene” Sizwe Kupelo, spokesman for the health ministry in the province told AFP.

    “Fourteen died and 141 are in various hospitals,” he said.

    Nine patients are waiting for a penis transplant – a procedure requested more and more after the first successful transplant was performed in the country last year on another botched circumcision victim.

    The rite of passage into adulthood, which usually follows a bush retreat of two to four weeks, is also a show of physical endurance.

    For the ceremony, the teens gamble their lives. Each year teenaged boys die or are mutilated during the initiation.

    “A death is always one too many,” said Mamkeli Ngam, spokesman for the cooperative governance and traditional affairs minister in Eastern Cape, the home province of Nelson Mandela.

    Ngam also said that several initiation schools had already been shut down.

    According to media reports, 41 000 young men of the Eastern Cape – one of the most affected provinces in South Africa – completed the initiation last year.

    Circumcision in the country can be lucrative, bringing in around 1,500 rand (110 euros, $120) per initiation, but the boys do not benefit from the profit. They are often treated harshly and receive little to no food.

    In June, South African police rescued 11 teenage boys from forced circumcision after their parents reported that they had been taken from the street to participate in the initiation.

  133. http://allafrica.com/stories/201603111517.html

    11 March 2016
    The Daily Observer (Banjul) »
    Gambia: First FGM Ban Offenders Charged As Child Victim Dies
    By Lama S Jallow

    Two women have been jointly, and severally charged with four criminal offences after a five month-old girl child died of Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) in the Kiang West village of Sankandi.

    Sunkaru Darboe and Saffiatou Darboe appeared before principal Magistrate Omar Cham of the Banjul Magistrates’ Court yesterday, charged with offences ranging from conspiracy to commit a felony, and being accomplices to female circumcision.

    In November, last year, the president announced the banning of female circumcision in The Gambia. This was followed by the endorsement and enacting of the Women’s Amendment Bill 2015, on the abolition of Female Genital Mutilation/Cutting (FGM/C) by the National Assembly in December 2015.

    The prosecution alleges that Sunkaru and Saffiatou, on or about 27th February, 2016 at Sankandi village in Kiang West, conspired among themselves and took one Aminata Drammeh; a five month-old baby to one Isatou Camara for the purpose of conducting Female Genital Mutilation on her, which later resulted to her death.

    The first accused person, Sunkaru Darboe, is also charged for taking her five month-old granddaughter, Aminata Drammeh to one Isatou Camara on the same day for the purpose of conducting Female Genital Mutilation on her which later resulted to her death.

    Sunkaru Darboe is further charged for requesting, inciting and promoting Female Circumcision by taking her granddaughter; Aminata Drammeh to Isatou Camara to be circumcised, which she performed resulting to the child’s death.

    On count four of the charges, the second accused person, Saffiatou Darboe, is charged for knowing that a Female Circumcision was taking place and failed to inform the authorities concerned on or about 27th February, 2016 at Sankandi village in Kiang West.

    Both of them denied any wrong doing when the charges were read to them, leading to the Police Prosecutor, Corporal 1519 Corrah applying for an adjournment, stating that investigation into the matter is still ongoing.

    Their defence attorney, Lawyer L S Camara applied for the court to grant the accused persons bail subject to Section 99 of the Criminal Procedure Code, saying the charges were bailable offences.

    Counsel Camara argued that it is clear in the charges that investigations are completed because they are substantive charges before the court and the case was set for hearing. “I took recognisance that granting bail is left to the discretion of the court. I am urging the court to exercise that discretion in favor of the accused persons,” he said.

    But his submission was objected to by Prosecutor Corrah, urging the court to deny the accused person bail. He told the court that investigation in the matter is still ongoing, saying if the accused persons are granted bail, they might flee the jurisdiction, as one of the suspects is still at large. “I urge the court to deny them bail and remand them pending hearing on the next adjourned date.”

    Further replying to the prosecution’s submission, defence attorney Camara referred the court to the case of William John Joof, Abdoulie Tambedou and Mambury Njie in the high court, in which he said it was stated that where bail is denied on allegation that accused persons will temper investigation or flee the jurisdiction, bail should not be denied on his clients because it is a bond. “I urge the court to look into the charges before the court, as they did indicate that one of the suspects is at large,” Lawyer Camara said.

    The presiding magistrate then adjourned the case to 15th March for ruling on the bail application. He also ordered for the accused persons to be remanded in custody.

  134. https://www.facebook.com/SavingOurSons/#!/SavingOurSons/photos/a.454443601241433.106735.166998263319303/1158847237467729/?type=3&theater

    Malden, Missouri
    3.11.16

    Becky
    March 11 at 10:51 pm

    “Please keep my daughter in your thoughts, yet AGAIN. New baby ___ is on his way to St. Louis Children’s Hospital as I type… Yesterday they circumcised him and hit an artery. They sent him home, but his bleeding would not stop. So he is going to have another surgery to stop the bleeding.”

  135. http://www.theborneopost.com/2016/03/19/boy-loses-2-5-cm-of-manhood-in-botched-circumcision-at-private-clinic-in-kota-samarahan/

    Boy loses 2.5 cm of manhood in botched circumcision at private clinic in Kota Samarahan

    March 19, 2016, Saturday

    KUCHING: The doctor of a private clinic was arrested on Thursday following the botched circumcision on a boy which resulted in the loss of 2.5 cm of his manhood.

    State CID chief SAC Dev Kumar, who confirmed the case when contacted by The Borneo Post yesterday, said the incident happened on Monday morning in Kota Samarahan when the 10-year-old boy was brought by his grandfather to a private clinic to undergo circumcision.

    “After the surgery, the doctor informed the grandfather that there were complications during the procedure and that the boy needed to be brought to the Sarawak General Hospital (SGH) for further treatment,” he said.

    Dev added that the grandfather immediately did as he was told and was later informed by a doctor at SGH that the boy needed to undergo surgery as his private part was bleeding profusely.

    “After the surgery at about 5pm, the boy’s family was informed the tip of the boy’s private part was missing, with investigation revealing that 2.5cm had been cut off and could not be reattached.”

    Suspecting the male doctor who performed the circumcision to be responsible, the family lodged a police report which resulted in his arrest.

    “He was released on police bail after his statement was recorded. The case is being investigated as causing grievous hurt by an act which endangers life, under Section 338 of the Penal Code,” said Dev further.

    The boy is currently undergoing treatment at SGH.

  136. Pingback: Dr Stanley Rappaport Lawsuit For Malpractice In California In 1968 | Attorney - How To Claim Injuries

  137. http://www.doctorsopposingcircumcision.org/info/foreskin.html

    Complications

    Williams and Kapila report: “Although haemorrhage and sepsis are the main causes of morbidity, the variety of complications is enormous. The literature abounds with reports of morbidity and even death as a result of circumcision.”
    Williams N, Kapila L. Complications of circumcision. Brit J Surg 1993;80:1231-6.

    Complications of every male circumcised

    Loss of sexual sensitivity – 15+/- cell layer increase in thickness of surface of glans penis.

    Loss of the foreskin

    Loss of the frenulum

    Progressive loss of glans sensitivity

    a scar on the penis

    changes in urethral orifice

    Complications – common

    Hemorrhage

    Infections

    Meatitis

    Meatal stenosis – constriction of the urethral opening.

    Bridging – adhering of the cut edge to the glans creates tunnels.

    tight scar on shaft.

    curving of penis, due to removal of too much skin. often not apparent until an erection.

    pubic hair on penile shaft, pulled onto shaft after removal of too much foreskin.

    bleeding during sexual intercourse

    pain with erection

    concealed, or hidden penis – cut surface of remaining skin adheres to itself, burying glans.

    removal of too much skin

    wound separation

    urinary retention

    Complications – serious

    Hemorrhage

    Infection

    Cutting off all or part of the glans

    Harming or destroying all or part of the penis

    electrocautery has destroyed entire penises, necessitating surgery to change the infants’ genitals to those of a female.

    inadvertently putting hemostat in urethra and crushing glans.

    Tetanus

    Tuberculosis – via Mezizah, the practice of sucking the blood from the circumcision wound. the mohel gives the disease to infant.

    lacerated scrotum

    severe iron deficiency anemia (following hemorrhage)

    blistering and peeling of glans with intromission (described by Masters and Johnson)

    neonatal sepsis (twice as common in males as females) ie. scalded skin syndrome,

    meningitis, necrotising entero-colitis, necrotizing fasciitis, gangrene.

    Shock

    Death

    The following complications are derived from statements by circumcised men.

    low self esteem over body image

    sense of body violation

    sense of denial of human rights

    difficulties with intimate relations

    sense of betrayal by parents, especially the mother

    feelings of anger and violence toward women

    addictions and dependencies (chemical and sexual)

    extreme anger and hostility toward doctors

  138. https://www.facebook.com/BloodstainedMenTheirFriends/#!/BloodstainedMenTheirFriends/photos/a.172218806251476.42377.172212266252130/689372937869391/?type=3&theater

    CIRCUMCISION ALMOST KILLED MY SON

    Regret mother Nicole shares her story . . .

    This is my sweet boy Danny. When he was born he was a healthy 9 pound 15 ounce baby boy. When we left the hospital, seven days after his birth due to my C-Section complications, he was healthy.

    He was happy.

    And then, we were talked into circumcision.

    My poor sweet boy went in at 10:30. By 11:45 I was getting worried. The doctor came out and said, “There’s been some slight complications.”

    Even with “numbing”, it still hurt so badly that Danny screamed so hard, which caused his lungs to collapse. He lost 1.8 ounces of blood. 2.3 ounces of blood loss in a newborn results in death.

    He almost died.

    He needed a blood transfusion, which saved his life.

    The risks of circumcision are very real.

    Protect your son.

    Nicole Lancour

  139. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6tGWOQY0TKM

    Baby Dies the Day after His Circumcision

    Published on Mar 1, 2014

    “I’m part of this movement because when I worked at a pediatric office here when I was in college, a baby died the day after his circumcision, and I just couldn’t shake that.” ~Ashley Trueman, protesting against circumcision in Tempe, Arizona with Bloodstained Men & Their Friends and Intact Arizona on Sunday, February 23, 2014.

    “The pediatrician and his wife (also a doctor) are Jewish and the doctor is also a mohel. When I asked about circumcision one of the responses she gave me (I don’t remember the question I asked) was that if the dads ask about how it affects sensitivity, she asks them…..well, do YOU have sensitivity issues? She was laughing as she told me this as though it was such an absurd and stupid question. I only wish the dads would speak up and tell them YES! Yes, as a matter of fact I do have sensitivity issues because of my circumcision.”

  140. http://www.cjad.com/cjad-news-community/2016/03/21/31-botched-circumcisions-doctor-fined-20000-suspended-for-a-month?fb_action_ids=1694462627463955&fb_action_types=og.comments&fb_source=other_multiline&action_object_map=%5B1006441932754536%5D&action_type_map=%5B%22og.comments%22%5D&action_ref_map=%5B%5D

    31 botched circumcisions: doctor fined $20,000, suspended for a month

    Posted on 3/21/2016 1:39 PM by Shuyee Lee

    The Quebec College of Physicians’ disciplinary committee has confirmed the one month suspension of a Montreal doctor for having botched 31 circumcisions.

    Dr. Raymond Rezaie was also fined $20,000 and is no longer allowed to perform circumcisions.

    The doctor pleaded guilty to the infractions in December. The comittee decided to follow the recommendations on sanctions by lawyers for both parties.

    The operations resulted in “significant complications” that needed new surgery to correct the damage. The operations took place between 2010 and 2013 at the doctor’s office, the Alpha Medic Clinic on Guy Street, while the corrective surgeries took place at the Montreal Children’s and Ste Justine Hospitals.

    The investigation began in 2013 after parents and some doctors at Ste Justine Hospital complained about the large number of babies who were being admitted with complications from circumcisions performed by Rezaie.

  141. https://www.facebook.com/mutilationwatch/#!/photo.php?fbid=1105688132808282&set=a.176745862369185.35399.100001013160215&type=3&theater

    April 2016

    Aleasha Dietderich-Fonseca

    “Yesterday Ezra was circumcised. He did very well. The first diaper change there was some definite bleeding. I applied pressure to it as instructed. It was kind of a lot of blood. I held the pressure and then put on his diaper. The Next change…. I was devastated to see his ENTIRE PAMPER FULL OF BLOOD. He had a spot that just would not coagulate. Pressure would not work. He was pale looking… He was clammy…. He was even a little cold. I freaked out. I called the ambulance. We went to the hospital. The EMT was even freaked out… Because he was pale. The ER doc tried pressure… And she quickly realized that wasn’t going to work. She got Silver Nitrate… And that stopped his bleeding. “

  142. https://www.facebook.com/mutilationwatch/#!/photo.php?fbid=10154056273232456&set=a.48579962455.73177.501097455&type=3&theater

    Rebecca Memmo with Jason Memmo at Penn State Hershey Medical Ctr-ER.
    April 21 (2016) at 5:21pm · Hershey, PA

    Please everyone say a prayer for our sweet angel Lincoln. We are in the ER with him now — at Penn State Hershey Medical Ctr-ER.

    Rebecca Memmo He’s bleeding badly from a place where he was circumcised. It won’t stop bleeding ? it was healing great and then started bleeding this evening

  143. http://www.manicapost.com/circumcision-goes-terribly-wrong-as-boy-dies-during-procedure/

    Circumcision goes terribly wrong. . . as boy dies during procedure

    Samuel Kadungure Senior Reporter
    A 14-YEAR-OLD boy, Ashley Matsvaire, died while undergoing voluntary medical male circumcision at Triangle Hospital in Chiredzi, on Tuesday, The Manica Post can reveal.

    The incident left the boy’s parents seething with anger and alleging negligence on part of the hospital staff.

    Mr Daniel Matsvaire, the boy’s father, said they had since requested an independent pathologist to ascertain the actual cause of his death.

    The Matsvaires have since met the medical team whose explanation for Ashley’s death was internal secretion which resulted in water being leaked into his lungs.

    His mother, Mrs Tendai Jamela, said her son was in a jovial mood when she escorted him to the hospital for circumcision around 6am.

    “There is an element of negligence on the part of the team involved because when he returned from the theatre, he was lifeless. I was called in to look at him, but his body was very cold. I asked Dr Ziki why he was lifeless, but he told me that he had injected him with another injection to stop the pain. I insisted again after some time as he remained in that state of unconsciousness and again the doctor told me not to worry,” said Mrs Jamela.

    She said the boy was given an epileptic tablet and water as they prepared him for surgery.

    “Ashley was epileptic and they gave him some medication as they prepared him for theatre. They went on to inject him to cause him to sleep while they perform the process, but he never regained consciousness,” said Mrs Jamela, who said she never left the hospital premises and became suspicious when the process dragged for nearly two hours.

    Mr Daniel Matsvaire, the boy’s father, said he met the hospital authorities late Wednesday afternoon where he was advised by one Dr Ziki that they had opted to inject the child due to his epileptic condition.

    “The doctor said the circumcision surgery was successful and at some point the boy showed signs of life, but became unconscious again. Their explanation was that he developed an internal secretion and released water into the lungs and died.

    We are requesting a second specialist opinion from an independent pathologist because their explanation does not add up. The news of his death came as a shock to us. Neither I nor his mother can believe it,” said Mr Matsvaire

    Masvingo police spokesperson, Inspector Charity Mazula, said she had not received the report at the time of going to Press on Wednesday.

    “I have not received such a report and have tasked someone in Chiredzi to investigate the matter,” she said.

    The acting Provincial Medical Director (PMD) for Masvingo, Dr Amadeus Shamu, could neither confirm nor the incident.

    “We are still trying to establish what really happened due to communication breakdown from Triangle Hospital. So far what we can confirm is that someone died under circumstances that have forced the bereaved family to request for a post mortem.

    “There is an incident at Triangle Hospital in which an autopsy has been requested at Chiredzi District Hospital, but I am not really sure whether it was during circumcision or not.

    “But if the parents are making such claims, then it could be true, and I have tasked the DMO for Chiredzi to investigate the matter,” said Dr Shamu.

    The Ministry of Health and Child Care national advocacy and communications officer Mr Brian Nachipo said they would issue a full statement once investigations are complete.

    “We have tasked the PMD to establish what really transpired and it is on the basis of the findings that the ministry will issue out a statement,” said Mr Nachipo.

  144. http://www.sabc.co.za/news/a/6f3a11004cb0be738450deb995d3d1cd/P-Botched-circumcision-scars-9-year-old-boy%E2%80%99s-life-20160805

    Botched circumcision scars boy’s life

    Sunday 8 May 2016 20:43

    A nine year-old boy from Eshowe in northern KwaZulu-Natal has been scarred for life since losing half of his penis after a botched circumcision.

    The family is seeking compensation. It is believed other children in the area suffered the same fate.

    The boy is in constant pain following the botched procedure and is being ridiculed at school. Having being invited by a local NGO (Non-governmental organisation), he and other boys went to a government clinic for the circumcision procedure.

    The boy’s wound became septic after the operation, thereafter he was transferred to different hospitals in the province. The provincial Department of Health says it is assisting the child.

    Circumcision was revived by Zulu King Goodwill Zwelithini in 2009.

  145. http://malawi24.com/2016/05/18/circumcision-gone-wrongboy-loses-penis-chikhwawa/

    18 May 2016 Last updated at: 12:53 PM

    Circumcision gone wrong…boy loses penis in Chikhwawa

    Kondwan Kamanga

    Family demands K10 million

    The Malawi Ministry of Health through Chikhwawa DHO has received a notice of intended suit which is demanding Government through Chikhwawa District Hospital to pay k10million in damages for disfigurement and suffering due to forced circumcision as well as loss of amenities of life to 9 years old (name withheld) of Chipakuza Village, T/A Lundu in Chikhwawa.

    According to a document which Malawi24 has seen, father to the 9 year old victim realized that something was wrong with his child after he found him dumped close to his home by staff of SSDI.

    SSDI is a component in the Ministry of Health, which receives support from USAID to execute male circumcision operations through a campaign dubbed Sankhani HIV prevention project.

    The document which has since been served to the Attorney General and Chikhwawa District Hospital, stressed on the need for authorities to take this matter seriously, as the paramount aspect was the fundamental right of the minor, which had been violated and that in the whole scheme of events, the father was not respected as the parent of the victim.

    The child was taken along with other unidentified minors after they had been coaxed by some sweets, juices and biscuits before being given Lifebuoy Soap as an antibacterial cleansing substance for the wounds

    The father, Mr Sande, complained that the people involved, forcefully circumcised his son against values and customs of the Sena culture.

    Mr Sande claimed that his efforts to get the matter resolved at district level did not materialize owing to lack of cooperation on the part of Chikhwawa DHO, Dr Majidu.

    The father through private practice Lawyer, Patience Maliwa, of Knight and Knight is currently waiting for a response from the Attorney General office and the DHO before a formal writ is served against the Ministry of Health.

  146. http://www.gaystarnews.com/article/gay-man-suffered-depression-circumcision-kills/

    Gay man, who suffered from depression over his circumcision, kills himself

    Visible face in the world of ‘intactivism’ commits suicide

    19 May 2016

    by Joe Morgan

    Four out of five men in the United States are circumcised as a baby, either for a religious or a cultural reason.

    For one man, he felt like a part of him had been cut away without his consent, and he saw it as a ‘blatant human rights violation’. He said he suffered from depression, was angry, and felt like his parents had betrayed him.

    Jonathon Conte, 34, was a visible face in the world of ‘intactivism’, the campaign for the end of routine male circumcision. His 42-year-old partner of five years, Christopher Holden, confirmed he was found dead in their shared apartment in San Francisco.

    Holden said Conte had made pancakes for him that morning, which was a little ‘unusual’, but he ‘seemed fine’, according to The Bay Reporter.

    ‘He was saying goodbye, essentially,’ Holden said. Once he got home from work, he heard soft music coming from the bedroom. He saw his partner’s feet, and thought he was asleep. But then he saw a bag over Conte’s head, with a tube attached to a helium tank.

    ‘I went over there in shock and ripped it off and tried to do CPR, but of course it was too late,’ he said. ‘It’s very fast acting.’

    Holden said Conte had never given any indication he was thinking of killing himself, and realised he’d probably been planning it for ‘quite some time’.

    Since his partner’s death, many intactivists have got in touch to express ‘so much support’. Many have written about their memories on Conte’s Facebook page. He said it helps, ‘in a way, to know how many people cared for him’. Holden described Conte as a ‘methodical planner’ and ‘very sweet’.

    Conte often marched in Pride parades with intactivists, protested against circumcision, and devoted the majority of his money into his work.

    He talked about his circumcision in a YouTube video published in 2011.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EUE_t_khAAI

    When he first learned he had been circumcised at 14, he said it led to feelings of ‘incompleteness, both physically and sexually’.

    ‘If I as a victim, and other victims, don’t speak out against this practice, it will continue, and more men will continue to experience the painful emotions I’ve had to deal with,’ he said.

    ‘I didn’t have anyone to talk about this with. I felt very isolated. I felt hopeless. I felt that what had been done to me was so deeply impacting that it was an incredible burden for me to bear. And I didn’t know how to deal with it, so I kept it bottled up for many years.’

    He added: ‘This is something that I believe has a severe toll on people, and all of us are affected in one way or another, by what I see is a human rights violation, a blatant human rights violation, that is incredibly wide-spread and right under our noses, and yet people are sometimes unfortunately hesitant to address it with the respect and with the diligence that it deserves.’

    There was no note. Holdon said that wasn’t ‘really his personality’.

    A memorial will take place on 21 May at the San Francisco Eagle.

  147. http://gulfnews.com/news/mena/egypt/egypt-in-shock-at-first-female-circumcision-death-reported-in-3-years-1.1837563

    May 30, 2016

    Egypt in shock at first female circumcision death reported in 3 years

    Hospital closure ordered after 17-year-old girl dies of circumcision-related complications

    Cairo: A 17-year-old girl died of complications after undergoing circumcision surgery in Egypt’s coastal city of Suez, marking the country’s first reported death from female genital mutilation (FGM) since 2013, health officials and media said on Monday.

    The victim, identified as Mayar Mohammad, suffered from severe bleeding and a drop in blood circulation after she was subjected to the illegal procedure in a private hospital in Suez, they added.

    Health authorities in the city, around 120km from Cairo, ordered the hospital closed, the semi-official newspaper Al Ahram reported.

    The hospital’s officials and a doctor suspected of having carried out the operation are facing investigations in connection with the girl’s death, according to the paper.

    Egypt’s governmental National Council for Women condemned the unlawful surgery.

    “Performers of such criminal operations must face strict measures,” the council said in a statement.

    Several members of parliament, meanwhile, presented queries over the incident that violated a 2007 ban on FGM in Egypt.

    Some friends of the victim blamed her mother for subjecting the teenager to the procedure.

    “Mayar died due to ignorance and backwardness of her mother, who regarded her daughter as guilty only because she was created a female,” Rawan Al Jamal, a classmate of the victim, mourned her in a Facebook post.

    In recent years, Egyptian authorities have stepped up efforts to stop the practice, which is believed to have been observed in the country for many centuries.

    Earlier this year, a disciplinary court in the Nile Delta province of Mansura revoked the medical licence of a local doctor after he was convicted in the 2013 death of a girl due to complications from an FGM operation he performed on her.

    Last year, an appeals court sentenced the doctor, identified as Raslan Fadl, to two years in prison on charges of manslaughter related to the 13-year-old girl’s death and three more months for violating the ban on the practice.

    The court also ordered Fadl’s private clinic closed for a year. The victim’s father was given a suspended three-month sentence on charges of complicity.

    The convictions were Egypt’s first since the FGM procedures became a criminal offence in the country.

    An estimated 90 per cent of Egypt’s women have become victims of the practice that includes the removal of all or part of the clitoris. Circumcision is usually done for girls before reaching puberty.

    In the past, FGM was performed in Egypt by local midwives and even barbers without the use of anaesthetics, using knives or razors.

    In recent years, however, some 82 per cent of FGM operations in Egypt have been performed by medical practitioners, according to official figures.

    Experts say that severe forms of FGM can lead to life-long psychosexual problems and troubles related to menstruation, sexual intercourse and childbirth.

    • http://english.ahram.org.eg/NewsContent/1/64/222680/Egypt/Politics-/Egypt-prosecutors-renew-mothers-detention-over-dau.aspx

      Egypt prosecutors renew mother’s detention over daughter’s FGM death

      The doctor who committed the banned operation is still on the run

      Ahram Online , Friday 10 Jun 2016

      Print

      Send

      Related

      Egypt convicts doctor, father in first ever FGM trial

      Egyptian prosecutors renewed on Thursday the detention of a mother of a teenage girl who died during an illegal female genital mutilation (FGM) operation at a private hospital last month, state agency MENA said.

      The woman, along with other defendants, faces charges of “indecent assault of the girl, conducting an illegal operation and forgery.”

      Security forces are attempting to apprehend the female physician who carried out the operation; she has been on the run since an arrest order was issued for her, a security source said.

      An anaesthetist who took part in the operation has been released on bail of EGP10,000 (approximately $1,125).

      Seventeen-year-old Mayar Mohamed Mousa died in the private hospital of El-Canal in Suez governorate on 29 May while undergoing the illegal procedure.

      Female genital mutilation was officially banned in Egypt in 2008, but the phenomenon is still widespread among both Muslims and the country’s minority Christians, particularly in rural areas.

      A doctor was convicted of manslaughter in January 2015 after a girl died while he was performing an illegal circumcision on her. In the first trial of its kind, the girl’s father was also convicted and given a three-month suspended sentence.

  148. http://www.ansa.it/english/news/general_news/2016/05/30/baby-dies-after-home-circumcision_bf5aa2c8-9be3-4a65-b1a1-d4e398586321.html

    30 May 201617:11

    Baby dies after home circumcision

    Doctor says 30-50% of Muslim circumcisions in Italy unauthorised

    (ANSA) – Turin, May 30 – A one-month-old Ghanaian baby died in hospital on Monday, where he was brought by emergency services after suffering cardiac arrest following a home circumcision.
    The emergency call came from a building known as “Spazio Neruda” where hundreds of homeless or evicted families are squatting and where the boy’s parents had brought him on Sunday evening and spent the night.
    “They circumcised their son yesterday, then they wrapped him with gauze and gave him paracetamol,” said a Spazio Neruda resident.
    Mustafa Qaddurah, a pediatrician and councillor with the Islamic Cultural Centre of Rome, said Italy’s national health system doesn’t cover circumcisions performed for cultural, non-medical reasons.
    “That means you either go to a clinic, where it’s expensive, or to these charlatans,” Qaddurah said.
    He said an unauthorised circumcision costs about 30-50 euros.
    “According to our estimates, 30-40% of Muslims (living in Italy) prefer to have it done in their country of origin, but another 30-50% go to unauthorised personnel, who work in unsuitable places, with the result of killing babies or causing serious deformities, that we then see in our offices,” he said.
    He said there were other similar deaths recently in Treviso and Puglia.

  149. https://www.facebook.com/CircumcisionMutilationWatch/#!/photo.php?fbid=248195128887814&set=a.108236609550334.1073741831.100010919853483&type=3&theater

    MaKendle Dierman

    June 14, 2016 near Spokane, WA ·

    “Prayers for Thacher would be great!!
    Last night we had kind of a terrifying event take place..
    I went to change Thachers diaper and he had a bunch of blood in his diaper. Yes, he just got circumcised but that was about a week and a half ago and there’s no scabbing on the outside of his wee wee, it’s coming out when he pees, he’s been throwing up a lot and fussy as ever. So I called the nurse on call last night explained everything and she said not to take such a thing lightly. Now at his doctors I can’t help but stress the anticipation for an answer and for my son to get better.. “

  150. https://www.facebook.com/CircumcisionMutilationWatch/#!/photo.php?fbid=10208943458521839&set=a.2297466914275.2133985.1177176321&type=3&theater

    Kelly Ward Brewer
    May 5, 2016 near Grand Prairie, TX ·

    “Prayer warriors please keep this sweet baby in your prayers. Due to his early medical conditions he had to wait until yesterday to get circumcised. I went yesterday to keep him so my son could take his sweet wife to dinner. When we changed his diaper we saw he was bleeding profusely.. he spent the night at Children’s hospital. They finally stopped the bleeding but his vidal signs are high and he is dehydrated. Grandma can’t take seeing him like this. Thank you for your prayers. Beau William Hein such a fighter!”

  151. http://joseph4gi.blogspot.com/2016/06/facebook-two-more-babies-nearly-succumb.html

    Photo of the baby at the site above.

    Tiffany

    “When I had my son, I left it up to his father to choose wether or not we circumcised my little one. He chose to have the procedure done and it almost cost my son’s life. He bled for 4 hours straight and had to have a blood transfusion. He turned grey. He was in such excruciating pain that my newborn baby arched his back up so high that he was being held up by only his toes and head. It was one of the most horrific things I’ve ever experienced; and my son was born with his intestines exposed. If I ever have another boy, I won’t be having the procedure.”

  152. https://www.facebook.com/CircumcisionMutilationWatch/#!/photo.php?fbid=1334356643245402&set=pcb.1334356819912051&type=3&theater

    MaKendle Dierman feeling stressed with Dustin Buckingham
    June 4, 2016 at 12:00 pm Spokane, Washington

    “Last night we had kind of a terrifying event take place ..
    I went to change Thacher’s diaper and he had a bunch of blood in his diaper.
    Yes, he just got circumcised but that was about a week and a half ago and there’s no scabbing on the outside of his wee wee, it’s coming out when he pees, he’s been throwing up”

  153. http://www.timeslive.co.za/local/2016/06/22/Two-die-and-close-to-100-rescued-in-illegal-circumcisions-in-Eastern-Cape

    Two die and close to 100 rescued in illegal circumcisions in Eastern Cape
    South Africa
    Nomahlubi Jordaan | 22 June, 2016 16:07

    Two initiates have died and close to 100 initiates have been rescued since the start of the initiation season‚ the Eastern Cape department of co-operative governance and traditional affairs (Cogta) said on Wednesday.

    The two deaths occurred in Nyandeni and Mthatha. The department said it is awaiting post-mortem results.

    The ages of the rescued initiates range from 11 to 17 years old. The initiates were rescued in Nyandeni‚ Mhlontlo and Buffalo City municipal areas.

    Five initiation schools have been closed and 15 initiates have been admitted at St Barnabas Hospital for medical attention.

    “Three traditional surgeons including a notorious surgeon in the area have been arrested and are due to appear in court soon to face charges of unlawful circumcision‚” the department said.

  154. https://www.facebook.com/CircumcisionMutilationWatch/#

    Andrea Schelhaas
    6 hrs · Pipestone, MN, United States ·

    “Romeo is home and doing ok. He was circumcised today and had some bleeding issues but had gotten it stopped. Later this evening we decided to get him fed and change dressings and diaper. By 730 he had a clean diaper still sometime between then and 845 he had soaked a diaper in blood. By time ambulance came and got him and went about 8 blocks he had another blood soaked diaper. After awhile in the ER and some cauterizing and clotting topicals we’re home and no bleeding. If it starts again we go back.”

  155. https://www.facebook.com/BloodstainedMenTheirFriends/#!/BloodstainedMenTheirFriends/photos/a.172218806251476.42377.172212266252130/736749173131767/?type=3&theater

    Photo of blood soaked diaper from hemorrhaging following circumcision.

    Lisa – “Ladies I am asking for a friend, please let me know if this is normal
    I am putting 2 pictures in comment, she just had her son circumcised
    please tell me if this is a normal amount of blood, …”

  156. “Circumcision Is Unethical and Unlawful” – J. Steven Svoboda, Peter W. Adler, and Robert S. Van Howe

    Ethical and Legal Issues in Pediatrics • Summer 2016
    The Journal of Law, Medicine & Ethics, 44 (2016): 263-282, 2016

    From page 266

    ” In a recent study, 315 boys circumcised at ages from 3 weeks to 16 years (median age five years) were evaluated. Sixteen of the boys or 5.1% of them had significant complications.” 56

    56. J. Thorup, S. C. Thorup, and I. B. R. Ifaoui, “Complication Rate after Circumcision in a Paediatric Surgical Setting Should Not Be Neglected,” Danish Medical Journal 60, no. 8 (2013): A4681

    “Joudi recently found a complication rate of 20% from meatal stenosis alone.” 57

    57. M. Joudi, M. Fathi, and M. Hiradfar, “Incidence of Asymptomatic Meatal Stenosis in Children Following Neonatal Circumcision,” Journal of Pediatric Urology 7, no. 5 (2011): 526-528.

    Krill states, “[c]omplications of circumcision…represent a significant percentage of cases seen by pediatric urologists… Often they require surgical correction.” 58

    58. See Krill, supra note 51.

    “In fact, 7.4% of all visits to a pediatric urologist at Massachusetts General Hospital over a period of five years were attributed to circumcision.” 59

    59. Id., at 2462.

    “Pediatric urologist David Gibbons comments on the large scale of the
    problem:”

    “[I]n a two year period, I was referred 275 newborns and toddlers with complications of neonatal circumcision. None of these were “revisions”
    because of appearance, which I do not do. 45% required corrective surgery…. Complications of this unnecessary procedure are often not reported, but of 300 pediatric urologists in this country who have practices similar to mine…
    well, one can do the math, to understand the scope of this problem…let alone, to understand the adverse cost-benefit aspect of complications (>$750,000) in this unfortunate group of infants and young children.” 60

    60. M. D. Gibbons, “The Debate over Circumcision: Should All Males Be Circumcised?” Men’s Health.

  157. http://www.herald.co.zw/botched-circumcision-claims-10-lives-in-sa/

    Botched circumcision claims 10 lives in SA

    July 4, 2016 Africa

    CAPE TOWN. — A botched circumcision has claimed at least 10 lives in South Africa since the start of the winter initiation season began two weeks ago, health authorities confirmed yesterday. All the deaths were reported in Eastern Cape Province, where most of circumcision-related deaths take place every year. Most of the fatalities resulted from pneumonia, dehydration and assault, the provincial health department said.

  158. http://www.emirates247.com/news/emirates/baby-dies-after-circumcision-surgery-2016-07-21-1.636411

    Baby dies after circumcision surgery

    Health authorities probe case at Khorfakkan hospital

    ByStaff

    PublishedThursday, July 21, 2016

    A one-month-old Emirati boy died just after undergoing a circumcision operation at a government hospital in Khorfakkan, prompting the Ministry of Health to open an investigation into the case, a newspaper reported on Thursday.

    Hamad Saeed, 23, said he took his son to the hospital for the surgery and waited for nearly two hours before the operation finished.

    He told Emarat Al Youm daily that he saw his son carried out of the operation room covered with blood and that he was admitted to the intensive care unit.

    “He was pale and my wife and I were much worried…I then heard the pediatrician arguing with the doctor who performed the surgery and realized that there is something wrong…10 minutes later, I was told my son is dead,” he said.

    The paper said the Ministry of Health formed a committee to investigate the case and determine the cause of the baby’s death.

    It quoted Saeed as saying he had reported the case to the prosecutor, who said that he would open a criminal case after receiving a coroner report.

  159. http://www.nyasatimes.com/malawi-another-shocking-malpractice-boy-dies-cultural-circumcision-buried-secretly/

    Malawi in another shocking malpractice: Boy dies after cultural circumcision, buried secretly

    July 29, 2016  Nyasa Times Reporter 

    Malawi Police in Kasungu are looking for a Yao initiation camp councillors (Angaliba) after a 13 year old boy they circumcised died of severe bleeding.

    Kasungu police spokesperson Edna Mzingwitsa said Julius Sayineti died last week after he was circumcised.

    This comes as President Peter Mutharika and some sections of Malawians are questioning the merit of some traditions and culture following revelations that a 40 year old man had sexual intercourse with over 100 widows and under age girls in an archaic Sena tribe sexual cleansing ritual.

    Mutharika has since ordered the criminalisation of harmful cultural practices.

    Mzingwitsa said the boy died in the yao initiation camp on a river bank and Yao elders and parents secretly buried him without going to hospital.

    “Medical personnel from Kasungu District Hospital accompanied by a team of police officers went to the village, exhumed the body and conducted a postmortem which showed the boy died of severe bleeding due to the circumcision which went wrong,” she said.

    She said the man who administered the circumcision and his assistant is at large.

    Sayineti, a jovial school going boy, hailed from Mthiko Village in Chief Wimbe’s area in Kasungu.

    Some years ago, the government ordered that all circumcision be done in hospitals for safety reasons and prevent the spread of HIV and AIDS as the angalibas use one razor blade to circumcise all boys.

    The Yao culture does not allow a boy who has been circumcised to go back to the village or hospital when sick.

    Yao boys spend the whole two months summer holiday in initiation camps instead of attending summer lessons for their formal education. Just last week a ngaliba in Dedza was arrested after he circumcised a chewa boy in another yao initiation camp.

  160. http://www.the-star.co.ke/news/2016/08/10/15-year-old-boy-admitted-after-circumcision-goes-wrong_c1401714

    15-year-old boy admitted after circumcision goes wrong

    Aug. 10, 2016, 6:00 pm

    By BRIAN OJAMAA@OJAMAB

    A 15-year-old boy was admitted to Webuye county hospital on Wednesday morning after his penis was nearly chopped off by a ‘quack’ circumciser.

    The class five pupil was rushed to the hospital by relatives after the circumciser’s knife slit almost all of his manhood.

    The parents said the boy was not cut by a traditional circumciser but by a doctor who had been called to perform the operation.

    The doctor, who has since gone into hiding, is said to have previously circumcised two other boys in the same homestead successfully.

    Webuye hospital medical superintendent Patrick Muturo said the minor is responding well to treatment although the damage done was extensive.

    Muturo said the quack had lied to the family that he was an experienced medic who knew how to carry out a circumcision.

    He asked parents to take their children to hospitals and health centres instead of trusting “people who have never been to medical class”.

    “[Such people] come with cheaper prices … carrying with them scissors and items that are not sterilized and yet you don’t even know how many people he has cut with the scissors,’’ he said.

    He asked police to crack whip and arrest all those people who are tainting the image of doctors by transversing in village’s circumcising boys.

    A source from the hospital that sought anonymity said that close to 14 boys have been treated at the facility in similar circumstances.

    This comes even as Bungoma county director of culture Augustine Mayabi warned circumciser against forcing their way to cut children without parent’s approval.

    This right of passage, which takes place in the month of August, will see hundreds of boys from the Tachoni and Bukusu communities in Transzoia, Bungoma, Kakamega and parts of Busia face the cut.

  161. https://www.facebook.com/BloodstainedMenTheirFriends/#!/BloodstainedMenTheirFriends/photos/a.172218806251476.42377.172212266252130/758498820956802/?type=3&theater

    August 2016

    “Please! Need Prayers for my Lil Grandson Tyler he had complications from the Circumcision. and a lot of blood loss they have him stable now. But I’m going to worry cause I’m his grandma The Power of prayer is wonderful keep it coming hes in the Intensive Care unit in Slidell LA..”

    “Not only am I a worried Grandma. I am also Enraged. I find out the doctor doing the Procedure was on his Cell Phone during it and Even Left the Room For 15 mins while the baby was still in the Clamps and then said hes never seen anything like it where the Baby is bleeding like that. And Sent his Poor Distraught mother to Drive him in the middle of a Rainstorm alone all the Way to Louisiana Hospital Baby Bleeding and tells her not to make any stops cause hes Hemorraghing. She of Course is Totally Upset Can’t see the baby in back seat in Car Seat or Hear him all the way. and I was up there and Seen the Trauma that baby has been through Because I feel this Doctor is incompetent. And They haven Not found anything in the babies blood Suggesting he has Clotting issues So my grandson suffered all day at the hands of This Careless doctor and Im not Letting this go.!

  162. http://www.liberianobserver.com/news/boy-4-needs-help-pass-urine

    Boy, 4, Needs Help to Pass Urine

    Thu, 08/18/2016 – 01:20 tjohnson

    By Edwin M. Fayia III.

    Little Philip Zinnah Jr., 4, of Congotown in Monrovia needs help from an urologist (doctor who treats disorders of the urinary tract) as a result of a botched circumcision.

    Zinnah’s nightmare began July 20, 2012, when his circumcision carried out at a local clinic in Monrovia went the wrong way, his father told the Daily Observer in an interview last Friday.

    Mr. Zinnah said he is currently unemployed and cannot afford the medical bills that would result from taking his son to an urologist for treatment.

    He explained that after it was discovered that his son’s circumcision was not properly done, the boy was sent to the John F. Kennedy Memorial Hospital in Sinkor for further attention.

    At the JFK Hospital, he was informed that his son would need the services of a specialist to restore the boy’s damaged penis.

    “I want help for my son,” Mr. Zinnah said, “so that he can live a normal life like other children.”

    According to a medical report from the JFK Medical Center dated July 30, 2012, little Zinnah was seen and diagnosed with penile injury and difficulty urinating.

    “The father claimed that his son’s penis head was cut off when he was being circumcised and physical examination revealed a well-nourished, alert, conscious child who was in no apparent distress. The boy’s penis appears abnormally short with the absence of the glans penis.

    “A pin sized urethral opening is present with discharge of urine on palpation of the penile stump,” the medical report, signed by Surgical Resident, Dr. Saygbeh M. Vanyanbah and approved by Dr. Billy C. Johnson, MD, said.

    The report further states that “the scrotum is present with both testicles palpable.”

    The report’s impression suggests a traumatic amputation of the glans penis and a urethral stenosis. It recommended that the “patient requires intervention by an urologist for proper management and evaluation.”

  163. http://www.newvision.co.ug/new_vision/news/1433074/girls-die-circumcisions-leone-guinea

    Two girls die after circumcisions in S. Leone, Guinea

    By AFP

    Added 19th August 2016 07:51 AM

    A teenage girl died after undergoing a botched female circumcision in Sierra Leone, police said Thursday, just days after the death of a 10-year-old girl in Guinea.Female genital mutilation (FGM) is widespread in the neighbouring west African countries, with about 90 percent of women in both countries undergoing circumcision.

    Teenager Fatmata Turay died after she was circumcised in an initiation ceremony in the village of Mabolleh in north Sierra Leone and three women involved, including the girl’s aunt, have been arrested, police said.

    “There will be an investigation into the circumstances which led to the death of this girl,” said vice minister of social affairs Rugiatu Turay.

    The death comes just days after a 10-year-old girl in Makpozou, a forested area in the south of Guinea, died in similar circumstances, according to the country’s social action ministry.The child died in a circumcision camp for young girls, the ministry said.

    Guinea’s government urged communities that practise FGM to “stop sacrificing the girls”, and said it was committed to the fight against the “vile practice”.

    Female circumcision is common in west Africa, where it is considered a female right of passage and where practitioners can earn up to $50 per girl.

    Sierra Leone recently ratified a 2003 African Union protocol that seeks to ban FGM.

  164. https://www.facebook.com/BloodstainedMenTheirFriends#!/photo.php?fbid=1083617438412470&set=o.172212266252130&type=3&theater

    Candice Talisman Dierdre Dutson‎ Bloodstained Men & Their Friends

    August 23 · (2016)

    Oliver’s Twist of Fate…

    Awareness pass it on

    “As some may know, Oliver was born 7/4/2016, a perfectly healthy baby boy.

    On his 8th day of life, we decided to circumcise his genitalia due to the health benifits and not wanting him to be different then the other boys in the family. I didn’t even question or research the pros and cons, like many other things I had done before. I had just put my faith in tradition and let it be…..

    Little did I know, I had put my babies life in danger! A few hours after the mutilation Oliver had hemmoraged, his diaper was FILLED with his sacred blood. Pale, cold and weak, the ambulance had rushed him to the ER, who later rushed him to Primary Children’s. About 5-6 hours later his bleeding had finally stopped. Although we had to remain in the hospital for a few days due to the oxygen deprived critical condition of his little newborn body, Oliver survived!

    We are blessed more then we deserve for Oliver to have stayed with us in this life, and I will forever regret putting him through that life-threatening abuse.”

  165. http://allafrica.com/stories/201608310842.html

    THE MONITOR
    31 August 2016

    Uganda: Medic Fined Shs70 Million Over Failed Circumcision

    By Anthony Wesaka
    Kampala — A clinical officer has been fined Shs70m for performing a medical circumcision on a one-month-old baby boy that resulted in an injury on his urethra and later developed into a medical condition known as fistula.

    Besides fining Mr Sowedi Kayongo, a clinical officer at Taqwa Health Care Centre in Wakiso District, Kampala High Court judge Benjamin Kabiito asked the Allied Health Professions Council (AHPC) to revoke his licence.

    Court, in giving the fine, put into consideration the fears expressed by minor’s parents; David and Grace Sewaaya, of how their son might be unable to function normally in future and that chances of him fathering children are minimal.

    In his judgment, Justice Kabiito observed that the clinical officer took on the circumcision task that was far beyond his competence.

    Subsequently, the judge urged AHPC to assess its doctors to avoid such occurrences in future.

    Court documents indicate that the clinical officer, while performing the circumcision, cut the urethra as opposed to the foreskin of the minor’s penis.

    Records also indicate that the medic also failed to take prudent measures to remedy the damage in time.

  166. https://www.facebook.com/CircumcisionMutilationWatch/#

    Lacy Jay Webb feeling concerned with Brittany Noel Sanders and 15 others.
    9 hrs · Grassy Creek, KY · (September 2016)

    “Please pray for my little nephew Isaiah (icee). His circumcision did not heal right and it kept him from urinating and an infection built up in his kidneys and has spread through his body. Pray for my bestie my sista Carressa Wright as she struggles through this.”

  167. http://joseph4gi.blogspot.com/2016/09/facebook-kentucky-botched-circumcision.html

    Sunday, September 4, 2016

    FACEBOOK: KENTUCKY – Botched Circumcision Gives Newborn Severe UTI

    “The latest tragedy that has come up in my Facebook news feed is that of a child whose circumcision has resulted in a serious UTI that is spreading throughout the child’s body. The child’s aunt asking for prayers on Facebook:

    Grassy Creek, Kentucky

    “Please pray for my little nephew. . . His circumcision did not heal right and it kept him from urinating and an infection built up in his kidneys and has spread through his body.”

  168. https://www.facebook.com/CircumcisionMutilationWatch/#!/photo.php?fbid=941838332589490&set=a.348314908608505.1073741825.100002899973726&type=3&theater

    Elisa Pena
    8 hrs near Roseville, CA ·

    My poor baby. He had an appointment with his urologist today to check his penis. We had noticed that the skin from his circumcision was getting fused together, it looked like he was growing scar tissue. So when the Dr. Seen him today he said he was going to numb it and try to pull his skin apart, he sprayed it and was able to pull some skin apart and he let out a scream, my heart just sank. His poor penis was bleeding. He said unfortunately he was going to need surgery to repair it. His skin is too fused together. Ugh that’s exactly what I was hoping did not happen. He said he has to have general anesthesia and when he’s out they will have to do an epidural to numb him from the waist down so when he wakes up from surgery he will be numb from the waist down for at least 4 hours so he won’t hurt his incision. When we were signing papers for his surgery I felt like I was going to throw up. My poor baby is scheduled for surgery on November 18th. I’m scared and very nervous. ????
    — feeling sad.

  169. http://www.the-star.co.ke/news/2016/11/10/newly-circumcised-boy-burned-tortured-to-death-in-naivasha_c1452850

    Kenya – Newly circumcised boy burned, tortured to death in Naivasha
    Nov. 10, 2016, 5:00 am
    By GEORGE MURAGE

    Police in Mai Mahiu, Naivasha, are looking for young men who burned and tortured a newly circumcised boy in an initiation ceremony that went fatally wrong.

    Henry Kamau, 15, died hours after arriving at Kijabe Mission Hospital. He sat his KCPE exam last week. Relatives, classmates and friends said Kamau was a bright boy.

    Cases of young men tormenting and beating up circumcised boys have been reported in many rural places.

    Kamau’s mother Teresia Nyambura said one of the youths had promised to nurse Kamau. She said the group visited Kamau, who was recovering in a separate room in their homestead, and tortured him. “In the morning we realised he was in bad condition as he had burns on his body. His eyes were swollen and he was vomiting,” Nyambura said.

    search for killers

    The mother of four said her second born son was declared dead a few hours after he was hospitalised.

    Neighbour Sam Ngugi said those responsible are well known. The crime was reported at Mai Mahiu police station.

    “The boy was a pupil at Ngeya Primary School and was awaiting his KCPE exam results when this painful incident occurred,” Ngugi said.

    A senior police officer said investigations are underway.

    “The body was taken to Mai Mahiu mortuary. We are seeking the group so they can shed more light on this issue,” the officer said.

  170. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CI1DVUuOK6c

    Circumcision Death Remembered
    Bonobo3D

    Published on Nov 12, 2016

    Laura, mother of an 18 year old son, stopped by the Bloodstained Men protest of the American Academy of Pediatrics annual conference at Moscone Center, San Francisco to speak with protesters. She recalled the death of a baby boy in the mid 1980’s at Alta Bates Summit Medical Center, Berkeley California.

  171. https://www.facebook.com/BloodstainedMenTheirFriends/photos/pb.172212266252130.-2207520000.1480467921./823941034412580/?type=3&theater

    Anna and Nate

    “Prayers needed for our family as our little guy has post circumcision hemorrhage and is now at a Children’s Hospital waiting for a possible blood transfusion. We cannot be any more heartbroken and scared then what we are now. Please really think about cons before circumcision because this can happen to anyone.”

  172. http://www.mediamaxnetwork.co.ke/news/279635/279635/

    13 yr old boy dies after initiation ritual in Kiambu
    By K24 Tv
    Date: December 06, 2016

    A 13 year old boy was tortured to death while undergoing circumcision rituals in Kiambu county.
    The initiate is alleged to have been beaten severally and forced to eat plain meal of ugali before suffocating to death after he was denied water to drain down the meal.
    Police have launched a manhunt to arrest the perpetrators who are at large.

  173. https://www.facebook.com/SavingOurSons/photos/a.454443601241433.106735.166998263319303/1373565899329194/?type=3&theater

    12.4.16 Tennessee

    “So I had to step out. They done waylons circumcision almost 2 hours ago. 1 hour ago i went to change his poopy diaper, and it was full of blood. i went and got the nurse. they have been in there working to get the bleeding to stop for nearly an hour. hes went through so much gauze and 3 diapers since.”

  174. http://www.thestar.com.my/opinion/online-exclusive/ask-dr-g/2016/12/11/complications-of-circumcision/

    Sunday, 11 December 2016 | MYT 12:45 PM
    Complications of circumcision

    This week, we address the issues relating to circumcision of children.

    “I am a concern father who has two boys. My elder one is now 9 years old and the younger one is only seven.

    When my older boy was born, I accepted the proposal of the pediatrician to let him undergo a circumcision.

    Although the operation was uneventful, my son began to have a band that bridged across the penile shaft and glans.

    This is very unsightly. The doctor said it was a common complication and might need a revision operation in the future.

    Because of his brother’s experience, I did not subject my second son through the operation. “

  175. http://www.coastweek.com/3951-special-report-05.htm

    Friday, 16 December 2016

    Deaths from botched circumcision climb to 23 in S. Africa

    CAPE TOWN (Xinhua) — “At least 23 people have died from botched circumcision during the summer initiation season in South Africa, authorities said Wednesday.

    The deaths occurred despite the “Zero Deaths” campaign launched by the government, the Department of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs said in its latest update on initiation deaths during the summer initiation season.

    “Despite government’s interventions, these tragic incidents seem to persist,” department spokesperson Legadima Leso said.

    Most of the deaths were reported in bogus initiation schools, according to Leso.

    He said government-dispatched teams will continue to monitor the situation across the country throughout the current initiation season.

    “We are urging communities, especially parents, care givers or legal guardians to play their part and support our zero deaths approach during this initiation season – enough is enough,” said Leso.

    The message should be clear that those who use the important cultural practice of South Africa to enrich themselves have no place in the communities, Leso said.

    “Let us all alert the authorities about bogus initiation schools and those that abduct our children, thus disgracing this important part of our tradition,” he added.

    Circumcision is often viewed a sacred practice in African cultures, marking a male’s transition from child to adulthood. According to the tradition, young males have to be circumcised as the passage to manhood.

    In winter and summer initiation seasons of 2015, approximately 101 initiates lost their lives, most in the Eastern Cape, and in the last 10 years there has been an estimated 1,000 penile amputations.”

  176. http://family-sprouts.com/almost-lost-son-circumcision/

    How I Almost Lost My Son to Circumcision

    by Nicole Donald · January 11, 2015

    “Shortly after my first born turned seven, I gave birth to another perfect baby boy . . . When the question about circumcision came up, it seemed natural to choose the same path . . . When I finally got my baby back he was NOT okay. He was non-responsive and completely out of it. I couldn’t get him to make eye contact or latch onto my breast, his eyes were unfocused and glazed over—I know now he was in shock. . . I unwrapped him from his blanket to look over his little body and realized he was bleeding out; on the front of his freshly changed diaper was a blood spot that was quickly growing in size. I ran up to the nurse and yelled that he was bleeding out, she took my son and practically ran down the hall. “

  177. http://www.thesundaily.my/news/2107345

    Botched circumcision procedure
    Posted on 26 December 2016 – 10:11pm
    Last updated on 27 December 2016 – 12:07am

    Ashwin Kumar
    newsdesk@thesundaily.com

    KAJANG: A doctor accidentally sliced off the head of a 10-year-old boy’s penis during a routine circumcision procedure.

    A source told theSun that the incident took place on Dec 20 at a clinic in Taman Cheras Utama at 8pm.

    The victim’s father had brought his son to the clinic for the circumcision procedure.

    However, during the surgery, the doctor inadvertently sliced off the head of the boy’s penis using a laser.

    The doctor immediately alerted the victim’s parents who rushed the boy to the Hospital Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia.

    The victim was subsequently transferred to Hospital Kuala Lumpur (HKL)

    The victim’s father who is a government school teacher lodged a police report at the hospital after being advised by doctors at HKL.

    It is learnt that the clinic where the accident took place had been in operation for 15 years and the doctor has 21 years of experience, and is a graduate of a foreign university.

    The clinic is however not registered under the Health Ministry.

    The doctor concerned has also lodged a police report and had admitted that it was an accident.

    Kajang district police chief ACP Othman Nanyan said the case is under investigation.

    • http://www.nst.com.my/news/2016/12/199793/reunited-10-year-old-botched-circumcision-boy-has-penis-head-reattached

      Reunited: 10-year-old botched circumcision boy has penis head reattached
      By Hariz Mohd – 27 December 2016 @ 5:46 PM

      Facebook

      0

      Twitter

      Share

      0

      KUALA LUMPUR: The 10-year-old boy whose penis head was accidentally sliced off in a botched circumcision in Cheras last week had it reattached at the Kuala Lumpur Hospital (HKL).

      A team of HKL surgical experts managed to reattach the severed glans (penis head) in an operation conducted on Dec 20, the same night the incident took place at a clinic in Taman Cheras Utama.

      An HKL spokesman told the New Straits Times that the surgical operation was a success.

      “HKL doctors performed (the operation) soon after (the boy) was brought to the hospital.

      “The operation was successful, and the boy is now recovering at HKL’s surgical ward,” said the spokesman.

      It was reported yesterday that the boy’s father had taken his son to the Taman Cheras Utama clinic at about 8.15pm on Dec 20 to be circumcised.

      However, during the laser surgery, the clinic’s doctor inadvertently sliced off the head of the victim’s penis.

      The doctor informed the father of his mistake, and they then rushed the boy to the Hospital Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia.

      Doctors there transferred the boy to HKL for him to undergo surgery to reattach the glans.

      The boy’s father later lodged a police report at the hospital.

  178. https://www.standardmedia.co.ke/article/2000227915/boy-fights-for-manhood-after-botched-circumcision

    Boy fights for manhood after botched circumcision

    By Dalton Nyabundi
    Updated Sun, December 25th 2016 at 00:00 GMT +3

    A 10-year-old boy risks losing his genitals after a medical circumcision went awry.

    In a classic case of professional negligence, doctors now say Benjamin Baraka from Mbale may require grafting, following botched circumcision at Vihiga County Hospital.

    When The Standard on Sunday visited the Standard Four pupil and his mother at Kisumu’s St Monica Hospital where he had been referred to yesterday, he was in great pain as doctors tried to treat the wound.

    A tube connected to his crotch leads to a tube sitting between his legs. The urinary catheter is perhaps the only indication that all is not well with the cheerful boy with a singsong voice.

    Dr Hillary Awuor, St Monica Hospital’s administrator, says the only way to save the genital now is through grafting, but the wound must first be treated. He said the penis had lost sensation.

    “The grafting cannot be done on a raw wound. The wound has to show some signs of healing and resolution,” said Awour.

    READ: Busian family in distress after teenage son goes missing

    Grafting in this case is a surgical procedure where skin will be removed from one part of Baraka’s body and used to replace the damaged penile skin.

    Dr Awuor said although there are complications associated with this kind of surgery. The surgeon was hopeful that it would work.

    The boy’s mother, Eva Nasaya, said she walked into Vihiga County Hospital with her son on November 2 and paid Sh1, 000 for a procedure most of his agemates in Luhya land were undergoing bravely.

    The nurse who performed the surgery wrongly sliced the foreskin and as soon as the procedure was complete, the wound started swelling. But, the nurse dismissed this as normal and prescribed a few drugs that would take care of it.

    PUS OZZING

    It occurred to Ms Nasaya that her only child may have been wrongly sliced when the other boys were healing, yet her son’s was becoming septic with pus oozing from the sinuses around the penis.

    “He cried throughout the process and the nurse said it was normal. The next day his penis started swelling and two days later, it developed blisters but the nurse kept telling me it was normal. He just asked me to give him the drugs he had prescribed,” narrated Ms Nasaya.

    About a month later, the wound was getting worse. The pain the boy felt on his crotch had suddenly died down. The wound was rotting. So she went back to the same hospital to seek further care and answers.

    She was referred to a surgeon of the hospital who agreed that the procedure was wrongly done. The wound had developed dead debris and smelly, abnormal growth around it.

    Baraka was immediately admitted to the surgical ward, awaiting a corrective surgery. But since the wound was septic, the surgeon first cleaned it and removed the dead tissue, a process called debridement.

    She was directed to bathe him with warm, salty water for four days for the wound to heal before the plastic surgery could be done.

    On December 5 when the surgery was due, however, doctors in public hospitals downed tools and they were abandoned.

  179. http://www.thestar.com.my/news/nation/2016/12/29/boy-loses-penis-botched-circumcision/

    Thursday, 29 December 2016 | MYT 8:12 PM
    Boy loses penis in second botched circumcision

    by victoria brown

    KUALA LUMPUR: A nine-year-old boy has lost his penis after a failed reattachment, in the second botched circumcision case in a span of a week.

    According to Hindraf lawyer P Uthayakumar, a nine-year-old boy had the head of his penis completely severed during a circumcision procedure using scissors at a Jalan Ipoh clinic on Dec 15.

    Uthayakumar said the boy was then sent to Hospital Kuala Lumpur (HKL) to try and reattach the penis.

    However, the reattachment failed and the penis blackened, leaving the doctor no choice but to amputate the boy’s penis.

    “It is so unfortunate that this had happened to the poor boy. He is so young, he doesn’t know what has happened,” said Uthayakumar who will be holding a press conference in regards to the case on Friday.

    On Tuesday, it was reported that a 10-year-old boy had his penis severed during a laser-based circumcision procedure at a clinic in Taman Cheras Utama.

    It is learnt that the incident occurred at about 8.15pm on Dec 20 at the clinic.

    Soon after the procedure, the doctor told the father of the boy that he had accidentally cut off the head of his son’s penis.

    The boy was rushed to the Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia Hospital (HUKM), which then referred him to the Hospital Kuala Lumpur (HKL) for surgery to reattach the head of his penis. It is learnt that the surgery was successful.

  180. http://www.thestar.com.my/news/nation/2017/01/08/another-botched-circumcision-emerges-third-of-such-case-prompts-calls-for-legal-action-by-govt/

    Sunday, 8 January 2017
    Another botched circumcision emerges

    by norbaiti phaharoradzi

    SEGAMAT: A third case of a circumcision gone wrong has come to light, prompting the Health Ministry to urge victims to take such cases to court.

    The victim, a 10-year-old boy, has to use a catheter and a urine bag after severe damage to his penis.

    Health Minister Datuk Seri Dr S. Subramaniam said parents of victims of botched circumcisions should file civil suits to get compensation.

    “The ministry can suspend the licences of medical practitioners if they are found to be negligent by the Malaysian Medical Council,” he said during a visit to Pekan Batu Anam here yesterday.

    Dr Subramaniam said hundreds of thousands of circumcisions were carried out every year in the country and that minor complications were bound to happen.

    But there were never any serious cases like these, even when traditional methods were widely used, he added.

    A portion of the boy’s private parts was severed by an assistant medical officer at a mass circumcision ceremony at a surau in Sungai Buloh on Nov 25.

    The bleeding could not be stopped and the victim was rushed to Hospital Selayang.

    The doctors were unable to reattach the head of the boy’s penis, which had already turned black.

    The boy was then sent to a private hospital and underwent three surgeries, which were also unsuccessful.

    On Dec 15, a nine-year-old boy had the glans of his penis severed during a circumcision at a private clinic in Jalan Ipoh.

    Five days later, a 10-year-old boy lost the head of his penis as he was undergoing laser circumcision at a Taman Cheras Utama clinic.

  181. http://akipress.com/news:587555/

    Foreign Ministry: Parents of 3yo boy who died after home circumcision in Krasnoyarsk are citizens of Russia
    10:44, 12 January 2017, 331

    AKIPRESS.COM – Kyrgyzstan foreign ministry said the parents of the 3-year-old boy who died after the home circumcision are the citizens of the Russian Federation, the MFA’s press office told AKIpress.

    The parents of the boy were reported by Komsomolskaya Pravda newspaper to be originating from Kyrgyzstan, where the circumcision of boys aged 3 and 5 is the tradition.

    It was reported that the probe was launched into the manslaughter by negligence after the death of toddler following the circumcision done at home by the 28-year-old surgeon.

    The surgeon who was invited to carry out the operation by the mother of the child was questioned. It was reported that the child’s condition deteriorated after the operation carried out with anesthesia injection. Additionally, the mother reportedly tried to medicate the boy on her own when he’s condition worsened.

    A comprehensive forensic examination was assigned to determine the cause of death.

  182. Bullying leads to botched circumcision

    http://www.dailystar.co.uk/news/latest-news/578429/botched-circumcision-teen-zimbabwe-machete-hospital

    Teen left in agony after botching job to circumcise himself with MACHETE

    A TEENAGER was rushed to hospital in absolute agony after trying to circumcise himself with a MACHETE – after being teased by pals he would never get a girlfriend unless he did.

    The 16-year-old schoolboy botched the job and was left covered in blood after taking the giant blade to his manhood after after being convinced it was his only way to find true love.

    Doctors at St Lukes Hospital in Bulawayo, Zimbabwe, rushed him in by ambulance for urgent treatment then carried out the procedure correctly then stitched up his penis and bandaged the painful wound.

    He is now recovering at home after two days in hospital.

    Provincial medical director Nyasha Masuka said:”It seems the other boys were laughing at him for not being circumcised so he used a machete to circumcise himself and injured himself in the process . . .

    “He has been told not to listen to them and not to be so stupid in future” he (a doctor) said.

  183. https://www.facebook.com/BloodstainedMenTheirFriends/photos/a.172218806251476.42377.172212266252130/853785054761511/?type=3&theater

    January 13, 2017

    A nurse reports watching a baby have a seizure during his circumcision.

    “As a student nurse I was required to assist a doctor do a circumcision on a two day old Downes syndrome boy, right before he was to be released the next day. No anesthesia, strapped down at every point, and of course days too soon for blood clotting factors. He had convinced the parents it MUST be done as he would never understand about keeping himself clean down there. The parents weren’t so sure, so he talked them into getting it done immediately. So the dirty money grubbing bastard doctor did it, fucked it up royally and the screams were so horrendous I can’t begin to describe that baby’s agony. (He had not cried once in the nursery before this). Then, the baby began to seize. It went from bad to worse. The baby stopped breathing and almost died. He spent the next three weeks in the hospital while they tried to get the various complication under control.

    There is NO reason to circumcise a baby. NONE. It is an unbelievable cruelty perpetrated on the most innocent for no reason but ignorance and greed.”

  184. https://www.facebook.com/BloodstainedMenTheirFriends/photos/a.172218806251476.42377.172212266252130/657327354407283/?type=3&theater

    “This is my sweet boy, Danny. He was born January 21st 2013. We left the hospital on January 28th. He was circumcised January 31st and it’s a day none of us will forget. When we left the hospital he was a happy healthy 9 pound 15 ounce perfect baby boy. And then we were talked into circumcision. My sweet boy went in at 10:30 am. By 11:45 I was getting really worried. The doctor came out, his clothes stained in my sons blood. What looked like a lot of it. He said “there’s been some slight complications” Turns out, the complications were not so slight. My son received the “numbing” shot , and the sweetease. It still hurt. So badly in fact, that my poor 10 day old baby screamed SO HARD, that his lung collapsed. He also lost 1.8 ounces of blood. 2.3 ounces of blood in an infant causes death.”

  185. January 13, 2017

    MRSA INFECTION FROM CIRCUMCISION ? “It’s hard for me to talk about but with my first son I felt it was terribly wrong to circumcise him. I didn’t know what to do. Family and friends bullied me and told me my son would forever hate me, so I had him circumcised. When they gave him back, he had blood in his diaper and I instantly broke down crying, thinking what had I done to my boy.

    “Two weeks later green pus came from his belly button. I took him to the emergency room where the family doctor requested a MRSA swab, 72 hours later they told me my baby had an antibiotic resistant MRSA. My 4 week old son had gotten it from his circumcision. He survived the infection, thank God, we found an antibiotic that healed it.

    “I live daily with so much regret that I needed counseling.

    “I then had another sweet boy. I actually found you while I was pregnant, due to baby wearing moms seeing you and the Bloodstained Men in action. They saw you guys in person while driving, and they were talking about you guys and the cause. This time I didn’t circumcise and felt no fear in what I decided.

    “It’s hard living with myself knowing I could have saved my first son. I have learnt so much and I continue to educate others and tell them about my story to hopefully save their son.” ~An Indiana mom

  186. https://www.facebook.com/BloodstainedMenTheirFriends/

    Candice Talisman Dierdre Dutson‎
    August 23, 2016

    Oliver’s Twist of Fate…
    Awareness pass it on

    “As some may know, Oliver was born 7/4/2016, a perfectly healthy baby boy.

    On his 8th day of life, we decided to circumcise his genitalia due to the health benifits and not wanting him to be different then the other boys in the family. I didn’t even question or research the pros and cons, like many other things I had done before. I had just put my faith in tradition and let it be…..

    Little did I know, I had put my babies life in danger! A few hours after the mutilation Oliver had hemmoraged, his diaper was FILLED with his sacred blood. Pale, cold and weak, the ambulance had rushed him to the ER, who later rushed him to Primary Children’s. About 5-6 hours later his bleeding had finally stopped. Although we had to remain in the hospital for a few days due to the oxygen deprived critical condition of his little newborn body, Oliver survived!

    We are blessed more then we deserve for Oliver to have stayed with us in this life, and I will forever regret putting him through that life-threatening abuse.

    There’s much contraversy about.. “To circumsize or not to circumsize “..

    It’s not my place to judge or fight the battle that’s ashore.
    I do believe it’s my place to bring awareness about the tragic effects the tradition of circumcision can be.

    Parents, please research and have knowledge on one of the most important decision in your babies life. Research the professionals who will be a part of that decision, and if it’s worth it to you to do it. And most importantly, listen to yourself and the intuition we have been given. It could be a life or death situation.

    Oliver is recovering well and is such a brave little trooper.
    My heart goes out to all the other little babies and their parents who were not as fortunate as us.”

  187. https://themoscowtimes.com/news/russian-police-investigate-the-parents-of-a-boy-who-died-after-a-home-circumcision-56843

    Russian Police Investigate the Parents of a Boy Who Died After a Home Circumcision
    Jan 17, 2017 — 20:11

    Anna Kuznetsova, Russia’s commissioner for children’s rights, says criminal charges should be brought against the parents of a three-year-old boy in Krasnoyarsk, who died earlier this month after a botched circumcision performed at home, according to the news agency RIA Novosti.

    Kuznetsova, a devout Russian Orthodox Christian, says the boy’s parents must be held accountable for his death, regardless of whatever religious reasons they had for circumcising him at home and denying him proper medical attention. She also told reporters that there’s no need for additional legislation in response to this death, explaining that existing laws against endangering children are sufficient to prosecute those responsible.

    “Unfortunately, this isn’t an isolated situation,” Kuznetsova said on Jan. 13. “Every time, it’s shocking to realize that this kind of thing happens in our world, but it’s very difficult to predict, study, and monitor these religious incidents. Typically, families like this are very closed in their principles.”

    On Jan. 9, Russian police announced a criminal investigation into the death of the child, who underwent a circumcision at home on Jan. 6, performed by a surgeon summoned by his mother. The boy then became seriously ill, and his mother’s efforts to treat her son with various medicines failed. He died at home, without ever being hospitalized.

    Yulia Zimova, a member of a presidential council on family issues, previously stated that criminal charges would be inappropriate, given that the deceased boy’s parents “have already been punished by fate.”

  188. http://joseph4gi.blogspot.com/2017/01/circumcision-botches-colombia-and.html

    Thursday, January 19, 2017
    CIRCUMCISION BOTCHES: Colombia

    Colombian boy left in a vegetative state after a circumcision

    It seems that recently, reports of circumcision botches are coming to light all over the world.

    Just a few days ago, on January 17th, there was a report on a Colombian news show, 90 Minutos, about a child who was left in a vegetative state when he was circumcised 3 years ago.

    The mother is trying to press charges on the doctor who has been since, nowhere to be found.

    Not much detail is given about the boy’s necessity to be circumcised, only that this was supposed to be an outpatient procedure, and that apparently, the doctor used too much anesthetic.

  189. http://www.liberianobserver.com/women/please-help-save-zinnah%E2%80%99s-life

    Please Help Save Zinnah’s Life
    Wed, 02/01/2017 – 01:24 tbropleh
    By: Claudia Sara Smith

    “…There have been many SOS calls by dozens of parents who want to save their sick or ailing children in the past year, and one of them is Philip Zinnah, Jr., a five year old boy whose life is hanging by the thread.

    He is presently in a very bad state, with his ability to urinate cut off and death lurking if he is not treated further as suggested by the Catholic Hospital, where he sits restrained.

    “Presently we have a bill of L$107,663 to pay before he can be removed so we can find further funds to get him to Ghana for surgery,” stated his father, Philip Zinnah, Sr.

    Back in January 2014, Junior was circumcised by an uncertified physician and in the process, the head of his penis was accidently removed. He was diagnosed with urethral stenosis.

    A urethral dilatation was performed on the child on March 1, 2016 at the JFK Medical Center through the intervention of Health Page Liberia’s CEO, Charlesetta Williams.

    In May 2016, Junior was again unable to urinate, something that had been happening off and on. He was operated on by a Dr. Sherman at the Jackson F. Doe Memorial Hospital in Tappita, lower Nimba County, where it was revealed that his case “requires surgery abroad by an urologist as soon as possible.”

    Since then, Junior and his family have been stuck, unable to take him abroad for the urgently needed surgery. Though they have reached out to people and organizations to raise the money to send the child out of the country, there has been little success.

    According to the father, those who raised his hopes to get his son out of the country let him down.

    “They promised us all kinds of things, said they had money but then later just turned their backs on us,” he lamented.

    Yet still, Junior remains in a critical state, and has not been able to urinate or defecate in weeks. He was recently rushed to the hospital almost unconscious and treatment was administered.

    Meanwhile, the family has been urged to pursue criminal charges for malpractice against the person (whose name has not been released) who botched the circumcision. Mr. Zinnah has stated that he has no intention of doing such.

    “Presently, they are hard to find; you can’t just find them like that,” Zinnah Sr stated.

    Junior’s state is saddening, as he is in a fight that his parents are unable to fight alone.

    Anyone who can contribute to saving yet another life, a boy that did not ask to be injured or placed on a critical list, should please help the family get their child to a facility that can save his life.

    Mr. Zinnah can be reached on 0770-690-998.”

  190. http://cookcountyrecord.com/stories/511078658-dr-francisco-sanchez-accused-of-causing-wound-during-circumcision

    Dr. Francisco Sanchez accused of causing wound during circumcision

    Louie Torres Feb. 9, 2017, 5:12pm

    CHICAGO — A mother and her minor son are suing Dr. Francisco Sanchez, a physician, alleging negligence in medical care.

    The plaintiffs filed a complaint on Jan. 28 in Cook County Circuit Court against Sanchez alleging that the physician failed to provide proper medical care to the boy during a circumcision.

    According to the complaint, the boy allegedly suffered from a deep wound and so much bleeding that a transfusion was required. The plaintiffs hold Sanchez responsible for allegedly failing to exercise proper caution.

    The plaintiffs request a trial by jury and seek judgment against the defendant for damages plus any further relief this court grants. They are represented by Steven B. Muslin of Muslin & Sandberg in Chicago.

    Cook County Circuit Court Case number 17L001049

  191. http://www.drum.co.za/news/botched-circumcisions-will-lead-to-investigations-and-imprisonment/

    Botched circumcisions will lead to investigations and imprisonment

    By Ayanda Sitole on February 15, 2017

    At a briefing held in Johannesburg on Wednesday, the Commission for the Promotion and Protection of the Rights of Cultural, Religious and Linguistics Communities (CRL Commission) said it will be launching investigations into initiation schools because of reports and complaints received due to death, botched circumcision, amputations and assaults.

    As a cultural norm, many young men will embark on the age-old custom of attending initiation schools and undergoing traditional circumcision this year. What inevitably follows, are reports highlighting the increasing number of deaths of young initiates.

    “The problem needs to solved urgently, we cannot keep quiet about what is happening any longer,” said Thoko Mkhwanazi-Xaluva, chairperson of the Commission.

    She said the commission’s main concern is the statistical records that show that a total of 251 deaths have occurred between 2014-2016.

    “These are unnecessary deaths that could have been prevented,” she said. “These are young men who are strong and fit and end up dead, not because they are sick.”

    The commission says the number of deaths that have occurred over the years are an anomaly (irregular) as initiations take place for only eight weeks per year in the winter and summer seasons.

    Another major concern is that in the space of nine years, 557 young men have died, but only 260 arrests have been made – none of which have resulted in jail time.

    “We are investigating why this is,” said Mkhwanazi-Xaluva. “Just because you are operating an initiation school does not mean the law must be suspended, we must determine who is accountable.”

    The CRL Commission is a Chapter 9 Institution which reserves the right to issue out a summons to those violating laws pertaining to culture and religion, and host public hearings, after which a fine or imprisonment can be issued.

  192. February 2017

    https://archive.is/GhV0j

    Danny-Sheila Bryant

    “Need Prayers for Easton his circumcision surgery didn’t go well this morning waiting on special ambulance to transport him to Kosair Childrens Hospital in Louisville. ”

    Comment: Nancy Monroe “Sending prayers, they messed up my grandson’s but said it sometimes happens…”

  193. http://www.inquisitr.com/4007657/oral-suction-circumcision-causes-babies-to-contract-herpes-in-new-york-city/

    February 23, 2017
    ‘Oral Suction’ Circumcision Causes Babies To Contract Herpes In New York City

    Stacey Cole

    Circumcision of newborn babies is an ultra-Orthodox Jewish practice known as metzitzah b’peh that dates back more than 5,000 years. The Daily Mail reported that two more babies have been stricken with herpes after the oral blood-sucking circumcision process was performed in New York City.

    There are 13 known cases of herpes contracted from this religious practice, and now there have been two more deaths and two other babies suffering brain damage in New York City in just the last three months after undergoing this controversial religious oral circumcision. The Department of Health has continuously warned that there’s no safe way of performing this type of circumcision.

    The process of metzitzah b’peh requires the practitioner to orally suck the baby’s penis in order to thoroughly cleanse the open wound following circumcision, and it’s this process that makes the babies susceptible to the herpes virus. According to the Department of Health, seven days after the procedure, one of the babies who contracted the virus developed a fever and a lesion on its scrotum. The little boy later tested positive for HSV-1, which differs from HSV-2 – which is genital herpes contracted during sexual intercourse.

    The Deputy Commissioner for Disease Control at the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, Jay Varma, issued the following statement to ABC News.

    “A herpes infection in a newborn baby has the risk of leading to severe illness and death. The reason is that the baby doesn’t have the same fully developed immune system as an adult. Instead of staying in the genital area, it extends throughout different organs in the body.”

    Varma added that at this point it’s too soon to say whether the boys will suffer permanent effects. Unfortunately, because the boy’s parents refused to name the rabbi who performed the circumcision, there’s nothing the Health Department can do.

    Modern Jewish practices typically use a pipette or sterile aspiration device in order to clean the wound, instead of the oral sucking method, but other rabbis note the long history of the procedure and stay grounded behind the practice, calling it a religious freedom.

    It was just last September that the Health Department agreed that parents should be required to sign consent forms for this practice; however, it is believed the parents of the newly infected boys had not signed the forms.

    Rabbi David Zwiebel is the Executive Vice President of the Orthodox Jewish organization known as Agudath Israel America, and he confirmed that at least two-thirds of baby boys born in the Hasidic communities of New York City are circumcised using the oral suction method; however, it has been confirmed by the Health Department that they’ve received complaints in the past from parents who say they were not aware that the oral method would be performed on their son.

    ABC News reported that the most controversial part of this Jewish ritual is that the mohel, or practitioner, places his mouth around the baby’s penis to suck the blood in order to cleanse the wound.

    According to the Centre for Disease Control and Prevention, neo-natal herpes infections can cause disability and even death among infants. Doctor William Schaffner is the Chair of Preventative Medicine at Vanderbilt University.

    “First, these are serious infections in newborns and second, there is no safe way an individual can perform oral suction on an open wound. Third, these terrible infections are completely preventable. They should not occur in the 21st century with our scientific knowledge.”

    ABC News was told last year by some rabbis that they were opposed to the law requiring parents to sign a waiver. Their reasoning is that the procedure has been performed tens of thousands of times a year, worldwide, and that safeguarding the child’s life is one of the religion’s highest principles.

    “This is the government forcing a rabbi practicing a religious ritual to tell his congregants it could hurt their child. If, God forbid, there was a danger, we would be the first to stop the practice.”

    It’s been estimated that 70 per cent of the general population is already infected with HSV-1, Type I Herpes, which can be transmitted from the child’s mouth, causing painful ulcers.

  194. Bloodstained Men and Their Friends: ”
    **ANOTHER BOTCHED CIRCUMCISION IN THE NEWS 2 DAYS AGO***

    “This poor boy’s life is ruined. For what? His penis was normal and healthy before! These butchers should be jailed. This happens all the time and most cases are settled out of court. Just ask my friend David Llewellyn (The Circumcision Lawyer) he makes a living off of botched circumcision cases and he speaks out against circumcision every chance he gets! ”

    http://timesleader.com/news/637695/suit-doctor-cut-off-significant-portion-of-newborns-penis

    February 24th, 2017 – 4:54 pm.

    Lawsuit: Doctor cut off ‘significant portion’ of newborn’s penis

    By Joe Dolinsky – jdolinsky@timesleader.com – 570-991-6110

    WILKES-BARRE — A pediatrician cut off a “significant portion” of a newborn’s penis during a circumcision procedure last summer at Lehigh Valley Hospital Hazleton, permanently scarring and disfiguring him, according to a lawsuit filed this week by the boy’s parents.

    The lawsuit, filed in Luzerne County Court, further alleges the boy’s parents were told medical staff had failed to transfer the partially amputated portion of their son’s penis on ice, and attempting to reattach it was “unlikely to succeed and could result in additional complications.”

    The Times Leader Media Group is not identifying the victim or his parents due to the nature of the allegations.

    The parents, from Nesquehoning, Carbon County, allege the hospital provided Dr. Stephen R. Glicken to perform the procedure on July 20, 2016, three days after their son was born. Glicken cut off a 0.3-inch portion of the newborn’s penis and had him transferred to Geisinger Medical Center in Danville for further care, according to the lawsuit.

    The amputated portion, however, allegedly wasn’t packed in ice for transfer.

    A urologist at the medical center informed the newborn’s parents that the condition of the amputated portion of the penis — five hours old at that point — would make reattaching it unlikely.

    Subsequent to the “partial traumatic amputation of his penis, (the newborn’s parents) have been informed his penis will never have a normal appearance” and “will never achieve the size it would have otherwise achieved.”

    The lawsuit names Glicken, Lehigh Valley Hospital Hazleton, Lehigh Valley Physician Group Hazleton, and the Lehigh Valley Hospital and Health Network as defendants, and seeks damages for negligence in excess of local limits.

    A hospital spokesperson did not immediately return a message left Friday seeking comment.

    http://health.usnews.com/doctors/stephan-glicken-513727

    Dr. Stephan Glicken is a pediatrician in Hazleton, Pennsylvania and is affiliated with Lehigh Valley Hospital-Hazleton. He received his medical degree from Drexel University College of Medicine and has been in practice for more than 20 years. . . . He is one of 4 doctors at Lehigh Valley Hospital-Hazleton who specialize in Pediatrics.

  195. Another baby bleeding out

    February 2017

    Angelina

    https://www.facebook.com/BloodstainedMenTheirFriends/photos/pb.172212266252130.-2207520000.1488247583./883762795097070/?type=3&theater

    “Baby came home yesterday, was circumcised yesterday around 1 pm. The doctors were aware he was still spotting blood but this was his diaper a few minutes ago. Should I be worried??” . . .

    “They took us back to a maternity room to rest while they monitor him and wait for him to make a couple wet diapers, see if the bleeding has stopped etc. They had to cut a small piece of remaining skin off, tighten the band, and add a stitch. I’m praying this worked because otherwise we’re going to have to drive him to — for a pediatric surgeon to redo it under anesthesia.”

  196. http://joseph4gi.blogspot.com/2017/03/circumcision-botch-another-post.html

    “As it stands, doctors and hospitals are not required to report adverse effects of circumcision, and they have financial incentive to keep this information under wraps.”

    Wednesday, March 1, 2017

    “DO NOT TAKE YOUR CHILDREN TO DR. PATTEN IN FORREST CITY UNLESS YOU WANT THEM DEAD. THIS IS WHAT HAPPENED AFTER OUR 2 WEEK OLD SON WAS CIRCUMCISED BY HIM. WE HAD TO RUSH GABRIEL TO THE ER BECAUSE HE WAS BLEEDING TO DEATH. WE HAVE SINCE SPENT THE LAST 2 DAYS AT LE BONHEUR’S. THIS IS THE SECOND TIME HE HAS SERIOUSLY HURT ONE OF MY CHILDREN AND THE LAST.”

    http://health.usnews.com/doctors/william-patton-445222

    Dr. William Patton, 62, is a pediatrician in Forrest City, Arkansas and is affiliated with Forrest City Medical Center. He received his medical degree from University of Alabama School of Medicine and has been in practice for more than 20 years. He is one of 2 doctors at Forrest City Medical Center who specialize in Pediatrics.

  197. Here’s more information about this case listed above at

    http://www.cirp.org/news/lawyersweekly12-08-03/

    http://www.parkerscheer.com/personal-injury-lawyer/personal-injury-settlements/medical-malpractice/botched-circumcision-case-2/

    Amount Of Award/Settlement

    $1.27 Million

    Nature Of Case

    Medical Malpractice; botched circumcision.

    Injuries Alleged

    Partial amputation of tip of glans penis.

    Court

    United States District Court.

    Attorney for Plaintiffs

    PARKER | SCHEER LLP, Boston, Massachusetts

    CASE SUMMARY:

    The plaintiff underwent voluntary (non-religious) circumcision at the hands of the physician who had delivered him only two days earlier. During the procedure, performed in a major hospital, the defendant inadvertently severed a portion of the tip of the plaintiff’s glans penis.

    The plaintiff was transported by ambulance to Children’s Hospital in Boston where he underwent emergency reanastamosis of the severed tip. The procedure was highly successful, but a small degree of tissue loss and a minor hypospadeous resulted.

    The defense contended, notwithstanding the unfortunate nature of the occurrence, that the reattachment procedure was highly successful and that no long-term physical impairment or limitations were likely to be experienced by the plaintiff in later life.

    The plaintiff was prepared to offer evidence at trial that in the event the plaintiff became self-conscious of the injury during adolescence, lowered self-esteem and other psychological issues were likely to manifest. Plaintiff’s expert, a leading authority in the area of adolescent psychiatry, was prepared to testify that in addition to counseling which may benefit the minor plaintiff in later life, his parents, as the plaintiff’s primary caretakers and nurturers, would also greatly benefit from counseling, designed to educate them in addressing potential questions or concerns of their son in later life. Counseling was also expected to involve recommendations for resolving the questions of siblings, old-enough to appreciate the injury suffered by their younger brother.

    The case was settled following lengthy negotiations conducted before and following a full day of mediation.

  198. http://nypost.com/2017/03/08/new-case-of-neonatal-herpes-caused-by-jewish-circumcision/#.

    New case of neonatal herpes caused by Jewish circumcision

    By Carl Campanile
    March 8, 2017 | 1:49pm

    The New York City Health Department has reported a new case of neonatal herpes caused by the controversial ritual Jewish circumcision known as “metzitzah b’peh.”

    The ancient practice requires a mohel, the person performing the circumcision, to suck blood away from the incision of an infant’s penis.

    It has long been linked to neonatal herpes.

    Health officials sent out an alert to doctors Wednesday to be on the lookout for new cases.

    “When evaluating male infants with suggestive symptoms in the weeks following out-of-hospital circumcision, providers should inquire whether direct orogenital suction (metzitzah b’peh) was performed during circumcision and consider infection with herpes simplex virus (HSV) or other oral pathogens,” Judith Schillinger and Susan Blank of the Health Department’s Bureau of Sexually Transmitted Disease Control said in the alert.

    The infant in the latest case was hospitalized for 14 days.

    Most cases of neonatal herpes are acquired during delivery, when a newborn passes through the birth canal of a woman who has a genital herpes infection.

    But in New York City a “substantial proportion” of male neonatal herpes cases are related to metzitzah b’pehn circumcision.

    The city has required neonatal testing for herpes since 2006.

    According to the Health Department, 24 cases of herpes were linked to circumcision since 2000. Two of the infants died and two others suffered brain damage.

    Last year, there were two cases. In 2015, there were three cases.

    Since 2006, 22 percent of all neonatal herpes causes were linked to ritual circumcision.

    Medical officials have tried to discourage and even stop the ritual, which they say unnecessarily endangers the health of infants with a “preventable infection.”

    But leaders of the ultra-Orthodox community have opposed any restrictions on the centuries-old ritual as an infringement on religious freedom.

    The Bloomberg administration required parents to sign a consent form to allow the practice.

    But Mayor de Blasio pledged to eliminate the consent form during his 2013 run for City Hall. Following negotiations with religious leaders, de Blasio and the city Board of Health scrapped the requirement in 2015.

    As part of the compromise, the Health Department distributes pamphlets to doctors, hospitals and parents (Make a Safe Bris for Your Baby) warning that “some babies can get herpes, which can even lead to death” following metzitzah b’peh.

    It also urges parents to talk to the baby’s doctor and to look out for little bumps and blisters around the infant’s genitals and buttocks following the circumcision.

    But health officials fretted that many parents haven’t seen the brochures.

    “Despite these efforts, parents of case-patients infected have not reported seeing the pamphlet or poster,” the alert said.

  199. http://thenationonlineng.net/man-arrested-slicing-off-toddlers-penis-circumcision/

    Man arrested for slicing off toddler’s penis during circumcision

    Posted By: Mike Odiegwu, Yenagoaon: March 09, 2017

    A 59-year-old man identified as Ziwotimin Keke has been arrested by police in Bayelsa State for chopping off the penis of a nine-month-old boy during circumcision.

    The incident threw the Ondewari community in Southern Ijaw local government area of Bayelsa State into shock.

    The victim was said to be the grandson of Keke, who was known in the community for his generosity in offering free circumcision to families.

    His cousin and activist, Morris Alagoa, who confirmed the incident, said the old man was popular in the community for his free services.

    “He was only trying to help,” Alagoa said, adding that it was not true that his cousin was known for chopping off penis during circumcision.

    Alagoa said: “The man in question is my cousin and he is like a father to the boy. The incident is like that of a driver with 40 -year experience having an accident.

    “It is really sad and unfortunate that his free services to over 700 children from neighboring communities have been brought into this ugly scenario.

    “He is a fisherman and engaged in logging of woods for a living. He is even a physically challenged man that offered circumcision services to the community.”

    The state Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), Asimin Butswat, confirmed the man’s arrest.

    He said: “We were told the man had been doing this free circumcision for years. But we are investigating.”

  200. http://www.thewholenetwork.org/twn-news/infants-brush-with-death-after-routine-circumcision

    Infant’s Brush with Death After Routine Circumcision

    5/10/2013

    Shared with author’s permission.

    I have a story to share. This is a story about my son. A curly red headed boy who gives the best hugs and has the most delightful giggle. A boy that is madly in love with his brothers and sisters. A boy that I know will forgive me and his daddy for the horrible choice we made on his behalf because that is the kind of heart he has.

    On a glorious autumn morning my sweet son was born into a family full of love in the peaceful surroundings of his parent’s bed. Quinn came into the world with much to say and introduced himself in a very boisterous way. The peace and tranquility ended on day 16 of his life. On that day, the tears and hurt began.

    My husband and I took Quinn to have his circumcision performed at the office of a recommended urologist. We naively believed that this was “just a routine procedure”. My husband filled out the paperwork while I nursed Quinn in the waiting room. We were called back and asked if we wanted to stay in the room while the doctor did the procedure. We both wanted to be there for him and I wanted to be able to nurse him for comfort right away. Quinn was strapped down and the doctor numbed his penis. He screamed in pain and I felt my stomach drop. A few minutes later the doctor did the cut and the nurse commented, “That’s a beauty.” The doctor invited my husband to take a look seemingly proud of what he had just done. We were told to put Vaseline dressings on at each diaper change and dismissed to go home. I again nursed my little man and then buckled him into the car seat. Quinn cried for a few minutes and then fell asleep from the intense stress of it all.

    When we arrived home we were greeted by my mom and Quinn’s big brother and sister. We cuddled on the sofa for a little bit and then my mom took Quinn into my room to change his diaper before we sat down to dinner. I heard my mom yell for me in a frantic voice. I rushed in to see what was alarming her and was shocked to see Quinn had bled through his cloth diaper and the diaper cover. There was a lot of blood and it was still oozing out of the circumcision site. I yelled for my husband to call the doctor right away. It was now about 5:45 pm so when he called the doctor’s office no one answered. I insisted he keep trying and then attempted to call myself 3 times. When it became clear we would not get through to the doctor I called Quinn’s pediatrician. He instructed us to apply very firm pressure to his penis for 10 minutes and if the bleeding did not stop to go to the emergency room. After 10 minutes it was clear that this was not going to be enough to subside the bleeding. We jumped in the van and rushed to the emergency room. By the time we got to the ER Quinn had lost a lot more blood. I was holding him in the waiting room and my jeans were soaked with his blood, the blanket I had wrapped him in was soaked with blood, his little socks were soaked with blood. When we arrived they assessed the situation and asked us why we had not called the urologist. We informed them we could not reach him. My husband continued to hold firm pressure on Quinn’s penis while the ER staff decided what to do. They were able to contact the urologist and decided to use a liquid to try to stop the bleeding. The ER doctor told us it had a 50/50 chance of working. The bleeding slowed down for a few minutes and then picked up again. The bed and the towels on the bed became saturated with Quinn’s blood. My husband and a paramedic in training held pressure to Quinn’s penis while we waited for an ambulance to transfer us to the ER where the urologist who did this to Quinn had privileges. It seems we chose the wrong ER unknowingly since we were not told what to do in the event of an emergency. The urologist on call at the ER we originally went to refused to fix the mistake of another doctor. The ambulance crew arrived and was instructed that it was necessary to continue to apply pressure to Quinn’s penis to slow the bleeding. The EMT that would be sitting in the back of the ambulance with Quinn and me insisted that I buckle him into his car seat rather than hold him in my arms on the stretcher. Against my instincts I complied. When we got situated in the back of the ambulance the driver turned on the lights and began to drive quickly to the next ER. The EMT in the back said “You can kill all that.” At which time the driver turned off the lights and began driving the speed limit. Inside I was screaming “What? No, we need to get there quickly.” But, I thought the EMT knew best since he was the medical professional. I was sitting next to Quinn’s car seat and keeping a close eye on him. I commented that he was bleeding through the towels and the EMT came over to take a look then sat back down. A few minutes later I repeated that he was losing more blood and was answered with, “Mmm.” I then questioned why Quinn was looking so pale and why his lips were turning blue. The EMT responded “There could be a lot of reasons for that.” Again I dumbly trusted the medical professional. I assumed we were safe because we were in the back of an ambulance. During the 45 minute drive to the ER (which could have been less than 20 minutes had the driver left the lights on and gone fast) I continued to comment on Quinn’s blood loss and color. The EMT only checked the monitor for oxygen levels. When we finally arrived at the next ER the paramedic on duty there took one look at Quinn and said “His color is awful. We need to get an IV in this baby right away.” They put in the IV and placed an oxygen mask on my baby’s face. I was terrified. My husband and I were both sobbing and stood there holding onto one another and asking God to “Please spare our son. “ I looked down to see his car seat full of blood. We felt completely helpless and so guilty that our baby had to endure this. The urologist that had performed the circumcision came in and placed four sutures in Quinn’s penis. He had cut the frenula artery when performing the original surgery. The bleeding finally stopped. The ER staff then drew some blood to run Quinn’s hemoglobin and hematocrit levels. They came back low but not low enough to warrant a blood transfusion so we were monitored for a couple of hours then sent home. We were told to have the blood work done again the next day. I did not want to cause Quinn extra stress so I asked my midwife to please come to the house to take his blood rather than driving him back to the lab. She agreed and said she would drive the blood right to the hospital for testing. When she arrived, she checked his heart rate and breathing and drew the blood. She left and on the way to the hospital she called Quinn’s pediatrician to discuss his condition. She then called me and informed me that they both agreed that due to his rapid heart rate and breathing as well as his listless state that I needed to call 911 right away and go back to the ER with Quinn. I did just that and this time had an amazing ambulance crew. My midwife was at the ER waiting for us with the lab results that Quinn’s hemoglobin and hematocrit had dropped dramatically since the night before. The ER wanted to run their own test so Quinn was poked again. The results came back the same. We were then sent by ambulance to a hospital with a pediatric unit.

    We were admitted to the hospital and spent 23 hours there being observed. His levels were checked at 5:00 am the next morning and were on the rise so he did not require a blood transfusion. We had to stay until 8:00pm that night because he was still very lethargic and nursing poorly. He lost 5 ounces and needed to show the doctors that he could eat well before we could go home. The next two weeks we had follow up appointments and more blood work to make sure Quinn’s hemoglobin and hematocrit
    continued to rise. He has to take iron supplements until his levels are normal again. All of this because we believed the LIE that circumcision is “just a simple procedure.” During the time our son was meant to learn that his world is a safe and loving place, he had to endure needless pain. Please consider what happened to Quinn before you decide to have your son circumcised. I believe Quinn is alive today because my midwife let his cord pulse. He had that extra blood in his little body and it acted as his safety net. Our family was blessed with another son 15 months after Quinn’s birth. Ezra remains intact as will any future sons.

  201. https://www.facebook.com/groups/1201294443325250/permalink/1206236276164400/

    Tasha N Raymond Crigger

    March 10 at 3:35pm..

    “This is the night our whole world SHATTERED Damon went in to shock after he got circumsized he was dying and we didn’t even no it, at this time we knew he was very sick but we still didnt no how sick we didn’t no he had a heart problem we were still at Richlands here they wanted to fly him out but a storm was coming so a team of doctors and nurses came from Johnson City in an ambulance the ambulances name was Angel they gave him a shirt that says I’m special because I took a ride on the ANGEL and they took him to Johnson City…And there is when he got diagnosed with Hypoplastic Left Heart Syndrome HLHS we were undiagnosed prenataley we didn’t no about his condition until a day in a half after he was born.”

  202. http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-4360420/Doctor-cut-four-year-old-s-PENIS-circumcision.html

    Doctor sliced off four-year-old boy’s PENIS while performing circumcision when the child turned to his father to pose for a photo as the incision was being made

    Algerian refugees in Geneva took their son to get circumcised in July 2014
    As the doctor was making his incision, the boy’s father started to take a photo
    His son turned toward him, moving his pelvis as the doctor made his incision
    The surgeon ended up severing the penis, causing it to fall to the floor
    His penis was re-attached hours later, but the boy is still affected, his mum says
    The doctor is facing a 240-day jail sentence and a 200-franc (£161.25) fine

    By Kelly Mclaughlin For Mailonline

    Published: 08:13 EDT, 29 March 2017 | Updated: 09:08 EDT, 29 March 2017

    A four-year-old boy had his penis sliced off during a circumcision operation when he turned towards his dad to have his photo taken at the exact moment the doctor was making his incision.

    The Swiss doctor who carried out the circumcision has been accused of causing serious bodily harm through negligence.

    The incident happened in July 2014, when Algerian refugees in Geneva, who have not been publicly named, brought their son to the surgery to be circumcised.

    In many religions, a circumcision ceremony is celebrated, which was the case with the young boy and his family, who are believed to be Muslim.

    As the doctor was making his incision, the boy’s father raised his hand to take a photo. His son turned toward him, moving his pelvis and causing the surgeon to slice off his penis, which fell to the floor.

    The doctor did not have the correct size catheter to reattach the penis, The Local reported.

    He told the family to remain in the waiting room has he tried to find one, according to the prosecution.

    The family stayed in the waiting room for four hours before being taken to Geneva University Hospital around midnight.

    The boy’s penis was finally re-attached, and three years after the procedure, he’s finally doing better.

    In the months after the surgery, the boy couldn’t urinate normally, with the spray splitting ‘into two or three’ streams, his mother said, according to Le Matin.

    She said that his penis is shape is ‘satisfactory’ but ‘a bit dented’, adding that he’s suffered loss of ‘substance’ in the glands.

    The boy has to wait until he’s 18, however, to see if any further procedures on his reattached penis will be necessary.

    Prosecutor Judith Lévy Owczarczak claims that the doctor wanted to cover up what he had done, and spent hours ‘running around Geneva trying to find a catheter’ instead of taking the boy to the hospital, according to Tribune de Geneve.

    Defence lawyer Charles Joye, however, said that the doctor told the father to immediately take his son to the hospital.

    Owczarczak also claimed that the doctor had not taken the proper steps to make sure the young boy wouldn’t move during the operation.

    Joye said the doctor wasn’t at fault and couldn’t be responsible for the ‘unforeseeable act’ of the father taking pictures during the operation.

    At the time of the operation, the doctor had performed 700 circumcisions, and since the incident, the number has increased to 2,500.

    Since the 2014 incident, the doctor has prohibited cameras from his operating room.

    The trial, in which Owczarczak seeks a guilty verdict and a sentence of 240 days in jail and a 200-franc (£161.25) fine, is ongoing.

  203. http://nypost.com/2017/04/02/bellevue-hospital-accused-of-botching-infants-circumcision/#.

    Bellevue Hospital accused of botching infant’s circumcision

    By Kathianne Boniello
    April 2, 2017 | 3:02am

    A botched circumcision at Bellevue Hospital filled a Manhattan infant’s first months with pain, a mom claims in court papers.

    An intern circumcised Karina Collado’s baby boy without asking a day after his February 2015 birth, she said in a Manhattan Supreme Court filing.

    In 10 visits over 18 months, Collado “was assured that her son’s penis was going though the normal healing process,” according to court documents.

    In January, Collado took her son to Mount Sinai Medical Center and learned he had a urinary tract infection that would require surgery.

    The boy’s “deformed” penis has two holes on either side of his urethra and “significant” foreskin still attached, the mom charges.

    “It’s a matter that’s under investigation,” said Collado’s lawyer, Eric Schwarz.

    The city declined to comment on the claim.

  204. http://health.costhelper.com/circumcision.html

    What I payed for circumcision
    Amount: $7,000.00
    Posted by: Lynn Leilani in Honolulu, HI. Posted: November 13th, 2012 01:11PM
    Practitioner: Various Age of Patient: Newborn to 16 months
    My second son’s circumcision cost far more than initial $259 the doc said it would. My son had the plastibell circumcision thing where the foreskin is supposed to fall off after a few days. They put the ring on incorrectly and it ended up degloving his shaft. So, here we are now and my son is 16 months old and he’s had to undergo skin grafts to replace the skin on his penis. Doctors do not expect him to have a normal sex life. He needs more surgery and counseling in the future. My husband had to quit his job to stay at home with our son after the surgeries. If the doctor had told us we’d be going through all this, we would have never had him circumcised. What even worse is that the lawyer I spoke to says we can’t sue the hospital or the doctor because my husband gave “informed consent” for the circumcision.

  205. http://www.mass.gov/eohhs/searchresults.html?output=xml_no_dtd&client=mg_eohhs&proxystylesheet=massgov&getfields=*&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&tlen=215&sitefolder=eohhs&filter=0&requiredfields=&startsite=EOHHSx&q=circumcision&site=EOHHSx&x=19&y=17

    June 2014 – Massachusetts

    UNEXPECTED INTRA-OP ARRHYTHMIA AND RESUSCITATION

    The Event

    A 6 month old male was scheduled for a circumcision in the OR under general anesthesia. The anesthesia attending was present for induction, assisted by an anesthesia resident. The patient was prepped and draped for a dorsal block right below the pubic bone above the base of the penis. Prior to injecting bupivacaine 0.25% as a penile block using 8 ml (1 ml/kg, the recommended dose), the urology attending drew back on the syringe to aspirate per protocol. There was no evidence of blood in the syringe and the medication was administered.
    Immediately after administration of the bupivacaine the anesthesiologist noted a wide complex ventricular arrhythmia with a BP drop to 60/40. Epi 5 mcg was given, IV fluids were increased and a code was called. FiO2 increased to 100% with manual ventilation and the anesthetic gas was turned off. The patient maintained femoral and brachial pulses. Intralipids were administered at 1.5 ml/kg over 1 minute. The patient’s hemodynamics remained stable. He was monitored overnight in the SICU as a precaution and discharged the following day.

    Internal Review Findings and Action Plan

    Review found that the patient received the appropriate dose for his age and weight. There was no error in technique during administration; the adverse reaction to bupivacaine is a known, rare complication of administering a penile block. The location of the block was in a vascular area. The urology attending is a senior faculty member who has performed this procedure numerous times. The complication was identified and addressed in a timely manner, per nationally accepted standard of care. The etiology of the cardiac arrhythmia was due to inadvertent intravascular administration or accelerated absorption in vascular tissue of 0.25% bupivacaine given as a local anesthetic.
    Review with the anesthesia and urology services showed that there was not a common approach employed for administering a penile block. It was typically administered by the surgeon, not anesthesia. The review identified several different ways of administering a penile block; including doing half the block at the start of the procedure and half at the end; another approach is giving a reduced total dose.

    The OR Governance Committee decided that a standardized approach was needed; they issued an alert to all surgeons, OR nurses, anesthesia staff, CRNAs and fellows immediately following this event. The alert (Bupivacaine Warning and Practice Change) specified the dosing practice, maximum volume bupivacaine for penile blocks (decreased from 1 cc/kg to 0.5 cc/kg), and changed from single dosing to two separate doses via the paramedian approach. Pharmacy developed an order set to support the practice change.

  206. https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10155889039090145&set=a.10150980410085145.767833.792525144&type=3

    Maureen Komlanc Ajamie

    July 12, 2015

    “I feel the need to defend our daughter Katherine. She is a … mother to two beautiful children Lahna age 20 months and Cameron age 4 months. I will say it was a routine circumcision that was performed on the baby at 3 weeks in a doctors office. There was bleeding that took the dr at least 2 hours to try to stop. He made the decision to send the baby home with Katherine while there was still bleeding, which the dr said there would be for awhile. She was given instructions and followed them at home. When the bleeding continued she rushed the baby to the hospital . . . It was only about 2 hours from the time she got home from the dr office to when she took him to the hospital.”

  207. https://www.facebook.com/CircumcisionMutilationWatch/

    Amanda Reusch
    April 30 at 8:58pm · Searsport, ME ·

    ” I wish I had been better informed before I got pregnant on the issue of circumcision. I wish I had did more research. I wish I had knew the risks and what I could be putting my baby through. I wish I wasn’t so selfish and made the decision to have him circumcised. I regret this decision every day of my life. When I first got pregnant and we found out we were expecting a boy, the circumcision topic came up. I was told “it’s what is right”, “it’s the best decision” “if you don’t, he’s going to get infections”, “girls will make fun of him” etc etc etc. I almost backed out in the hospital but was told by the nurse and Doctor on call who performed the procedure that “it was the right decision for my baby” they also told me “he wouldn’t even know what happened”. Lies. All straight up lies! My baby came back hoarse with no voice from crying so hard. In that instant, I knew I made a mistake. Because of my selfish decision, my poor baby had to go through so much unnecessary pain. Within hours of the procedure there were complications. The nurse said “it didn’t look complete” they took him back to “complete it” my heart broke all over again and I just cried and cried about what I had done. He continued to have problems with it even after we were released. It started to heal back over his urethra so he couldn’t fully urinate almost. We had to go in and have the doctor “fix it”. That required me going into a room that I will never, ever forget. There were beds that they actually fasten the babies down to in order to circumcise. There was blood on the floor and on the table beside where we were standing. I instantly felt sick. Once we left, I told my husband we were NEVER having another baby circumcised. My baby is now almost 4 months old and he may have hypospadias. It’s a hard thing to explain, but his urethra is on the underside of his penis. We were unaware. No pediatrician picked up on it, not even the OBGYN doing the circ ?. Boys with hypospadias are NOT supposed to be circumcised! The foreskin isn’t often used during the corrective surgery. We have to see a pediatric urologist to confirm, but it’s very highly likely. Nothing like this was ever mentioned to me by any doctor. Every single doctor I saw pushed circumcision. Now, it will be even tougher if my baby does need corrective surgery ?. The point of this is to possibly inform future mommas. I wish I had someone who told me the dangers. I wish I had someone make me stop and think, but all I ever heard was “it’s what you have to do”. I just don’t another momma to have to watch their baby go through what I have. My poor innocent baby didn’t deserve this pain that I caused. All we were ever told were the positive circumcision stories and it was “so rare” to have complications. Even after his pediatrician knew the complications he still told us “we made the right decision ?”. We absolutely did NOT make the right decision.
    I truly believe in when you know better, you do better.”

  208. http://www.sabc.co.za/news/a/22c287004101d69facfefc8dcf0b605f/Four-die-undergoing-initiation-ritual–20170503

    Four die undergoing initiation ritual

    Wednesday 3 May 2017 20:39

    Sipho Stuurman

    Thousands of boys in the Province are undergoing the Ndelebele Ingoma traditional circumcision ritual.

    Four initiates have died whilst undergoing the traditional rite of passage in Mpumalanga. Officials say parents of initiates are partly to blame for the deaths saying they are still stuck in old ways refusing pre-health screenings for the initiates.

    Thousands of boys in the Province are undergoing the Ndelebele Ingoma traditional circumcision ritual.

    Mpumalanga Health officials and traditional leaders are pleading with parents to accept modern medical assistance for initiates to avoid deaths.

    Four have already died in Mpumalanga and the latest one being Wednesday morning.

    The National House of Traditional Leaders, Inkosi Sipho Mahlangu says, “We are having problems with parents who are insists on doing things the old ways, refusing medical treatment for initiates…”

    Meanwhile, Mpumalanga House of Traditional Leaders, Kgosi Lameck Mokoena says, “Deaths through negligence will be taken seriously and acted upon.”

    Officials expect around 30 000 initiates for the Ndebele iNgoma ritual.

    However there are only 22 medical doctors on standby. Six initiates have been admitted in Kwa- Mhlanga hospital.

    Mpumalanga Health MEC Gillion Mashego says the tradition only allows doctors that have been through the ritual, which makes it difficult to get needed medical care.

    In the 2013 Ingoma season over 30 initiates died. Officials are aiming to reduce the figure this season.

  209. https://www.facebook.com/CircumcisionMutilationWatch/

    Robert Murdoch AP (Acupuncture Physician)

    May 2017

    “I am exasperated at the number of baby boys who are being brought to me for advice and assistance because they’ve had botched circumcisions. Good grief! Every week! Sometimes several each week.”

    https://www.facebook.com/robert.murdoch.980?hc_ref=PAGES_TIMELINE&fref=nf

    Natural Family Physicians
    Physician and President · 1986 to present · Cape Coral, Florida.

    Corporate Health
    Chief Consultant · Cape Coral, Florida

  210. https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.487363627949430.115346.166998263319303&type=3#!/SavingOurSons/photos/a.487363627949430.115346.166998263319303/1559665757385873/?type=3&theater

    May 16, 2017

    Ryan writes, “I was cut as an infant and was for circumcision, I had no idea. I was uneducated until our first son was born and we followed the tradition and got him cut. 10 years of pain, bleeding, infections, was a catalyst to do research.

    Everything I thought I knew was a lie! We have saved our two younger sons. They have never had an issue. I had no idea that my experience is so abnormal and what I thought was normal is not. I have had complications that I didn’t even know were complications. I am now an advocate for protecting children. This is an emotional subject for me. I want to eliminate this practice from the US culture. It needs to stop. No more boys getting hurt.

    Every time I know a boy is saved, I am filled to gratitude. I can’t be saved, my first son can’t be saved, but another boy is saved and the cycle is stopped. Thank you for protecting your sons and advocating for boys who can’t speak for themselves.

    Please keep advocating. Thank you for all of you who are advocates and deal with the ignorance (that used to be me) in order to save boys. Thank you. Thank you.”

    #i2 More #MenSpeak in these items all by/for men: SavingSons.org/2017/04/men-speak.html

  211. https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.487363627949430.115346.166998263319303&type=3#!/SavingOurSons/photos/a.487363627949430.115346.166998263319303/1132538456765274/?type=3&theater

    January 20, 2016

    “My husband fell victim to a badly done circumcision. He has problems with stimulation (over stimulation, and under stimulation) and his penis is too tightly stretched when it’s erect… His parents thought they had to circumcise. Now my husband has to live with their lack of knowledge. Please please share his story… He’s only 19. I shudder to think how bad it will be when he’s elderly! I cry for him sometimes. It has caused him so many problems. And I cry for everyone else who has to deal with it. If there was any way to reverse it, I would give anything…”

  212. https://www.courthousenews.com/doctors-trial-begins-allegedly-botched-circumcision/

    Doctor’s Trial Begins on Allegedly Botched Circumcision

    ERIK DE LA GARZA
    May 8, 2017

    EDINBURG, Texas (CN) – Jury trial was to begin Monday against a South Texas doctor accused of botching the circumcision of a 4-year-old boy whose parents say their son, now 10, may need still more reconstructive surgery.

    The DeLeon family’s November 2012 lawsuit against Dr. Jennifer J. Garza, of McAllen, claimed she over-cauterized the boy’s penis to stop it from bleeding after telling them that the circumcision was successful.

    The parents claim in Hidalgo County Court that their son’s urethra was damaged by the botched procedure, creating fistulas – holes in his penis – that required reconstructive surgery, which may be required again.

    They said in their lawsuit that the boy was in tremendous pain, refused to drink anything because he did not want to urinate, and pleaded with them “to just cut it off, and he can be a girl.”

    Garza has denied the allegations and defended her medical practice in a stream of court filings through more than four years of litigation. In a motion for summary judgment in March, Garza said there is no credible medical evidence that she breached the standard of care.

    On Thursday, Hidalgo County Judge Fred Garza allowed Garza’s medical practice to be dismissed from the case, but refused to dismiss claims against Garza.

    A Texas appeals court in December 2013 upheld the trial court’s refusal to dismiss the case on technical grounds. Garza had challenged the opinion of one of the Deleons’ experts.

    Court records show Garza settled at least two previous medical malpractice claims before they reached a jury.

    A 2010 lawsuit against Garza for complications during a gallbladder removal ended in a settlement two years later. A second 2010 lawsuit accused Garza of perforating a two-month-old child’s stomach wall with a tube.

    Trial in the Deleon’s case was to begin at 9 a.m. Monday at County Court at Law No. 4 in Edinburg.

  213. http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-4531286/Man-receive-successful-penis-transplant.html

    Man, 40, who lost his penis during a circumcision 17 years ago undergoes world’s third successful penis transplant – but there’s a ‘color discrepancy’ that surgeons will ‘fix with tattooing’

    A 40-year-old man had the world’s third successful penis transplant in April
    The patient, who is unnamed for ethical reasons, lost his member 17 years ago
    It was done by South African surgeons who did the first successful transplant
    The patient will regain urinary and reproductive functions within six months
    A color discrepancy will be fixed by medical tattooing within eight months

    By Cheyenne Roundtree For Dailymail.com

    Published: 13:27 EDT, 22 May 2017 | Updated: 18:03 EDT, 22 May 2017

    South African surgeons completed the world’s third successful penis transplant on a man who went without his member for 17 years.

    The 40-year-old patient, who is unnamed for ethical reasons, lost his penis due to complications from a traditional circumcision.

    Finally, on April 21 this year, his organ was restored.

    However, surgeons admit there is a color discrepancy between the organ and recipient – which will be fixed with medical tattooing later this year.

    The operation was performed by the same team of medical experts who performed their first successful penis transplant in December 2014.

    Now after a nearly 10-hour surgery at Tygerberg Hospital in Cape Town, the hospital is on the map again for being the first location to successfully do the procedure twice.

    Within six months of the transplant, the man is expected to regain all urinary and reproductive functions.

    Professor André van der Merwe, head of Stellenbosch University’s urology department led the lengthy operation and said the patient was doing well.

    He said: ‘He is certainly one of the happiest patients we have seen in our ward. He is doing remarkably well. There are no signs of rejection and all the reconnected structures seem to be healing well.’

    Van der Merwe and his team completed the first successful penis transplant on December 11, 2014, then the second was completed in Boston in May 2016.

    Professor van der Merwe had spent years experimenting on cadavers to see which nerves, blood vessels and other elements had to be joined to guarantee full function.

    The procedure was performed as part of a pilot study to develop a penile transplant procedure that could be performed in a typical South African hospital.

    The planning and preparation for the first study started back in 2010.

    After extensive research Professor van der Merwe and his surgical team decided to use techniques developed for the first facial transplant.

    ‘There are a number of men who would benefit from this operation but the issue is a lack of donors and also a lack of funding,’ he told MailOnline in March 2015, when the procedure was made public.

    A follow-up operation enabled the first patient to urinate normally, without the aid of a catheter, and the doctors said his overall confidence had risen considerably since the procedure.

  214. http://www.beyondthebris.com/2011/06/on-circumcision-authority-and.html

    Comment:

    UnknownJune 27, 2012 at 3:52 PM

    “One of my brothers was very sick after his bris. He had severe infection and started having grand mal fits which led to brain damage. Doctors say he may already have had some brain damage before the bris, but that the complications and fits afterwards definately led to severe damage.He has been dependent on others for all of his 49 years,and the effect of lack of support and money meant our family suffered even greater distress and poverty than we already had. The impact of this barbaric practice involves all the family. It should be made illegal and religions should not be allowed to force children and babies into membership. To have any dignity or integrity religion must be freely chosen out of love, not enforced by the knife and lies.”

  215. http://www.iol.co.za/news/south-africa/western-cape/botched-circumcision-i-dont-want-to-lose-my-penis-9741882

    Botched circumcision: ‘I don’t want to lose my penis’

    A circumcision, part of Sactwu Worker’s Health Programme, has left Wesley Herbert, 26, of Kreefgat fearful.

    “They explained the procedure and then I got injected. After the injection I could feel all the pain when they started cutting.

    “It was a bad pain, like a stab wound, and on May 30 is when my problems started.”

    “All of a sudden my penis started swelling. I couldn’t walk at all. I was crying because of the pain I was in. I went back and the doctors injected me again, removed the stitches and it was worse than the operation itself.

    “I had to go for dressing and when the bandages came off, the skin [of my penis] came off.

    “I looked and there was a hole in the back of my penis.

    “Dit het gelyk my penis wil af val, dit het so aan die een kant gehang (It looked like my penis was about to fall off, it was hanging to the one side). I don’t want to lose my penis,” Wesley says.

    He believes it is has gone septic and regrets ever going for the circumcision.

    “Ek is baie spyt(I really regret this). I am not going to just leave things like this. I can’t even walk properly anymore.

    “I could not go work for over two weeks. I want that clinic to close down.

    “I don’t want anyone else going there, I would advise people to not go at all. I was rushed to hospital because of my high blood pressure because ek worry oor wat kan gebeur met my(I worry about what could happen to me).”

    SWHP Project Director, Rudi de Koker, says they can’t comment on the matter but urged Wesley to contact the clinic.

    “SWHP is bound by client confidentiality and hence cannot discuss the specifics of any particular individual with anyone outside of our own programme,” said De Koker.

    “That said, we are not aware of any of our clients who are experiencing challenges such as those described. We would strongly encourage the individual to contact the facility where he underwent the procedure.

    “SWHP takes any adverse event very seriously and should the client identify themselves to our clinical staff as the complainant, we would immediately ensure that our medical adviser follows up on the case until the matter has been completely resolved.”

    The Western Cape Health did not respond to queries.

  216. https://www.lawyersandsettlements.com/articles/georgia-medical-malpractice/interview-georgia-medical-malpractice-lawsuit-22343.html

    Botched Circumcision Case in Discovery
    June 7, 2017, 08:00:00AM. By Brenda Craig
    Clayton County, GA

    The efforts of veteran attorney Jonathan Johnson are, at the moment, heavily focused on a medical malpractice case that will have long lasting consequences for a three-year-old boy who will be growing up with a mutilated penis after a circumcision went very wrong.

    Botched Circumcision Case in DiscoveryHis mother has already incurred thousands of dollars in medical bills and there will be many, many medical appointments for her son in the future.

    On October 21, 2013, baby DeJuan Williams’ mother brought him to a medical clinic in Clayton County, Georgia where he was scheduled to be circumcised by a nurse midwife.

    “The child went in for a circumcision with a nurse midwife in Clinton County when he was three weeks old,” says attorney Jonathan Johnson from the Jonathan Johnson Attorneys at Law in Atlanta, Georgia. “The nurse midwife accidentally severed a portion of his penis. It is the end of the penis called the glans.”

    Glans is Latin for the word acorn and refers to the shape of the hyper sensitive tip of the male penis.

    According to the statement of claim, the midwife nurse at the Life Cycle OB/GYN clinic laid baby Williams on his back on a table, draped and prepped his genital area. She then used a medical device called a Mogen Clamp to do the procedure.

    In the process, the complaint says, the midwife “amputated the glans of DeJuan Williams’ penis by placing and using the Mogen Clamp in an attempt to perform a circumcision on the infant.”

    A doctor at the clinic and another nurse midwife were called in and observed the injury. According to court documents they permitted Stacie Willis and her baby to leave the clinic without sending the baby for an immediate consultation with a pediatric urologist along with the severed portion of the penis.

    When the lacerated area continued to bleed later that day Stacie Willis took her baby to a hospital emergency room.

    “The mother was not told what occurred,” says Johnson. “When she took him to the emergency room they could not visualize the injury. It was actually sometime later when she found out how serious the injury was,” says Johnson.

    “The weird thing about the case is that the doctors that cut off the tissue put it a saline solution and put it in the freezer. They never advised the mother or anyone else that they had this tissue available. It possibly could have been re-attached to the child if it had been done properly,” says Johnson.

    “The mother never knew they had it,” says Johnson. “We later found out they had it in their refrigerator for several months.”

    The case is now in the important examination for discovery phase and will be followed by the certification of expert witnesses.

    The named defendants include the nurse midwife, several doctors and the medical clinic. The suit also names Teleflex, the manufacturers and sellers of the Mogen Clamp. According to the statement of claim Teleflex hade “a duty to recall the Mogen Clamp because they knew, or reasonably should have known, that it was a defective and unreasonably dangerous medical device not suitable for the intended purpose and use, with the propensity to cause severe and permanent mutilating injury to infants, including amputation of their penis glans.”

    It is unlikely that DeJuan Williams will have a normal function of penis now or at any time in the future.

    The suit claims Teleflex was reckless and failed to warn that its Mogen Clamp could cause serious debilitating injury. The suit demands in punitive damages $100 million from Teleflex.

    “It really cannot be corrected,” says Johnson. “There is no way to correct it at this this point.”

  217. https://www.facebook.com/BloodstainedMenTheirFriends/

    Brother K with Carole Anne Babyak and Cassie Waldeck.
    Yesterday at 9:20am · (June 13, 2017)

    *** CIRCUMCISION DEATH IN 2016 *** “I didn’t circumcise my son because 48 hrs before he was born, a friend of mine had her little boy. She got him circumcised and within 12 hours after the procedure he bled to death. Apparently they cut it wrong. She had her baby in _________, and that’s what was written on his death certificate as cause of death. After the procedure she changed a few of his diapers, and there was blood each time, and every time there was more blood but the pediatrician kept telling her it was normal but it wasn’t.

    “So I already knew before my boy was born. It scared me from getting him done. There was a funeral and everything. She showed me everything. She didn’t want it in the news. She said it was too much for her. She sued the hospital and the pediatrician. Her family and herself went to court later that year and won the case and received a huge amount for the death of her son. I don’t know if you’d find an article on it because she never said it was put publicly for the world to know.” ~A mom in Middle America

  218. https://www.facebook.com/BloodstainedMenTheirFriends/#!/photo.php?fbid=708096099387928&set=a.110816175782593.1073741828.100005626333751&type=3&theater

    TRAGEDY IN AMERICA, A BABY BORN May 23rd, 2017, FIGHTING FOR HIS LIFE: “A beautiful boy, with a head full of gorgeous hair: Two weeks after his birth, during circumcision, strep passed the blood barrier and he became septic. He now has sepsis, pneumonia, and bacterial meningitis, with seizures. Neurology has put him on antiseizure meds. A feeding tube into his belly and breathing assistance from a ventilator.” ~Mom’s statements, current as of today, Tuesday, June 13, 2017

  219. http://www.news24.com/SouthAfrica/News/initiate-dies-at-illegal-school-20170701

    Initiate dies at illegal school
    2017-07-02 06:00
    Lubabalo Ngcukana

    The family of a young initiate, who died a few days after being circumcised, has been left reeling after he ran away from home to an illegal initiation school.

    Nikelo Suduka (17), the youngest of seven children at his home in Ngojini village in Ngqeleni, died in the early hours of Thursday morning.

    His elder brother, Mvuselelo Suduka (43), said the Grade 9 pupil told nobody he was going to undergo traditional initiation, and died a week after he left home.

    Nikelo was one of nine initiates who ran away when the illegal initiation school was visited by the Nyandeni Initiation Forum monitoring team, which includes traditional leaders, professional nurses and police.

    His uncle, Sebenzile Qhali (63) said the initiation school, situated in the village and a stone’s throw from Nikelo’s home, was illegal. They also did not know the traditional surgeon (ingcibi) who circumcised Nikelo and the other boys.

    “The boy’s mother is particularly distraught. She does not speak to anyone. She has been crying since she heard the news. This was the last born of seven children. He was her pride and joy,” Qhali said.

    Mvuselelo said they had learnt his brother was sick at the initiation school and fetched him on Wednesday night with plans to organise transport to take him to hospital the following morning. But it was too late.

    Check out the City Press Initiation Watch app here

    “He died in my arms. My younger brother died while I was pleading with him, asking him to be strong and not die. I can’t say what was exactly wrong with him because I am not a doctor. All I know is that he was confused and saying things that were not sane.

    “He was weak and did not have energy. When we gave him food he did not want to eat. I am shocked and traumatised by the way in which he died. I cannot say what his last words were because he was hallucinating.”

    Qhali said the illegal initiation school was closed the same day his nephew died and the remaining initiates were rescued and taken to hospital. And although

    it was not the first time boys had gone to an initiation school without informing their parents, it was the first time someone from their village had died doing so.

    “We hope that his death will be a lesson to other boys,” he said. “We are also urging the police to search and find the person responsible for circumcising these boys illegally because they are tainting the image of this cultural practice.”

    The death toll from the winter initiation season now stands at six, said provincial cooperative governance and traditional affairs spokesperson Mamnkeli Ngam. Five died in the OR Tambo district and another in Dimbaza, which falls under Buffalo City.

    Last Sunday morning, two initiates burnt to death when an initiation school caught fire. Two more boys from that school died in hospital this week. Provincial health spokesperson Sizwe Kupelo said

    • (cont.)

      Provincial health spokesperson Sizwe Kupelo said more than 20 others were being treated for serious burn wounds in hospitals in Qumbu and Mthatha.

  220. http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2017-07/08/c_136428536.htm

    Botched circumcision claims 11 lives in S. Africa

    Source: Xinhua 2017-07-08 22:02:10 Editor: Zhang Dongmiao

    CAPE TOWN, July 8 (Xinhua) — Eleven teenagers have died of botched circumcision within two weeks during the winter initiation season in South Africa, authorities said on Saturday.

    All the deaths were reported in Eastern Cape Province, a hotbed of circumcision-related deaths, according to the Provincial Department of Traditional Affairs.

    The death toll of initiates in a short period “is alarming”, said Fikile Xasa from the department.

    The deaths occurred despite the “Zero Deaths” campaign launched by the government. Government-dispatched teams currently are monitoring the situation across the country during the initiation season.

    Meanwhile, more than 22 boys have been rescued from illegal initiation schools in the province, according to the Community Development Foundation of South Africa (CDFSA), which deals with the safety of initiates.

    In a related development, six other initiates died in the province when their initiation school caught fire, the department said.

    A funeral was held on Saturday for the six initiates.

    Circumcision is viewed a sacred practice in African cultures, marking a male’s transition from child to adulthood. According to the tradition, young males have to be circumcised as the passage to manhood.

    Last year, more than 70 boys died at initiation schools and scores of others were hospitalized in the Eastern Cape alone, according to the CDFSA.

    In the last 10 years there has been an estimated 1,000 penile amputations.

  221. If this family had decided to not circumcise their only son, he might be alive today.

    http://www.thedailystar.net/country/festivity-turns-tragedy-magura-bangladesh-boy-electrocuted-his-circumcision-1430155

    07:25 PM, July 08, 2017 / LAST MODIFIED: 09:12 PM, July 08, 2017

    Festivity Turns Into Tragedy

    Magura Boy electrocuted on his circumcision

    Festivity was on the air centring circumcision of 11-year-old boy Faruk Hossain. All arrangements were ready to make the day eventful. But the occasion eventually turned into mourning after he met a tragic end of life.

    Faruk, son of Malaysia expatriate Akhter Mollah of Shalikha upazila of Magura, was electrocuted while he was trying to fix the plug of a sound box around 11:00am just before his circumcision, family members said.

    He succumbed to his injuries on the way to a local hospital, Dr Subash Chandra Biswas of Arpara Union Health Complex, told our Magura correspondent.

    The class V student of Dighi Government Primary School was the only son of the family.

  222. https://www.facebook.com/BloodstainedMenTheirFriends/#!/BloodstainedMenTheirFriends/photos/a.172218806251476.42377.172212266252130/1005652532908095/?type=3&theater

    Jul 10 at 2:06 am

    “I’m beyond pissed right now. I had my son circumcised on the 26th of last month with the plastibell method. While I was changing his diaper tonight I noticed his penis did not look right so I further examined it. And notice he skin was attached to his head and his scar was to low. So I started looking things up to try and figure out what’s wrong. Well for one the dr took way to much skin off and two he developed Adhesions from the dr using a bell that was to small. Both of these are going to cause my son so much pain when he gets older every time he gets a erection. I will post pictures in the comment section they are not of my son but pictures of what it looks like. I honestly don’t know what to do right now I’m heart broken for my baby and I fell like a horrible mother for allowing this to happen.”

  223. http://gulfnews.com/news/uae/courts/botched-circumcision-two-doctors-charged-for-uae-baby-s-death-1.2064609

    Botched circumcision: Two doctors charged for UAE baby’s death

    The incident occurred in July 2016 at a government hospital in Khorfakkan

    Published: 15:58 July 26, 2017
    Mariam M. Al Serkal, Senior Web Reporter

    Dubai: Two doctors have been charged for causing the death of a one-month old baby after a simple surgery went horribly wrong.

    The incident occurred in July 2016 at a government hospital in Khorfakkan, according to local Arabic media.

    H,S, an Emirati 23-year-old, took his son to hospital for the circumcision and waited for nearly two hours before the operation finished. The son was covered in blood and was immediately admitted to the intensive care unit, where he died.

    The Higher Committee of Medical Liability at the Ministry of Health presented their report to the appeals court Appeal in Khorfakkan on Tuesday, proving that there was a medical error during the operation, in addition to negligence.

    The ministry’s report identified that 70 per cent of the responsibility was on the first doctor who carried out the procedure, while 30 per cent of the responsibility was laid on the second doctor who failed to provide the necessary care following the operation.

    According to the Arabic daily Al Ittihad, the Khorfakkan criminal court had sentenced the two defendants to a Dh20,000 fine each and Dh200,000 in blood money.

    The case has been adjourned to August 8, 2017, where the defence will present their case.

  224. Prayer Request sharing from Facebook for a fellow hypnotist

    Posted by Seth-Deborah Roth on March 8, 2013 at 8:46 am in The Forum

    “I know this might be a little unusual but I thought I would take the risk and post this on the forum as most hypnosis people read this section.

    PLEASE SHARE PRAYER REQUEST!!! Darin Frazaier is a good friend, & fellow hypnotist. His grandson is in a coma state after complications of a circumcision. Liver & Kidneys failing, swelling on the Brain. He remains in ICU at UCal Davis Med Center. It was discovered he is haemophiliac after the procedure. Clotting agents & other drugs aren’t doing it for him. He needs the prayers for healing & family prayers of loving kind support. Thank you all.”

    Reply by Seth-Deborah Roth 7 hours ago

    “I am saddened to say that Brayden passed tonight and became an angel. Thank you all for your prayers.”

  225. http://starrfmonline.com/2017/07/30/er-boy-loses-penis-in-botched-circumcision/

    Ghana – Baby loses penis in botched circumcision

    BY Starrfmonline
    July 30, 2017

    A two-month-old baby boy has lost his penis in a botched circumcision exercise at Akauapim Mamfe in the Eastern region.

    The circumcision was allegedly carried out by retired midwife.

    The midwife, during excision of the foreskin of the penis, accidentally cut off the entire piece.

    The baby boy, according to a family source, bled profusely and nearly ended in a hypovolemic shock.

    The midwife, in an attempt to salvage the situation, allegedly attempted to stitch the botched penis but failed.

    A herbal concoction was administered to the baby but failed to improve the situation.

    It is unclear if the retired midwife is licensed to carry out circumcision and whether or not her facility is accredited.

    The Tetteh Quarshie Memorial Hospital reportedly attempted to amputate the penis but the family did not consent.

    The baby is currently on admission at the hospital and expected to undergo a reconstructive surgery to correct the defect.

    Starr News’ Eastern Regional Correspondent Kojo Ansah reports that the family is currently struggling to pay for some of the prescribed drugs to be administered before the surgery is performed.

    Sources say the Eastern Regional Hospital has recorded worrying trend of botched circumcisions in the last few months.

  226. https://www.facebook.com/permalink.php?story_fbid=473606843006968&id=100010729694063

    August 21, 2017 Seth Edward

    “A baby (Derek) I found recently during my circumcision searches is being taken off of life support today. I’ve been watching the mother’s profile hoping he’d pull through… But sadly, that’s not the case.

    Circumcision was thrown in with a lot of other surgeries that I would question the necessity of.. the g tube was probably the only necessary surgery. Everything else just adds more trauma to the body.. But it adds more money to the bottom line.”

    What Derek’s mother wrote:

    “Well yesterday seemed to have gone well for Derek and his surgeries. He had his tonsils removed, adnoids (adenoids) removed, tongue clipped, gtube put in and his circumcision done. When I left his side last night the Resident Dr said he was doing well and would be receiving a small feed through his gtube. Last night we received the most dreading call ever, that Derek stopped breathing! He ended up asperating (aspirating) on his feed and went into cardiac arrest. The got his heart beating again and have him on a ventilator. He seems to be having seizures also.”

    August 17

    “Derek is still in critical condition but stable . . . We told Derek that he needs to keep fighting and next Thursday when he turns 1 we will have a big celebration.”

    “Today is the hardest day of our lives as we will be saying our goodbyes to Derek …”

  227. https://www.facebook.com/BloodstainedMenTheirFriends/photos/a.172218806251476.42377.172212266252130/1034802736659741/?type=3&theater

    Another healthy innocent baby has been killed by a “Doctor” who took an oath to “FIRST DO NO HARM”

    He bled to death after a COSMETIC SURGERY.

    https://www.youcaring.com/haileestiles-916715

    Help cover funeral costs for baby Zackery Tray Rollins III
    For: Hailee Stiles
    Orange, TX
    Organizer: Katelyn Helms

    • http://joseph4gi.blogspot.com/2017/08/another-circumcision-death-wound-would.html

      Monday, August 28, 2017

      Another Circumcision Death – Wound Would Not Stop Bleeding

      “”The unexpected has happened!!!

      A baby has died. I don’t know how to take this.
      His circumcision wouldn’t stop bleeding. They went to the Beaumont ER they gave him meds and then sent home. THAT’S IT!!! Nothing else.

      No parent should experience this pain ( and a hurricane/tropical storm). And I know that no one plans for a funeral when they have a new born.
      I’m going to help financially with the services the best I can. The only way I know how to help lift some of the burden off of them.

      Will you please pray for the family? This is a difficult time.

      If you’d like to help with the financial burden please go here.”

      “Baby Zackery was born August 17th, 2017. He passed away August 28 from what is thought to be due to complications with his circumcision but we will not know more until later. Our family needs help with funeral costs to put this sweet baby boy to rest as his parents don’t possess the proper funds and we would like to help take this burden from them so they don’t have to worry about how to afford a funeral as they are dealing with the loss of their precious baby boy. Any and all donations will be greatly appreciated and God bless everyone for their help.”

  228. https://www.iol.co.za/news/south-africa/gauteng/doctor-rejects-claims-of-botched-circumcision-11066729

    Doctor rejects claims of botched circumcision

    Gauteng / 4 September 2017, 7:41pm / Rudzani Matshili and Lorna Mabuse

    Pretoria – The medical doctor who performed an alleged botched circumcision on 10-year-old boy from Marokolong in Hammanskraal has denied any wrongdoing.
    Dr Thabo Lerumo vehemently denied the claims by the boy’s parents and said he would never do anything to jeopardise his career.

    Parents of children who took longer that the usual seven days to heal should shoulder the blame, he said. “It means the children’s wounds are not being washed properly. I’ve done more than 4000 people since the beginning of this year alone and have a huge reputation to protect. I would never do anything that puts my job on the line,” he said.

    The parents told the Pretoria News the boy started having problems urinating after undergoing the medical circumcision at Lerumo’s practice and were blaming him for the boy’s woes.

    The couple, who cannot be named to protect the child, said their son underwent circumcision in the July school holidays. But he has not healed and has been in and out of hospital since then.

    According to the parents, Lerumo allegedly enlisted the services of other people who were not qualified for the job.

    They claim there were other people doing the procedure, including women.

    The doctor denied this, saying he alone circumcised the boys, and the nurses merely helped him to bandage them.

    The parents claim that Lerumo subsequently went to check on the boy’s progress after two weeks and assured them all was well.

    Two days after he gave them the medication, the boy developed a hole near his testicles, from where he now urinated, the parents said.

    They said they then took him to hospital, where he was admitted and discharged after a week.

    He had been referred to another hospital, and doctors there will only see him on November 2.

    Pretoria News

  229. https://www.facebook.com/BloodstainedMenTheirFriends/

    September 2017

    They were warned. No one thinks it will happen to their son until it happens to their son.
    Brother K is with Carole Anne Babyak.
    18 hrs ·

    *** BABY’S PENIS WON’T STOP BLEEDING *** “My nephew was born two weeks ago and as hard as I tried to save him, his parents opted to circumcise. My nephew was circumcised September 9 and has now been in hospital for two days. Due to the difficulties in treating, he was transferred to Children’s late last night as the doctors have been having trouble getting the bleeding from his penis to stop. They have cauterized twice but for an unknown reason, the bleeding starts again. His parents have been on the phone with me almost nonstop with questions and a deep regret. I’m seriously hoping that they are able to completely stop the bleeding so they can bring my nephew home. I say this as a regret mom myself: Let this serve as a lesson that these cases are not rare. This happens often and in his mother’s words, “You were right. It was not worth the risk”.

  230. http://minnesota.cbslocal.com/2017/09/14/genital-mutilation-charge-minnesota/

    2 Minnesota Moms Charged In Genital Mutilation Case
    September 14, 2017 4:37 PM

    DETROIT (AP) — Two Minnesota mothers have been charged in an investigation of genital mutilation in a Muslim sect, months after bringing their daughters to a Detroit-area clinic.

    A new indictment was unsealed Thursday in Detroit federal court, raising the number of defendants to eight. The eight include Dr. Jumana Nagarwala, who is accused of performing the procedure.
    jumana nagarwala 2 Minnesota Moms Charged In Genital Mutilation Case

    The Associated Press isn’t naming the Minnesota moms to protect their daughters’ identities. The moms are charged with conspiracy and genital mutilation.

    Nagarwala denies any crime and says she performed a religious custom on girls from her Muslim sect, the Dawoodi Bohra. She’s been in jail without bail since her arrest in April.

    The indictment says Nagarwala performed genital mutilation on six girls, but prosecutors say the number could be much higher.

  231. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XUcTWHNAcVI

    Pediatrician – Frank Discussion on Circumcision

    Published on Nov 16, 2016

    Pediatrician Frank Schreck (Orchard Park, New York) has seen many boys with botched circumcisions. He counsels parents to protect children from harmful practices.

    Interview recorded at the American Academy of Pediatrics Annual Convention, Moscone Center, San Francisco, October 24, 2016.

    http://www.orchardparkpediatrics.com/physicians.html

    “An obstetrician does it, and they look and never see this kid’s penis again. And I’ve gotta tell you. I’ve seen some mutilated, some really mutilated kids. In fact, one doctor at the hospital I practice is this old, Polish woman who is an obstetrician. And I said, “Enough is enough.” I went to the hospital administration. I said, “She’s butchering these boys. You need to stop this.” And I was ostracized. You cannot go against the doctors. . . . This was about thirty years ago. No doctor ever did that then. I just, I was really ostracized. And people said, “Didn’t they call me a traitor …?” And I said, “Why?”

    “Just like everything, there’s good doctors and there’s shitty doctors. There’s doctors that shouldn’t be touching people. “

    Man Schreck is talking to: “There really is no right circumcision.”

    Dr. Frank Schreck: “Well no, I understand. I understand that. I’m not saying it should be done. But you sure as hell shouldn’t be having obstetricians do it. Go line them up – one, two, three. Boom, boom, boom. If you see them shortly after birth, and there’s a chunk of foreskin off on this side, and there’s nothing on, it’s just totally asymmetric. I’ve seen kids with the glans penis, part of it chopped off. I mean it’s just bad things. I saw one kid with a urethra laceration.”
    Interviewer: “How do you feel when you see that?”
    Schreck: “I’m nauseated. I mean there’s studies that have come out in the past that suggested that circumcision was the right thing to do medically, and there’s certainly been a ton of studies that have refuted that. And, as a pediatrician, I mean I’m here to protect kids. That’s my livelihood. And to protect them from everything. Circumcision is one of the numerous things we try to protect them against. … And my opinion is it’s unnecessary. There’s no, as we stand here today, there’s no good medical data that suggests that it has to be done. My recommendation is that you don’t need to do it.. . . And we don’t do ‘em.”

  232. https://www.facebook.com/james.loewen.75/posts/10154794669041937

    James Loewen
    September 13 at 8:43am ·

    The barbaric atrocity, genital mutilation of children doesn’t let up.

    This morning I woke to a message from a friend (Nathaniel Christopher) alerting me to a public blog post from January 2016, of Jordan, a young mother in Alaska describing the “circumcision” of her first born gone wrong. She describes the “procedure” in gut wrenching detail:

    “We went into the little room they have for small procedures. They prepped him and strapped his little legs down… Wrapped him to a board. I think it was hard to watch in the first place but I was also exhausted(as I’m sure Koda was too) so it was just really hard to watch. She gave him sugar water in a nipple and gave him the novicaine. He cried a little but settled. She started the procedure and once she got the first cut she said he was having swelling because of all the fluid from his hydro seal and also he has an extra layer of super tight skin around his penis. She worked on it for close to an hour….. There was so much blood and Koda screamed through the whole thing. She couldn’t get the plastic ring to stay because of the extra layer of skin. I was crying and holding his sweet head and whispering to him to try and calm him. She finally told us she couldn’t finish the procedure because she could make the cuts because of the extra skin and the swelling.

    “I lost it a little bit. I just wanted one thing to go ok. I don’t want anything else abnormal or hard for this sweet boy right now. Skye (husband) asked if I wanted to step outside and I finally did. As I did she asked him if he would like her to try one more time. I went to the room and said a prayer for him. I sat there and listened to him scream— and it just made my whole body ache.

    “Skye came in after a bit to get his bottle and said they were “done”. I went back down and she had been able to finally get it. It was so bloody and brown because she had to use some silver something to help the bleeding. She put gauze and jelly on it and we left. We were only home for a little bit when I got him out to feed and change him. When I opened his diaper the gauze was soaked with blood. I called the doctor and she said to come back in. When we got back she held it tight for 5 minutes to try and drain more blood that had pooled and then tied another string which will fall of with the other string and plastic ring.

    “It was too much. She gave him some baby Tylenol and then we gave him some more tonight. He seems super tender(she said he shouldn’t be but seriously he just got mauled for half the day how could he not?). I cancelled the pictures we had setup to be taken tomorrow…. I don’t want him to be poked or in pain anymore right now. He just needs to be snuggled and sleep.”

    A few days later she posted some photos of baby Koda’s first bath. The pictures provide further evidence of the harm.

    The parents seem oblivious to how completely unnecessary this whole ordeal was. Like most everything else this woman posts about its “all part of God’s plan.”

    #AAP17 #AAPExperience #ChildAbuse #GentialMutilation #MedicalFraud #CircumicsionHarm

  233. https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=867625580061264&set=a.105147402975756.9541.100004414898074&type=3&theater

    “We both bawled our eyes out. . my mom did too! It’s just been a super long day. . we had to travel from Greensboro to Salisbury.. got half way there and realized we forgot the money for the circumcision .. had to turn around etc THEN he got it done .. got home an hour later and had a pamper F.U.L.L. OF BLOOD! Dr said it’s not normal . . so we had to rush him to Charlotte to the Dr… And he had to NUMB him again .. Take the “ring” off his penis. .Burn his busted vein closed to stop bleeding . . and see it up. . and I’m exhausted..”

  234. https://www.groundup.org.za/article/arrests-after-botched-circumcision-initiation-school/

    Arrests after botched circumcision

    “I could not believe what I saw. I thought my son was dead.”

    By Yamkela Ntshongwana

    29 September 2017

    Abulele Zengazi of Qumbu village near Mthatha says that he went to initiation school looking forward to becoming a man. Days later, he woke up in hospital.

    Zengazi says, “When I woke up in hospital my manhood was damaged.” Doctors told him half his penis “fell down”.

    Since returning home, the 21-year-old has been struggling to go out and meet his friends. He is afraid of seeing the man he blames for the botched circumcision. He has lost his girlfriend. He often locks himself in his bedroom. He suffers from nightmares.

    On 23 June, Zengazi and his younger brother, Sikhonzile, aged 19, went to an initiation school in Bhukweni village.

    He says one night the initiation nurse, NS (GroundUp cannot name him because he has not yet pleaded), arrived at the school with his friends. Zengazi believes they had been out drinking. NS instructed the initiates to keep their legs apart while they slept; this is after the circumcision. Zengazi says his legs closed when he fell asleep. He was awoken by the nurse with a hard slap.

    NS and his friends then beat him, he says. “I kept on begging for mercy but they did not care … I cried out but no one could hear me because they started singing while they continued beating me with a stick,” Zengazi tells GroundUp through tears.

    Zengazi says that NS along with one of NS’s friends tied each of his legs with rope to a pillar inside the initiation school. All this time they swore at him and called him names. He passed out. The next thing he knew he was in hospital.

    Zengazi’s father, Vulamasango, says that on the night of the incident he received a phone call at 3am from a man who lives near the initiation school. The man told him that he heard noises coming from the school and he had better get there immediately.

    “When I got there I could not believe what I saw. I thought my son was dead. He was lying there covered in blood and poo,” says Vulamasango.

    “I felt so helpless seeing my son in that state. As I was getting closer to him I saw he was still breathing. I untied him and took them both [the younger son too] home,” he says. NS and his friends had already left.

    “I first washed him. He was smelling terrible and in pain. I then called an ambulance. They were both taken to Sulenkama Hospital in Qumbu,” Vulamasango says.

    Zengazi spent nearly two months in hospital.

    The family opened a case of assault at Tina Falls police station, Qumbu.

    Vulamsango says he went and found NS and handed him over to the police, who later let him go.

    The investigating officer, who only identified himself as officer Kanjana, confirmed that NS was handed over to police by Vulamasango. He said NS appeared in Qumbu Magistrate Court on charges of assault and was given bail. NS was later rearrested and is still in the holding cells awaiting his next court date which is set for 4 October. Two further arrests were made in connection with the assault on Zengazi.

  235. https://www.facebook.com/BloodstainedMenTheirFriends/#!/photo.php?fbid=764415940422610&set=a.110816175782593.1073741828.100005626333751&type=3&theater

    September 30, 2017
    Carole Anne Babyak

    DOCTOR DEGLOVED BABY’S PENIS “This was posted anonymously in a support group I am in. This is why I speak out again RIC. This mother reports that all of the skin on her son’s penis was removed during circumcision and she wants to know how to prevent this from happening to other babies. They fear “life long consequences”. Leave your sons how they are born.

  236. https://www.facebook.com/TheVillageMidwifeLLC/?hc_ref=ARRs8d0oPzbWniUOPuMPRFCirquqtnpPFNJ74Q9OfH0JRaWfJULTYex3xpGihPwt4yQ&fref=nf

    Pregnancy Care Center in Newport News, Virginia

    The Village Midwife, LLC
    October 1, 2017 at 7:01pm · Hampton, VA · ..

    “Prayers please for a 9 day old baby who hemorrhaged three times yesterday from his circumcision surgery.
    He is doing better today but the full extent of damage is not known yet.
    Also pray for his parents who are hurting.
    Please remember this surgery may seem so simple because it’s done all the time…but it isn’t. It is dangerous and unnecessary.”

  237. https://www.facebook.com/yourwholebaby/

    Your Whole Baby

    September 29, 2017 at 5:52pm · ..

    A member of our community shared this powerful and horrible story to warn parents about what can happen during a circumcision. Some circumcisions go far above and beyond the standard level of harm and loss.

    “My ex is the first man I ever came across whose routine infant circumcision went horribly wrong. He was circ’d as a 3 day old infant, and the doctors were confident he would have no issues with it. Well, as they strapped him down, they noticed that his foreskin was a little smaller then normal, but they continued. During the procedure, he screamed and jerked his hip, and the doctor sliced half of his penis head off. And he still continued to finish the procedure. So my ex as a newborn almost passed away right there. He had TEN reconstructive surgeries, and was still left with a mutilated penis. He was so embarrassed when we first got together, and has only dated me and his now wife. All this suffering from something that could have been prevented.”

  238. https://www.facebook.com/BloodstainedMenTheirFriends/photos/a.172218806251476.42377.172212266252130/1057418141064867/?type=3&theater

    “A week ago we took my 2 week old baby boy for circumcision to the redwood clinic and it didn’t go well. My husband went inside with the doc and couldn’t stay longer there came out mad as hell. Said the doc had nurses with her that couldn’t open a package and were acting weird seemed like they were interns or something and the doctor got mad at the baby because he was crying. Anyways he comes out and says babe I think she messed up our little guys pepee. It’s brutal. 45 min later she being (bring) my baby out he is so light and doesn’t even have energy of crying anymore and says he is fine everything is fine, I tried one method it didn’t work and then tried another method. . .

    She said it’s fine but he started bleeding. So me panicking and her saying it’s ok I will fix it taking him back to the room and trying to stop the bleeding. He cries so hard … Anyways she put something around it and says don’t take it off for a few days and then come back but that thing fell off right away and it started bleeding again, we end up going to the emergency. It’s been a week now and his peepee is sad to look at, still is a mess. We have another surgery in 2 months with urologist.”

  239. https://thevoicebw.com/man-hangs-alleged-botched-circumcision/

    Man hangs himself after alleged botched circumcision

    By Onneile Setlalekgosi

    October 10, 2017

    The body of a 27-year-old man from Ndundu ward in Shakawe was found hanging from a tree on Wednesday morning.

    The man is rumoured to have committed suicide after a botched circumcision maimed his penis.

    According to Station Commander for Shakawe police, Superintendent Goitsemodimo Molapise, the deceased’s body was discovered by his relatives.

    It seems his family grew worried when he failed to return home the previous evening.

    Sadly, they were right to be worried as a short search for their son ended with the discovery of his lifeless body hanging from a tree.

    “We were reported of the suicide incident by the family members. They told us that the deceased left home the previous day, claiming to be visiting other relatives,” Molaipise told The Voice.

    Questioned about the ‘botched circumcision’ allegations, the superintendent revealed that investigations into what could have caused the suicide were still ongoing.

    However, he did note that the dead man’s family made no mention of a failed operation.

    “It is evident that the deceased committed suicide, we do not suspect any foul play,” concluded Molapise.

  240. The Express Tribune > Pakistan > Punjab

    Botched circumcision sparks protests in Multan

    By Our Correspondent
    Published: November 1, 2017

    MULTAN:

    Family of a one-and-a-half month-old baby boy protested against a private hospital where a dispenser cut off the child’s genitals during a botched circumcision.

    The protest was staged on Masoom Shah Road and demonstrators broke the windowpanes and doors of the medical facility.

    Ghulam Farid, the father of the child, said he took his son to the hospital for a circumcision. Once there, the inexperienced and ignorant staff made a mess of the procedure and cut off the child’s genitals.

    “They did not tell us that the doctor was not on duty. The medics took the child and [literally] performed an experiment,” he said angrily. “My son was only one month old when I brought him to the hospital 15 days ago,” the father continued. “With every passing day, his condition is deteriorating but the doctors kept telling lies and saying he will be alright.”

    Meanwhile, police reached the spot and arrested three nurses and a ward boy who were present on duty. Multan Deputy Commissioner Nadir Chatta also took note of the issue and ordered the health chief executive officer to investigate the matter.

    The health department formed a team comprising Shershah Town Drug Controller Asad Ibrar, Shahrukn-e-Alam Town Drug Inspector Usman Ghanni and Shujabad Town Drug Inspector Dr Masood.

    During initial investigations, it was revealed that no doctor of the hospital was present at the time of the circumcision. The team told The Express Tribune that it was a dispenser who tended to the child.

    Dr Amir, supposed to be on duty at that time, was absent and a dispenser performed the botched circumcision, according to the team. Officials sealed the hospital after the allegations of the child’s family were proven in light of the inquiry.

    Drug Inspector Dr Masood said the owner of the hospital was a police inspector and the medical facility was established for welfare purposes. “Further investigations are underway,” he added.

    Police, meanwhile, stated that the child was later shifted to Ward No3 of Multan’s Nishtar Hospital where he was kept under observation. A doctor, requesting anonymity, said the blood supply to the genitals was blocked. He stated only a small part was still attached to the body and chances of recovery were slim as the organ was completely mutilated.

    At the same time, police said a case has been registered against Dr Amir at the Shahrukn-e-Alam police station and he would be arrested soon. The family of the affected child demanded strict action against the doctor and hospital administration.

    Published in The Express Tribune, November 1st, 2017.

  241. Kenya

    Four girls in hospital after undergoing forced FGM in Embu
    Friday November 3 2017

    By CHARLES WANYORO
    More by this Author

    Four girls aged below 12 years are recuperating at the Embu Level Five Hospital after they underwent forced circumcision in Gitugi Village, Embu County.

    The girls who are Class Three and Class Four pupils underwent the cut on Friday last week.

    Police led by Deputy County Commissioner Beverly Opwora stormed the homes of the girls and arrested a 65-year-old retired nurse suspected to have performed the cut, one parent and a woman who was nursing them.

    The suspects are held at Kiritiri Police Station.

    Police also rescued three girls who were about to undergo FGM. The children’s mothers are below 32 years.

    County Commissioner Esther Maina said they received a tipoff that the girls, all cousins, had already undergone FGM while three others were about to undergo the same, when they raided the village.

    She said the girls had been sent to take sukuma wiki and ropes for tethering goats to their grandmother, unaware that it was a ploy to have them undergo the cut.

    PLOY

    On arrival at the home, an aunt ushered in the circumciser who ordered the girls to take off their clothes and proceeded to administer an injection to relieve pain and then circumcised them with a razor blade.

    Ms Maina said the girls were traumatised and would undergo counselling and later be taken to a safe house until their safety at home is guaranteed.

    SURVEILLANCE

    She said they had heightened surveillance during the long school holiday to ensure that FGM is not carried out adding that they will work with the relevant institutions to accelerate alternative rites of passage.

    “We will increase surveillance especially where there are young girls to avoid FGM being secretly carried out. We are on the lookout and will arrest anyone suspected of carrying out the exercise,” said Ms Maina.

    Area MCA John Mbaka condemned the incident and called on residents to volunteer information on any acts of FGM especially during the December holiday.

       

     

  242. https://www.the-star.co.ke/news/2017/11/14/two-marakwet-east-girls-hospitalised-after-forced-fgm_c1669694

    Two Marakwet East girls hospitalised after forced FGM
    Nov. 14, 2017, 3:00 pm
    By MATHEWS NDANYI @ndanyi_mathews and STEPHEN RUTTO @sk_rutto

    Two teenage girls sustained serious injuries in a forced circumcision at Kaptul village in Marakwet East on Tuesday.

    Kimuren assistant chief Paul Chepkirui said the girls’ parents and a traditional circumciser went into hiding but police launched a search.

    He said the girls aged 14 and 15, who did their KCPE examinations a week ago, were taken to hospital.

    The parents are said to have forced the girls to undergo the illegal cut.

    “The case is being handled at the office of the assistant county commissioner. We will take action” Chepkirui said.

    “We have presented a report to police who are now handling the matter.”

    Chepkirui said the girls resisted the forced circumcision but were overpowered.

    “FGM is outlawed so those who did it will face the law as required,” the chief noted.

    The case has been referred to Elgeyo county commissioner Fredrick Ndambuki.

    POLICE ON HIGH ALERT

    Marakwet East deputy commissioner Stephen Sangolo warned circumcisers and supporters of the practice of serious consequences.

    He noted the culprits in this case are known so police will soon apprehend them and update the public.

    Gender CS Sicily Kariuki chats with a reformed female circumciser in Tot, Marakwet East, in January 2016. /STEPHEN RUTTO

    Sangolo said officers have taken measures to ensure FGM does not take place in villages, especially during the season.

    “Security agencies will be on high alert to prevent any other incident.”

    Hundreds of girls are normally lined up for the cut during December holidays.

    Chiefs have been directed to conduct a crackdown on those involved since traditional astrologists gave the green light last week.

    In November and December 2015, at least 1,200 girls were illegally circumcised in Marakwet East.

    A pupil of Chebilil Primary School in Kerio Valley was reported dead after the rite.

    In September, an anti-FGM organisation kicked off a sensitisation drive in the valley where the practice is rampant.

    Marakwet Girls Foundation founder Jepchumba Kilimo said young girls in parts of Marakwet and Keiyo are the targets.

    Former MP Linah Kilimo, who has been leading the fight against female genital mutilation, condemned the incident.

    “Those involved must be punished as per the law to serve as an example to others,” she said.

  243. https://www.news24.com/SouthAfrica/News/crl-rights-commission-releases-initiation-deaths-report-20171121

    CRL Rights Commission releases initiation deaths report
    2017-11-21 21:37

    Amanda Khoza

    Johannesburg – The Commission for the Rights of Cultural, Religious and Linguistic Communities (CRL Commission) on Tuesday released its report into deaths and injuries at initiation schools in South Africa.

    Commission chairperson Thoko Mkhwanazi-Xaluva said the investigation began after deaths, beatings, assaults and health risks increased at initiation schools.

    Hearings were conducted in the Eastern Cape, Western Cape and Limpopo, as well as other provinces where initiations were carried out.

    She said initiation schools had been commercialised and that there were people recruiting and sometimes abducting young men.

    “The value of circumcision is lost when the circumcision process is commercialised. The whole thing is a process and, when a child is abducted, sacredness is lost”.

    She also commented on botched surgeries, penile amputations and injuries at illegal initiation schools.

    “The secrecy element of the process is lost when a mortuary van and the police are involved. Culture collapses and it becomes a crime because there is no secret when you have to tell the investigating officer the whole story that led to the death”.

    Discussing the commission’s findings, Mkhwanazi-Xaluva said one of the major causes of penile amputation was the incompetent performance of circumcision rituals at initiation schools.

    Some initiates suffered pneumonia, meningitis, dehydration and hunger during the process.

    The commission also found that the level of physical abuse of initiates was poorly investigated because the police did not want to get involved in cultural affairs.

    “Some cases are dismissed or struck off the roll because of poor evidence or a lack of witnesses.”

    Food parcels

    Since the investigations began, there has been a drop in the death of initiates and, in Limpopo and the Eastern Cape, where traditional leaders have been paying attention to the processes, there were far fewer deaths or incidences, she said.

    The commission has been talking to the department of social development to encourage it to provide food parcels to initiates because some of them were on social grants.

    The commission recommended that communities set up traditional initiation leadership structures to oversee initiation schools.

    Traditional surgeons, nurses and principals needed to be trained, registered and accredited.

    Legislation does not allow children under the age of 16 to participate in initiation but, in Limpopo, children from the age of 12 can participate.

    Mkhwanazi-Xaluva said age was important because it meant that they were violating legislation.

    “Provinces need to be allowed to tweak the age limit so that communities can do what they want with their children,” she added.

    Medical and psycho-social support need to be provided in the case of a botched circumcision, penile amputation and the death of an initiate.

    “Penile amputees are severely traumatised. Initiates feel less of a man where there has been amputation. The department of health should provide penile transplants because it costs R50 000 in the private sector.

    Penile transplants

    “We will be talking to the department because the issue cannot be privatised. The government needs to entertain this and research must be funded so that initiates can have hope while waiting for a donor so that there are no suicides”.

    Following criminal activities, Mkhwanzai-Xaluva also announced the suspension of all initiation-related activities in Gauteng until December 2018.

    Director of Medical Male Circumcision, Collen Bonnecwe, announced that the department was to perform penile transplants in the Eastern Cape in 2018.

  244. https://mg.co.za/article/2017-11-23-00-hope-for-victims-of-botched-circumcisions

    Hope for victims of botched circumcisions

    Carl Collison 23 Nov 2017 00:00

    It was a cruel twist of fate when Vuyo Skosana left his home in the Eastern Cape town of Lusikisiki in the hope of entering adulthood, only to return, as he says, “without my manhood”.

    Like many young boys, Skosana, who chose not to use his real name, took the decision to attend initiation school to perform the traditional coming-of-age rite of passage. His decision, however, resulted in his penis having to be amputated. He was 16 years old.

    Now 23, Skosana can’t remember whether the amputation took place at the school or at the hospital to which he was rushed. “I wasn’t in a stable frame of mind,” he says.

    But the “five or six months” he spent in hospital he recalls vividly. “I was in severe pain. So much pain. I couldn’t feel my right leg. I couldn’t walk. Emotionally, I didn’t feel like a human being. I didn’t feel anything … Nothing at all,” he says.

    After seven years of relying on the use of a catheter to urinate, he says: “I still feel pain when I pee. I’m still in pain.”

    In a bid to reduce the number of boys who have to endure what Skosana is going through, the Commission for the Protection and Promotion of the Rights of Cultural, Religious and Linguistic Communities (the CRL Rights Commission) conducted an investigation into initiation schools. Its report was released this week.

    The investigation was undertaken in response to a “crisis threatening a cultural practice that has been conducted in African societies in South Africa and elsewhere from time immemorial”.

    “The recent problems — deaths, amputations, injuries, gangsters — occurring in male initiation schools have resulted in negative perceptions of the practice; perceptions which find expression in criticism directed at the initiation schools, especially that they represent an outdated cultural practice,” the commission’s chairperson, Thoko Mkhwanazi-Xaluva, said. “Furthermore, the initiation schools are seen by many as death traps for young people.”

    Speaking at a press briefing when the report was released, Mkhwanazi-Xaluva stressed that most initiation schools “run without incident”.

    But the report said that recurring numbers of hospital admissions, deaths, injuries and penile amputations during initiation seasons in the past few years could no longer be ignored.

    “The crisis — as it should be declared — warrants urgent attention by all South Africans concerned,” said the report.

    “I always say, once there is a mortuary van and an ambulance, culture is no longer there. Culture collapses at that point and it is just a crime,” Mkhwanazi-Xaluva said.

    Prince Mahlangu is a member of the Congress of Traditional Leaders of South Africa and chairperson of the Gauteng Initiation Task Team. Made up of traditional leaders across the province, the task team partnered with the commission in its investigation into initiation schools.

    “When you look at illegal versus legal initiation schools, the illegal ones make up only roughly 2%. But this 2% are responsible for the abductions, injuries and deaths we are seeing,” says Mahlangu.

    The situation, says Mahlangu, is compounded by the fact that the province does not have a policy regulating initiation schools. Three fatalities were reported in the province during the last initiation season.

    The report recommends that all initiation school activities should be immediately suspended in Gauteng until the end of December 2018.

    “The decision has our full support as it gives us time to put together a policy framework for Gauteng,” says Mahlangu.

    “I can only say this in my own language, but our contestation is that this practice, ingoma ngeya bo mkhulu. Basically, this practice belongs to our great-great-grandfathers. There are processes to follow as to how it is passed on. These things that are happening are pure criminality. It has nothing to do with the practice.”

    Since 2013, Gugulethu Sirayi has been counselling young Eastern Cape victims of botched circumcisions. Sirayi says: “You know, people think the culture is wrong. But the culture is not wrong. But these boys, they are really suffering.”

    When the commission’s investigating team spoke to amputees and other survivors of botched circumcisions, Mkhwanazi-Xaluva said: “[They experience] trauma, trauma, trauma … every day of their lives.”

    With little in the way of outside funding, once a month Sirayi transports, feeds and counsels the young men in a house in Lusikisiki using the little money he earns as a construction worker.

    Because the suicide rate is high among these young men, Sirayi says: “I just try and give them hope. So many of them think they’re nothing because they have lost their manhood. If they had a girlfriend before going to the initiation school, it is especially a big problem for them when they come back. Most move to other areas, even other provinces, where nobody knows what happened to them.”

    Sirayi adds that, because of a sense of shame, many do not tell others — even family members.

    Skosana’s uncle says: “If we had something to offer him — some money to take him to hospital and get back his manhood — we would. But we struggle a lot for money. A lot.”

    His parents being dead, Skosana lives with his brother and sister. All are unemployed.

    Nkululeko Nxesi of the Community Development Foundation of South Africa says penile transplants cost in the region of R50 000.

    One of the report’s recommendations is for the department of health to pay for penile transplants or reconstructive surgery for victims of botched circumcisions.

    “I’ve been trying to get help from hospitals,” Skosana says, “but they are not offering me anything.”

    But hope could soon be on the way. Speaking at the media briefing, a department of health representative said it had “kick-started [reconstruction] services in the Eastern Cape”.

    “We will go full-scale in 2018. We have established a partnership with a local urologist and a plastic surgeon who are going to be helping us with providing services of transplantation and reconstruction,” he said.

    Welcoming the news, Mkhwanazi-Xaluva said the commission would “like to commend the department”.

    She added, however: “It doesn’t stop there. We will continue pressurising them to move faster [to link] amputees with the relevant hospitals [in order] for them to live in hope that there’s a system in place that is going to be servicing them.”

    Young men like Skosana will doubtless also be keeping a desperate eye on any progress the department makes.

    “You know,” Skosana says candidly, “I still get aroused. I don’t have it any more — that thing — but I still feel it. One day — that’s all I want. I just want to get it back. I need my manhood back.”

  245. https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=904664253024063&set=a.105147402975756.9541.100004414898074&type=3&theater

    November 26, 2017

    EMT REPORT: BABY RUSHED TO HOSPITAL THIS MORNING.

    “Just picked up a baby that was hemorrhaging after his circumcision. Parents called the doctor that did it and he told them to call 911. It was so heartbreaking. He was cool diaphoretic pale and totally limp. I got to educate my partner on RIC which was the only upside to this situation. I hope baby makes it.

    Please don’t use my name if you post this or I could lose my job.”

  246. Pingback: The Lost among us | #TheAllowedDamaged

  247. The procedure they undergo is traumatic, frightening and life threatening, and if it is not performed, girls are considered impure. The “extra women bits” are considered dirty and responsible for any promiscuity that may cause the young girls to cheat on their new, older, polygamous husbands. Circumcision is believed to ensure the young girls never stray and that their sexual urge has been reduced and their “bad” blood “purified”.

  248. Pingback: Child Circumcision An Elephant in the Hospital by Doctor R. McAllister – Symbols Of Reality

  249. https://www.thesun.co.uk/news/10228512/boy-penis-amputated-circumcision-doctor-mistake/
    DRENCHED IN BLOOD
    Toddler, 3, has penis cut off in a botched circumcision by a highly experienced surgeon
    • Jacob Dirnhuber
    • Janet Tappin Coelho
    • 28 Oct 2019, 16:58
    • Updated: 28 Oct 2019, 17:02
    A BUNGLING surgeon chopped off a toddler’s willy in a botched circumcision – before dying of a heart attack just days later.
    The three-year-old’s penis was mutilated by “experienced” Dr Pedro Abrantes in Malacacheta, Brazil, last month.
    Alberthy Camargos, the tot’s distraught dad, told how he discovered the blunder when a nurse changed the bandages.
    He wept: “It was only a couple hours after the surgery. When they lifted the gauze there was no visible penis, just a stump.
    “I went crazy and dropped to the ground. I went into shock. I tried to move, but I was paralysed and needed to be supported by nurses.”
    “The doctor assured me that everything was normal. He told me that he had removed the excess skin and the penis would reappear in 10 days.
    BUNGLING SURGEON LEFT BLOODY STUMP
    “I felt disgusted by the answer. They were treating me like a fool and I lost total confidence in the medical team.
    “I knew just by looking and from hearing my son’s cries of pain and seeing the disorientated state he was in, that the surgery had gone wrong and my son’s body had been mutilated.”
    A medical report into the blunder said there had been: “laceration of the foreskin skin with open and bleeding cavernous bodies (spongy-like areas)… and the inadvertent partial amputation of the penis… (leaving) the base of the penis”.
    A spokesperson for Dr Carlos Marx Municipal Hospital said an internal enquiry is underway and the medical team that assisted Dr Abrantes is under investigation.

    http://intaction.org/circumcision-torments-promising-young-american-leads-to-suicide-the-thaddeus-formal-story/
    Editor’s note: Intaction is sensitive to the family’s grief over this heartbreaking situation, and we do not wish to add to it. However we are publishing this information, which was gathered from public sources and social media, to help others achieve greater understanding of the psychological harm of circumcision. While circumcision can have a tragic impact on some individuals, oftentimes the public cannot possibly understand how bad it can be until they read stories such as Thaddeus’s. Our hope is that mental health specialists will gain greater awareness of the effect of forced genital cutting on some men when treating depression. The family of Thaddeus Formal has our deepest condolences.
    “I was raped and mutilated as a baby. Taken away to a dark corner of a hospital strapped down while knives and clamps were put to my most precious sacred body part. A good lesson taught to us at birth with sugar stuffed into our mouths [common infant pain relief] as we suffer the worst pain of our whole lives. With no coping mechanisms and no support from family or society we are left to stoop ourselves into drugs and alcohol with no understanding or escape from a sense of violation in the deepest parts of our psyche.
    I love you brother. Until we meet again ….
    ~Thaddeus recounting his feelings in a final message to a close friend.

    Thad’s Story As Told By Friend David Johnson
    This is going to be my personal interpretation of one of my best friends, Thaddeus. We were childhood friends from a very early age. My mom and his mom were friends and were pregnant at the same time.
    When Thad was young he was a very hyperactive child. Early on in his school life, certain teachers pushed to put him on medications. Luckily, his parents never did that. Thad was a very intelligent and athletic person.
    I would say for most of his life he struggled emotionally and he always confided in me to give him support. You could say I am an empathic type of person. I often soak up other’s emotional problems and give them support. At the same time though, sometimes I would take on too much responsibilities for others and reap consequences for being too involved (you empaths know what I’m talking about).

    Anyways, as kids we were always hanging out at each other’s homes. We would play video games and ping pong. As we got older, we went to high school and got separated for a while. Thad was slowly growing up and pursued academic and athletic endeavors. I got heavily into drugs in high school and had my own problems. Thad was popular in high school, had girlfriends, and was a star tennis player and water polo player. Things seemed to be going all too well for him. His dad was a doctor and his mom was a good saleswoman making good money. It was the family that seemingly had it all.
    Thad had aced high school as a straight A student and went to a top tier university to study biochemistry so he could eventually get into medicine. During this time, Thad got into fishing and became a highly skilled fishermen who could compete with the best.
    In contrast to his school years, more and more issues started coming up for him. He began to have more trouble with women and would notice problems with his sexuality coming up. There were days Thad would call me crying because of social issues he was having. One day in particular, after he was partying, he broke his arm and was really struggling. It brought out all the social group issues and concerns he had to the surface. The pressures of higher education, the social, and sexual problems were starting to really weigh on him.
    He began to date a woman and fell in love with her. I knew that he wanted to be with her, but as they were graduating and moving on, Thad was having trouble truly expressing his feelings for her.
    I always wanted to spend more time with him, but his school was not close to where I lived. Eventually, he graduated with his degree in biochemistry and he came back home to live with his parents. During this time, I spent a lot of days with him. This was the worst state I ever saw him in. He was clearly very depressed and not in tip top physical shape as he once was in high school. I could tell he wasn’t taking care of himself physically or mentally.
    During the next year or two, we didn’t talk much but kept in contact during holidays. Thad and I started talking every day. He messaged me educational material about circumcision.
    He watched Eric Clopper’s Harvard performance “Sex and Circumcision” and saw the movie “American Circumcision.” I knew about circumcision from past research but didn’t think too much of it. This was obviously a big issue for Thad. As I started to research more, it became increasingly more of a problem for me as well. At this point, Thad was calling me almost every night. We started playing some old video games again and that seemed to brighten our moods. Thad was clearly struggling more than ever, and I encouraged him to start taking care of himself. His education was almost over and I thought it was important he prioritized himself.
    I invited him to come live with us for a while out in nature to try to deal with some things. He was dealing with sexual issues of erectile dysfunction and felt a big loss of confidence with women. Thad was in love with the woman from college that he met in his years in biochemistry. He still thought about her and missed her over the years. Thad still had feelings for her.
    Unfortunately, they went their own ways and never rekindled their relationship. Thad had a very hard time expressing himself to her and allowing vulnerabilities. He was insecure and did not feel worthy of her and the relationship.
    His pride was pushing him on to succeed, but inside he was feeling a deep sense of hurt and inability to express himself. To this day, I know that he was meant to be with her if things would have been different.
    I encouraged him to start [foreskin] restoration and get out of the U.S. for a while to meet some new people.

    Thad was only five months away from finishing his second degree. The pressures of life, the growing awareness of his sexual problems and circumcision were growing too much for him too bear. He harbored a deep depression for years with no relief, only getting worse, and he couldn’t cope with it any longer.
    On October 7th 2019, Thad decided to take his own life.
    He sent me one last email time stamped to the day after his death. A loving message of a deeply hurt individual. He never wanted to cause harm to others and wanted the best for his friends and family.
    This event forever changed me and made me realize the importance of dealing with trauma. Childhood trauma between the ages of birth and age 5 are the most deep to deal with. Every year after that becomes less and less impactful on ones mind. Sexual abuse and rape as a new born baby causes a deep psychological and physical trauma that needs to be dealt with sooner rather than later.
    With circumcision rates as high as they are in the U.S., this problem has become a plague on our society, with people left with a deep feeling of loss and no one to turn to. Drugs are often the only escape for many having lost the most natural sense of well being as a man.
    We need to be compassionate towards people and they need more comprehensive support in dealing with trauma as it is not a minor issue. We need to come to terms with what has happened to us. If a women was raped and tortured as an adult we would understand why she is behaving erratically and depressed.
    Many men are struggling with similar issues with no understanding or help in sight, only ever increasing pressures of society put on their shoulders. How can we begin to fix a problem without first accepting that the problem is there to begin with. Denial is the emotion that only allows the cycle to continue.
    We MUST do the self work of ACCEPTING our own trauma in order to stop the next generation from suffering the same trauma again.

    https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=2480744718690979&set=a.107477526017722&type=3&theater
    R.I.P. to my brother.
    Jason Allan Merrifield
    November 13 – 14, 1974
    Daniel Joseph Merrifield – “Jason died from an infection complication arising from circumcision. He was 1 day old. The infection spread to his bloodstream, inciting heart failure… from what I’ve been told.”

  250. http://www.dispatchlive.co.za/news/2017/12/11/three-mpondoland-initiate-deaths-two-age-one-suicide/

    Three Mpondoland initiate deaths – two under age, one suicide

    By Lulamile Feni –

    December 11, 2017

    Three initiates have died in the Eastern Cape since the summer initiation season began late last month.

    All are in the OR Tambo district municipality jurisdiction – an area in the Mpondoland notorious for initiation deaths and penile amputations over the years.

    One of the initiates, who died late last week, is said to have committed suicide.

    At the time of writing yesterday, it was not yet clear as to what caused the initiate to take his life. An inquest docket has since been opened with police, according to cooperative governance and traditional affairs (Cogta) spokesman Mamnkeli Ngam.

    Yesterday, Ngam said one initiate, who was in the bush illegally, died over the weekend as a result of a circumcision turned septic.

    The matter has been reported to the police.

    Ngam said two of the initiates were under age – one was 15 and the other 17.

    According to the new Male Cultural Initiation Act, which in the winter season saw a number of bogus traditional surgeons and nurses jailed for illegal circumcision, only boys 18 and older can undergo the rite.

    Ngam said the initiate who hanged himself, 15, had been identified as a Port St Johns resident. The Dispatch has withheld his name.

    The second initiate was identified as Anele Nyawuse, 17, of Ehlabathini administrative area in Flagstaff. The one who died this weekend, has been identified as Sibuyise Somkoko.

    “The cause of the death of [Nyawuse] is not yet known,” said Ngam, adding a case of illegal circumcision had been opened concerning the circumcision and death of Nyawuse, who was under age.

    Ngam said Nyawuse was with 10 other initiates at the initiation school, one of whom was admitted to hospital with complications.

    Cogta MEC Fikile Xasa yesterday sent his heartfelt condolences to the bereaved families.

    More than 15000 boys are believed to have already undergone the rite this season, with some expected to start graduating this coming weekend.

    The provincial government, traditional leaders and other stakeholders before this season criss-crossed the Eastern Cape on awareness campaigns in a bid to prevent deaths and injuries in initiation schools.

    OR Tambo Traditional Initiation Forum chairman Nkosi Mkhanyiseli Dudumayo yesterday expressed shock at the deaths and the fact that the initiates were under age.

    “We have good and clear laws in place, but there are people who are hellbent on circumcising under age boys, placing their lives in danger.

    “This needs thorough investigation as to whether the parents have followed proper channels because all those who broke the law, must be arrested and jailed,” said Dudumayo. — lulamilef@dispatch.co.za

  251. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ryan_White

    Ryan White was born at St. Joseph Memorial Hospital in Kokomo, Indiana, to Hubert Wayne and Jeanne Elaine (Hale) White. When he was circumcised, the bleeding would not stop.[2] When he was three days old,[3] doctors diagnosed him with severe hemophilia A, a hereditary blood coagulation disorder associated with the X chromosome, which causes even minor injuries to result in severe bleeding.

  252. http://joseph4gi.blogspot.com/2017/12/facebook-two-close-calls-on-my-news-feed.html

    Wednesday, December 6, 2017
    Joseph4GI
    FACEBOOK: Two Close Calls on my News Feed

    Just posting the latest tragedies, or near-tragedies that surfaced on my Facebook news feed.

    (Unless there is medical or clinical indication, all male infant circumcision is a tragedy.)

    First up, another story where a child nearly bleeds to death. The child is put in the NICU and the doctors had to cauterize the wound to stop the bleeding.

    “messed up on his circumcision when he was born?”
    “Yes! Really bad! This nurse came in to do it (NOT a doctor), and after like a minute she said “oops” and all I see is blood shooting straight up like something out of a horror movie! She yells that she has to take him to the NICU and runs off with him. They had to cauterize it to stop the bleeding.”

    Another child turns black and blue, and is given urine retention problems by his circumcision. Apparently, the boy’s bladder had to be drained with a neonatal feeding tube as a catheter.

    This happened at Dothan, Alabama.

    “Please keep my youngest nephew *** in your prayers. he was circumcised on Saturday and he is black and blue all around the area and hasn’t been able to urinate till late yesterday and then only by a neonatal feeding tube used as a catheter .. we don’t know what they did to cause these issues but he now has a severe UTI due to their lack of care in the nursery at the hospital in Dothan, Alabama. He is only 4 days old and is way to fragile to be dealing with this!”

  253. https://www.malaysiakini.com/news/406861

    Doctor charged over botched circumcision
    Published: Today 5:00 pm Modified: Today 7:00 pm
    A doctor who allegedly severed a boy’s penis during a circumcision procedure last year was brought to the Magistrate’s Court in Kajang today to face three charges.
    Dr Azahari Hashim, 52, however, pleaded not guilty to all the charges before magistrate Nor Afidah Idris.
    On the first count, Azahari was charged under Section 338 of the Penal Code with causing grievous hurt on the 10-year-old boy, and faced an imprisonment for up to two years, or fine of up to RM2,000 or both, upon conviction.
    The doctor, who has four children, was also charged with running an unregistered private clinic, which is an offence under Section 4 of the Private Healthcare Facilities and Services Act 1998.
    He faces a fine of up to of RM300,000, or imprisonment of up to six years, or both, if found guilty.
    On the last count, Azahari was charged with practicing without a valid medical practicing certificate as required under Section 33 of the Medical Act 1971.
    The offence provides a fine of up to RM2,000, if found guilty.
    All the offences were allegedly committed at Klinik Keluarga in Taman Cheras Utama, Selangor at 8.15pm on Dec 20, 2016.
    Earlier, deputy public prosecutor Megat Mahathir Megat Tharih Afendi offered bail of RM10,000 with one surety for all the charges.
    However, the accused, represented by counsel Al Sabri Ahmad Kabri, pleaded for lower bail, as he had four school-going children to support.
    “Since the clinic closed down after the incident my client had no fixed income,” he said.
    The court then allowed the accused bail of RM9,000 with one surety and fixed Jan 26 for mention.
    – Bernama

  254. https://www.standardmedia.co.ke/health/article/2001269366/how-the-cut-almost-drove-a-boy-insane

    How a simple circumcision procedure almost turned boy mad
    By Graham Kajilwa | Published Mon, February 12th 2018 at 00:00, Updated February 11th 2018 at 23:32 GMT +3

    A simple procedure to initiate a boy into manhood almost drove him insane following a wrong diagnosis.
    It all began on December 5, 2004, when the boy, identified as Peter in court documents, was taken to Topkins Maternity and Clinic for the procedure.
    Peter however developed an infection and his mother had to return him to the clinic on December 25, 2004.
    The court heard that by that time, he had started to exhibit aggressive behaviour and confusion, in addition to the infection.
    At the clinic, he was diagnosed with a septic wound on the circumcision scar and “suspected drug-induced psychosis”. He was given Amoxyl, an antibiotic, Largactil, an anti-psychotic drug, and Artane, which is used to control the side effects of anti-psychotic medication.
    Not responding
    But on December 28, his situation deteriorated and he was returned to the clinic, where it was concluded that he was not responding to the treatment. He was then referred to Kijabe Hospital, where he was admitted until December 30.
    During that time, he was also put on Flagyl, another antibiotic.
    The court was told how the hospital “entertained” the doctor’s diagnosis of tetanus and prescribed a course of medication.
    “During his hospital stay, tetanus was entertained as a diagnosis but he did not develop the characteristic symptoms. Based on a review of this case, there is no evidence that a mental disorder was the result of the circumcision or subsequent treatment,” read a note from Kijabe presented in court.
    But another note from the hospital dated August 11, 2005, appeared to steer clear of the earlier statement by saying the surface of the boy’s penis had an infected wound and he was “presumed” to have tetanus upon the history and clinical findings.
    “However, we cannot prove this diagnosis with laboratory tests available at Kijabe Hospital,” read the report, adding that he had been treated with antibiotics and discharged on December 30, 2004.
    “He was referred to Nairobi for further care. The bizarre behaviour continued and he was re-admitted on August 6, 2005. Unfortunately, we have no further treatment,” added the hospital.
    In an appeal, Topkins Hospital protested an earlier award of Sh500,000 to the family granted by Justice Joel Ngugi.
    Giving his expert opinion, a Dr Wandugu said the minor’s symptoms were caused by trauma and a tetanus infection, which resulted in maniac depression psychosis.
    However, Dr Fredrick Owiti, a witness for Topkins, claimed the boy had a mild mental handicap and due to the unhygienic conditions of care, he had developed an acute psychotic episode, and upon being treated with Lagactil, he had developed side effects.
    Side effects
    He said the side effects, called extra psychotic episode, sometimes stretched people and that could be interpreted by inexperienced medical officers as anything, including tetanus, meningitis or even an epileptic episode.
    “… though the latter is a possibility given that Lagactil may lower the epileptic threshold and hence trigger a seizure in somebody who is predisposed,” he said.
    In his judgement dated November 30, 2017, Mr Ngugi said the medical evidence presented in court was not sufficient for a tetanus infection.
    “There is, however, no doubt that the infection noted at the (appellant’s) clinic when Peter was taken for review was 23 days after circumcision. Kijabe (Hospital) also noted that the wound was infected,” read the judgement in part.
    “It is not clear whether this infection was picked (up) at the clinic or at home. He may have been predisposed to the illness he suffered, which was triggered by the infection of the circumcision wound,” it added.

  255. https://www.brainchildmag.com/2014/06/two-lesbians-and-a-eunuch/

    June 4, 2014
    By Adrienne DeAngelo
    When we met with the urologist two weeks later, he recommended—can you guess?—circumcision. I felt the blood rush to my head. This is just what the alarmist websites warn you about. Sensing my discomfort, the urologist defended himself. “Believe me, I don’t routinely recommend a circumcision,” he said, “but given your son’s history and his tight foreskin”—I hadn’t read about tight foreskins—“I think it’s the best option.” He explained that the test our son needed to rule out an anatomical abnormality could even cause a UTI if he were to remain uncircumcised.
    “But you need to get done it now,” he said. “I need to know by Monday morning at the latest.”
    Emmett was already nearly five weeks old—late for a newborn circumcision . . .
    I found a woman—technically, a mohelette—who was also a pediatrician.
    A few hours after the circumcision we were resting comfortably on the sofa watching a movie. Emmett had been sleeping blissfully for several hours when the mohel called to check on him.
    “Has there been any bleeding?” she asked.
    “He’s been asleep since you left. Should we wake him up to check?” I said.
    “Just take a peek in his diaper,” she said.
    I slowly unwrapped Emmett’s diaper. It was clean. Then I saw fresh blood emerging from his gauze-covered penis. Then more. Colleen put the movie on pause.
    Blood started to leak through the diaper and onto my hands. I picked our little boy up and moved from the sofa to the table where the doctor had done the circumcision. Blood oozed onto the table. I cradled the phone between my neck and my ear as I gingerly tried to apply pressure to the bottom of the penis and upwards, as the doctor instructed.
    Emmett was now crying hysterically. “Take off your shirt,” I told Colleen, who was looking a little faint. “The doctor said to try to breastfeed him to calm him down.”
    “Do you think you can rebandage the area?” the doctor asked. “No,” I said as calmly as I could, with blood spilling out over my hands and soaking the bottom edge of Emmett’s snap T- shirt. “Don’t worry,” she assured me, “it looks like more blood than it is. I’ll be there as soon as I can.” And she hung up.
    Colleen was standing over the table—topless—with her breasts dangling over our son’s head, trying in vain to feed a beet-faced, loudly protesting baby. It would have been comical had it not be so frightening.
    Not getting anywhere with a breast, Colleen decided to give Emmett a bottle. I was still applying pressure to his injured, exposed penis but I could not stanch the bleeding.
    A few minutes later, with a bottle in Emmett’s mouth, relative calm was restored. He was still bleeding as I lamely continued to apply pressure to what was clearly the wrong part of the penis . . .
    “Oh, that is a lot of blood,” said the mohel when she arrived, congratulating me on having been so calm on the phone. “When you opened the diaper, it must have pulled off the scab,” she said as she deftly applied pressure to the penis and immediately stopped the bleeding.

  256. http://nationalpost.com/news/national/guilty-of-improper-conduct-regina-doctor-fined-for-problem-with-circumcision/wcm/31021b1a-3e07-40ea-be72-c6c00ccdddc8
    REGINA — A Regina doctor has been officially reprimanded and ordered to pay more than $10,000 after the circumcision of a baby boy went wrong.
    The Saskatchewan College of Physicians and Surgeons has found Dr. Zimran Chowdhary guilty of unprofessional or improper conduct for not dealing appropriately with complications arising from the circumcision in April 2014.
    The decision on the college website quotes a letter written by Chowdhary to the boy’s family doctor referring to the parents’ concerns that the skin on the penis had fused.
    Chowdhary examined the boy six months after the procedure and told his parents the condition was normal and there was no need for further surgery.
    His letter also says the family had been advised by other doctors the baby needed corrective surgery and would have to go to Edmonton.
    Chowdhary’s payment to cover the cost of the investigation and the hearing is due May 16.

  257. https://www.deccanchronicle.com/nation/current-affairs/010418/hyderabad-11-month-old-child-dies-after-failed-surgery.html
    Hyderabad: 11-month-old child dies after failed surgery
    DECCAN CHRONICLE.
    Published Apr 1, 2018, 1:41 am IST
    Hyderabad (India): A circumcision operation went wrong with the death of an 11-month-old child Kashi, a son of Gowtham from Hyderabad. The child was admitted on Friday evening for the operation but succumbed on Saturday afternoon. More than 100 members protested outside Niloufer Hospital on Saturday night and the police was called in to control the situation.
    A senior doctor at Niloufer Hospital on condition of ann-oymity explained, “Circumc-ision operation was performed to remove the foreskin that was covering the tip of the penis. There was no bleeding or any other complication seen. We suspect that drugs have led to complications and death. There was no mistake from the surgical side as it would have come to notice immediately in the first two hours. There was no bleeding or else it would have led to an alarm and control measures would have been taken up. There is an issue with the drugs or the medicines that have been given in the post-operative care.”
    Doctors state that they regularly get circumcision cases in the hospital and this is one of those cases where it has turned out to be fatal.

  258. https://www.iol.co.za/dailynews/kzn-boy-in-botched-circumcision-ordeal-14218200

    KZN boy in botched circumcision ordeal
    Daily News / 3 April 2018, 4:00pm / CHRIS NDALISO

    Durban – A 10 year-old primary school boy in Endwedwe, northern KZN, was hospitalised after a botched medical circumcision.
    The procedure was part of the provincial health department ongoing campaign by the KwaZulu-Natal health department, and thousands of young men have been circumcised over the past few years.
    The boy’s father, who cannot be named to protect the identity of the minor, said the doctor who attended to his son in Northdale Hospital raised concerns about the manner in which the boy was cut.
    The boy is was admitted Montebello hospital, and is expected to be transferred to Northdale on Wednesday.
    “He was first sent to a local clinic before he was transferred to Montebello hospital when his condition deteriorated a few days after he was circumcised. He was then transferred to Northdale hospital in Pietermaritzburg where he was seen by a specialist. We were aware of this campaign as health department officials briefed us before proceeding with the operation. I just don’t understand how this particular person who damaged my child was selected to be part of that team,” the father said.
    He said he had no issue with the campaigned but it was important to screen whoever was to be part of it.
    “The doctor who attended to my child said he was badly damaged and that I had to bring him back tomorrow. I’m not happy at all with what I see in my boy, but I’m happy that he is alive,” he said.
    Isolezwe, the Daily News sister paper reported this morning that the department of education declined to comment. Health department spokesperson Ncumisa Mafunda said the department was attending to the matter and that the boy was receiving attention.

  259. https://cookcountyrecord.com/stories/511371979-northwestern-memorial-hospital-others-allegedly-failed-to-properly-perform-circumcision

    Northwestern Memorial Hospital, others allegedly failed to properly perform circumcision
    by Louie Torres |
    Apr. 4, 2018, 1:30am
    CHICAGO — A mother is suing Northwestern Memorial Hospital, Northwestern Medical Faculty Foundation, Northwestern Medicine and Dr. Marc Feldstein for allegedly taking insufficient measures to prevent injuries.
    Kate O’Laughlin, on behalf of her son, filed a complaint on March 22 in Cook County Circuit Court, alleging her son sustained physical injuries as a result of an improperly performed circumcision.
    The plaintiff seeks judgment against the defendants in an amount that exceeds the jurisdictional limits of this court. She is represented by Bradley Z. Schulman of Motherway & Napleton LLP in Chicago.
    Cook County Circuit Court case number 2018L002984

  260. https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=1000955140061640&set=a.105147402975756.9541.100004414898074&type=3&theater

    May 20, 2018

    ** BREAKING NEWS FROM ISRAEL ** Baby almost bleeds to death after bris. Parents go public in Israel’s leading newspaper. Many comments from parents on the newspaper website criticising circumcision.
    GOOGLE TRANSLATION https://www.yediot.co.il/articles/0,7340,L-5266253,00.html
    The mohel was negligent, the baby almost dead

    A moment after the circumcision, Ayelet and Guy Almog’s son bled incessantly but the mohel insisted: Everything was normal. When they arrived at Meir Hospital it became clear that the baby had lost two-thirds of the blood in his body and was on the verge of death. The doctors saved his life, Rotem Eliza.

    Vigilance of parents saved the life of their son, baby : time short after the last Soviet word began to bleed , the mohel claimed that everything is fine , but the senses of the father and mother felt otherwise . When they arrived with the boy at the hospital , he was on the verge of death . And the mohel ? He will probably continue to work as usual, since the procedures do not You can do anything against him .

    The incident took place last week. The parents, Ayelet and Guy Almog of Kfar Yona, celebrated the circumcision of their third son, Noam, and used the services of a mohel, whose name appears on the list of the authorized mohels of the Chief Rabbinate. “The bandage he performed after the alliance seemed strange to me, but I did not intervene,” says the mother. After the guests dispersed, the parents opened the diaper and noticed the bleeding. “We sent a picture to the mohel and he said there was nothing to worry about, we insisted that he return, he arrived and made another bandage.” When he finished, the mother says, the bleeding continued for half an hour, but the mohel announced that from his point of view everything was fine. “I sent him pictures but he continued to insist that everything was fine.” At about 1:30 AM, about eight hours after the circumcision, the parents opened the titool and were frightened: he was soaked with blood. “We called the mohel, we sent him pictures, but he did not answer.”

    The frightened parents went out with the baby to Meir Hospital. When they arrived, their son’s clothes were already soaked with blood. The doctors reported to their astonishment that their son had lost about two-thirds of the blood in his body.

    Dr. Dganit Adam, a senior pediatrician, said: “The boy came to us in a life-threatening situation. He was gray. “The baby received several doses of blood and the bleeding wound was treated and bandaged, and in time his condition improved and at the end of the week he was released home.

    His parents, however, are still traumatized: “We arrived at the hospital at the 90th minute, and the doctors said that if we stayed a little longer we would lose the child.”

    The parents intend to file a lawsuit against the mohel. The hospital reported the incident to the Ministry of Health, but past experience shows that the negligent mohel can apparently continue to work without any interruption, since his name continues to appear on the list of authorized mohels of the Chief Rabbinate.

    On May 18, 2017, Yedioth Ahronoth reported that if a mohel was served a complaint to the Chief Rabbinate or the Health Ministry, the rabbinate had the authority to deprive him of his temporary or permanent authorization. But for his part he can continue to work, since the law does not forbid it. For comparison: when a doctor’s license is revoked, he is forbidden to treat patients.

    First publication: 20.05.18, 23:57
    https://www.yediot.co.il/articles/0,7340,L-5266253,00.html
    via Leora Shalev in Israel

  261. http://www.newindianexpress.com/states/kerala/2018/jun/02/kerala-infant-death-medical-negligence-alleged-1822661.html
    Kerala infant death: Medical negligence alleged
    Parents of a 29-day-old infant, who died due to alleged medical negligence, have come out with a complaint alleging that their child died due to blood loss after undergoing circumcision.
    By Express News Service
    THRISSUR (India): Parents of a 29-day-old infant, who died due to alleged medical negligence, have come out with a complaint alleging that their child died due to blood loss after undergoing circumcision. The parents had approached the District Medical Officer with the complaint on Friday seeking action against the doctor who performed the circumcision on the child.
    The infant from Thriprayar underwent circumcision on May 26 at the clinic run by the doctor in Nattika near Thriprayar. Once back home, they noticed that the bleeding had not stopped. They tried to contact the doctor, but the doctor did not attend the call at night, they said in their complaint.
    When they visited the doctor the next day, he referred the infant to a surgeon, who was unavailable on Sunday. Then the parents took the baby to a private hospital, which referred the infant to Medical College Hospital, Thrissur.
    Though the baby was admitted to the MCH, he died at around 5.30 pm on May 27. As per the medical report, on admission to the Medical College Hospital, the baby was unconscious, gasping for air and was severely pale due to heavy blood loss. Childline officers visited the complainants on May 27, and the case would now be forwarded to district Child Welfare Committee.
    The parents complained that the doctor who performed the circumcision did not take necessary action despite informing him that the bleeding had not stopped. Had the baby been referred early to a surgeon, he could have been saved, they claimed. “The parents are distraught after they lost their son. However, they are not ready to talk about the incident or go to police fearing that further probe may lead to the investigation team exhuming the body of the baby,” said Muhammed Sabir, district coordinator of Human Rights Protection …

  262. http://www.monitor.co.ug/News/National/Teenager-sues-IDI-circumcision-gone-wrong-/688334-4588020-5nnv5az/index.html
    Teenager sues IDI over circumcision gone wrong
    Thursday May 31 2018
    By JULIET KIGONGO
    Kampala (Uganada)
    A 14-year-old boy has sued the Infectious Diseases Institute (IDI) for allegedly circumcising him without the consent of his parents.

    Bruno Angel, who is suing the health facility through his friend, Mr Enock Turinawe, says the act has caused him permanent injuries and pain on his private parts.

    Angel, in his May 24 law suit, claims that IDI staff between June15 and June 23, 2017 forcibly circumcised him while he was a pupil at Kalangala Primary School.

    “The said servants of the defendant (health facility) at their own initiative assumed a duty of circumcising the plaintiff (Bruno) without any consent and knowledge of his parents,” reads in part the suit. Angel says before circumcising him, they reasoned that they were implementing a government programme of circumcising male children.
    Parents not aware

    “The plaintiff (Bruno) informed the said servants that his parents were not in support of their action but argued that they were executing government orders to circumcise the male children,” the court documents add.

    The minor, in his law suit, avers that upon being forcibly circumcised, IDI staff asked him not to mention the same to his parents and lured him with bottles of juice and biscuits.

    Angel also claims that the institute did not treat him despite several requests.
    “The plaintiff’s parents came to know about the said un-consented circumcision when he could no longer move due to severe bleeding, swelling of testicles and penis, too much pain and pus flowing out of his penis,” the court documents add.
    The teenager now contends that due to refusal by IDI staff to treat his injuries, he has suffered severe pain, torture and financial loss for which he is seeking compensation.

  263. https://www.facebook.com/BloodstainedMenTheirFriends/photos/a.172218806251476.42377.172212266252130/1252725981534081/?type=3&theater

    BORN WITH HEART/LUNG DISEASE, THEN CIRCUMCISED.. This is a painful, enraging story to report. This six-month-old baby was born with pulmonary hypertension, a rare lung disease with no cure. He has been in the hospital all his brief life, and in January was put on a heart-lung bypass machine while they did test after test to figure out his problem. He has been subjected to repeated surgeries all his life… then they circumcised him in late June 2018. He stopped breathing and had to be resuscitated, now he is fighting just to live.
    “Echo result showed worsening pulmonary hypertension and the right side of the heart is stressed. They think it’s an infection … possibly from an open area that didn’t heal from his circumcision.”

  264. https://stlrecord.com/stories/511499929-parents-file-negligence-suit-against-barnes-jewish-hospital-physician-over-circumcision-procedure
    Parents file negligence suit against Barnes-Jewish Hospital, physician over circumcision procedure
    MEDICAL
    By Angelica Saylo Pilo | Jul 27, 2018
    ST. LOUIS – Collinsville, Illinois parents allege that their minor son needed a revision surgery because of the negligence of a St. Louis physician.
    ST. LOUIS – Collinsville, Illinois parents allege that their minor son needed a revision surgery because of the negligence of a St. Louis physician.
    William M. Fowler Jr., a minor by and through his next friends Carissa Fowler and William M. Fowler Sr., filed a complaint on July 12, in the St. Louis 22nd Judicial Circuit Court against Clayton B. Cummings, M.D.; Barnes-Jewish Hospital, et al. alleging medical negligence.
    According to the complaint, William M. Fowler Jr. was born at Barnes-Jewish Hospital in July 2016 and was circumcised by Cummings. The suit states Cummings failed to remove the foreskin adequately and that William M. Fowler Jr. needed a revision procedure to correct it.
    The plaintiffs hold Cummings, Barnes-Jewish Hospital, et al. responsible because the defendant Cummings allegedly failed to provide an adequate and complete circumcision.
    The plaintiffs request a trial by jury and seek judgment against the defendants of more than $25,000, plus costs and such other relief that is just and proper. They are represented by Melvin L. Raymond in St. Louis.
    St. Louis 22nd Judicial Circuit Court case number 1822-CC10751

  265. https://coconuts.co/jakarta/news/circumcision-gone-wrong-indonesian-boys-penis-glans-cut-off-botched-surgery-carried-retired-nurse/
    Circumcision gone wrong: Indonesian boy’s penis glans cut off in botched surgery carried out by retired nurse
    By Coconuts Jakarta Sep. 7, 2018
    In a story that will cause men everywhere to clench their nether regions, an Indonesian boy has reportedly fallen victim to a reported botched circumcision — locally known as sunat — leading to the loss of an instrumental part of his genitalia.
    Last Thursday, a boy identified by his initial B, whose age wasn’t disclosed, was scheduled to go through the religious rite of passage that most boys in Muslim-majority Indonesia must face.
    A mantri (a term for those who perform circumcisions and other medical procedures outside of medical practice) was called to perform the procedure at the boy’s home in Pekalongan Regency, Central Java. However, he reportedly cut off more than just the boy’s foreskin, severing his penis glans as well, reportedly to the boy’s screaming agony.
    The child’s family then took him to the hospital immediately afterwards to stop the bleeding, but doctors weren’t able to reattach his penis glans.
    The police are currently investigating the case for possible medical malpractice.
    “It’s still being handled by the UPPA (Women and Child Protection Services). We are still looking into this and no suspects have been named,” Pekalongan Regency Police Chief Wawan Kurniawan told reporters yesterday, as quoted by Detik.
    Police are investigating the mantri, who was identified as a 68-year-old retired male nurse with the initial B. In rural Indonesia, many families turn to unlicensed mantri to perform circumcisions in order to cut costs.
    The police noted that B used a “laser” cutting technique to circumcise the boy, which doesn’t literally involve a laser, but instead utilizes an electrical surgery tool that runs alternating electrical current runs through a thin metal rod to cut the tissue while cauterizing it at the same time, minimizing risk of infection (imagine Darth Vader cutting off Luke Skywalker’s hand with a lightsaber and apply that technique to cutting the foreskin off a penis).
    B’s surgical tools have been confiscated by the police.
    Most Indonesian boys, especially Muslims, remember their circumcisions because they are often carried out when they are around five years old or before the onset of puberty. Many remember the operation with a certain fondness, since circumcisions are traditionally a rite of passage into manhood rewarded with parties and presents. It’s safe to say the boy in this case won’t have good memories of his circumcision as police say he’s recovering physically but “traumatized” by the incident.

  266. https://www.9news.com.au/world/2018/09/17/05/19/two-young-sisters-die-after-fgm-in-somalia
    Two young sisters die after FGM in Somalia
    4:33am Sep 17, 2018
    Two Somali girls have bled to death after undergoing female circumcision in the north of the country, a women’s rights campaigner says.
    The sisters, 10-year-old Asiya Abdi Warsame and 11-year-old Khadija, underwent female genital mutilation in a village in Puntland state and died the same day from severe bleeding, anti-FGM campaigner Hawa Aden told dpa on Sunday.
    “In Somalia FGM often causes a host of health harms where some girls may bleed to death or die from infections,” said Hawa Aden, who is the director of a local women’s NGO.
    FMG, prevalent mainly in parts of Africa and the Middle East, is legal in Muslim-majority Somalia, where UNICEF says the practice is nearly universal.
    The practice, which is internationally considered a human rights abuse, involves partial or total removal of the female external genitalia and makes urination, sexual intercourse and childbirth extremely painful.
    In countries like Somalia, a girl who is not circumcised may face social stigma and not be considered for marriage.
    About 200 million girls and women around the world have been affected by the practice, according to UNICEF.

    Two Somali girls have bled to death after undergoing female circumcision in the north of the country, a women’s rights campaigner says.
    The sisters, 10-year-old Asiya Abdi Warsame and 11-year-old Khadija, underwent female genital mutilation in a village in Puntland state and died the same day from severe bleeding, anti-FGM campaigner Hawa Aden told dpa on Sunday.
    “In Somalia FGM often causes a host of health harms where some girls may bleed to death or die from infections,” said Hawa Aden, who is the director of a local women’s NGO.
    FMG, prevalent mainly in parts of Africa and the Middle East, is legal in Muslim-majority Somalia, where UNICEF says the practice is nearly universal.
    The practice, which is internationally considered a human rights abuse, involves partial or total removal of the female external genitalia and makes urination, sexual intercourse and childbirth extremely painful.
    In countries like Somalia, a girl who is not circumcised may face social stigma and not be considered for marriage.
    About 200 million girls and women around the world have been affected by the practice, according to UNICEF.
    Two Somali girls have bled to death after undergoing female circumcision in the north of the country, a women’s rights campaigner says.
    The sisters, 10-year-old Asiya Abdi Warsame and 11-year-old Khadija, underwent female genital mutilation in a village in Puntland state and died the same day from severe bleeding, anti-FGM campaigner Hawa Aden told dpa on Sunday.
    “In Somalia FGM often causes a host of health harms where some girls may bleed to death or die from infections,” said Hawa Aden, who is the director of a local women’s NGO.
    FMG, prevalent mainly in parts of Africa and the Middle East, is legal in Muslim-majority Somalia, where UNICEF says the practice is nearly universal.
    The practice, which is internationally considered a human rights abuse, involves partial or total removal of the female external genitalia and makes urination, sexual intercourse and childbirth extremely painful.
    In countries like Somalia, a girl who is not circumcised may face social stigma and not be considered for marriage.
    About 200 million girls and women around the world have been affected by the practice, according to UNICEF.

  267. https://www.voanews.com/a/third-girl-dies-in-somalia-after-genital-mutilation/4575084.html
    September 17, 2018 1:32 PM
    Third Girl Dies in Somalia After Genital Mutilation
    A 10-year-old girl has died in Somalia due to complications from female genital mutilation (FGM).
    Mumtaz Qorane was the third child to die in the country this week after undergoing the practice, which is also known as female circumcision.
    Dr. Mohamed Hussein Aden tells VOA’s Somali service that the girl underwent the procedure three days ago in the countryside near the town of Goldogob, and contracted tetanus afterward.
    He said a medical team sent to bring her to a hospital in the town of Galkayo was told Monday morning that the girl had died.
    Aden received an emergency call about the girl’s grave condition on Sunday while talking to VOA Somali about the death of two sisters, Asiya Farah Abdi Warsame and Khadija Farah Abdi Warsame, who bled to death following FGM.
    Doctors and activists said the girls died in Bur Salah village about 75 kilometers west of Galkayo, but the mutilation took place about a week ago near Galladi, across the border in the Somali region of Ethiopia.
    Galkayo hospital is the main health facility used by nomads who live along the border areas between Somalia and Ethiopia.
    Dr. Mohamed Hussein Aden said the two girls who died in Bur Salah were aged 10 and 11, adding, “There is no other way to describe it, it’s brutal.”
    Activists are demanding an end to female circumcision, calling it a dangerous ritual with no practical benefits.
    The practice involves removing part or all of the clitoris and labia for non-medical reasons. The World Health Organization (WHO) says cutting, often performed on girls 15 and younger, can result in bleeding, infection, problems with urination and complications with childbearing.

  268. https://nypost.com/2018/11/02/mom-claims-doctor-botched-newborn-sons-circumcision/?fbclid=IwAR2LxBQdP44LvuWmeOjkRGMTAE6S9e5OEN0Hht4EJITkkC52xH1j3yrzXR4
    Mom claims doctor botched newborn son’s circumcision
    By Priscilla DeGregory
    November 2, 2018 | 6:01pm
    A mother claims that her newborn son’s penis was partially amputated and then thrown away during a circumcision gone terribly wrong and it turns out this is the doctor’s second time allegedly screwing up the routine procedure, court papers reveal.
    Sandra Albano’s son was circumcised at one-day-old on Sept. 21 at North Shore University Hospital in Manhasset, Long Island by Dr. Aaron Davidson, according to the Nassau County lawsuit filed on Thursday.
    But Davidson and the hospital allegedly, “negligently amputated a significant portion of the penile glans extending into the urethra and then acted with carelessness and recklessness by throwing the amputated tissue into the hazard bin thus preventing it from being surgically reattached to the infant’s penis,” according to the court papers.
    Further, Albano’s son, “will require one or more reconstructive surgeries and will suffer permanent and embarrassing disfiguring injuries,” the court documents say.
    Albano’s lawyer, Gerry Grunsfeld said, “Something like this shouldn’t happen once and it certainly shouldn’t happen twice.”
    “What is really mind boggling is that when this happened the tissue was allowed to be thrown in the garbage,” Grunsfeld said adding, “Right away it should have been seen that a very bad error was made and maybe we need to consult with a pediatric urologist about doing an emergency re-attachment.”
    Grunsfeld said he hopes Davidson will receive retraining on the procedure.
    Albano, of Wantagh, NY, is suing the hospital and the doctor for unspecified damages.
    Court records show that this is not the first time that Davidson has allegedly messed up a circumcision.
    Davidson was also sued in Nassau County in December 2016 by a parent of another child whose circumcision was also allegedly botched in 2013.
    That case could proceed to jury trial on Nov. 15 if the parties don’t reach a settlement agreement first.
    The 2016 lawsuit — filed by father Zishan Razzaq — claimed negligence by Davidson and North Shore for “failure to timely and properly perform surgical procedure known as circumcision upon the infant plaintiff.”
    Razzaq’s wife said in a deposition that part of the cap of her son’s penis was “missing” after the Dec. 20, 2013 procedure — which caused the baby to bleed profusely and landed him in the ICU.
    Similarly, a portion of the cap was also allegedly amputated in Albano’s son’s case.
    Razzaq, reached by phone, told The Post he felt bad for Albano’s family learning they too were victims of Davidson’s negligent work. “It’s not fair to any family. I think [Davidson] should stop doing circumcisions,” Razzaq said.
    Razzaq’s lawyer, Clifford S. Argintar, said in litigation, “What Dr. Davidson is saying is amputating a significant portion of the head of the penis is a risk of circumcisions and frankly it’s not.”
    Davidson did not return messages left at his office. A lawyer who represents Davidson in the 2016 case declined to comment.
    A spokesperson for North Shore, Terence Lynman, said the hospital has been dropped as a defendant in Razzaq’s case. Lynman declined to comment on Albano’s case.

  269. https://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-4389498,00.html
    Baby who stopped breathing during circumcision dies

    Published: 06.07.13, 12:10

    The infant who lost his pulse and stopped breathing during his circumcision one week ago at a Holon synagogue has died. According to sources at Edith Wolfson Medical Center, he was in critical condition when he was hospitalized.
    Shortly after the circumcision, his mother noticed the baby turning blue. Volunteers who were on the scene found him without a pulse and not breathing. An MDA team arrived and began advanced CPR, during which the baby’s pulse and breathing returned, but his condition remained critical through the week. (Dr. Itay Gal)

  270. http://www.china.org.cn/world/Off_the_Wire/2018-12/18/content_74286366.htm
    Botched circumcision claims 21 lives in S. Africa
    December 18, 2018

    CAPE TOWN, Dec. 17 (Xinhua) — A total of 21 boys have died in South Africa as a result of botched circumcision since the summer initiation season began in November, authorities said on Monday.
    The Eastern Cape province, a hotbed of illegal circumcision, reported 17 deaths, while the North West and the Western Cape provinces reported two deaths respectively, according to the Congress of Traditional Leaders of South Africa, or better known as Contralesa.
    An investigation has been launched into circumstances leading to the fatalities, said Contralesa.
    The deaths were reported despite an intensified crackdown on illegal initiation schools in a bid to achieve the goal of zero deaths during the initiation season.
    Contralesa blamed the government for what it said “a lack of support and resources in programs aimed at reducing the number of casualties.”
    The situation entailed the need for the government to declare initiation-related deaths “a national disaster,” Contralesa spokesperson Xolile Ndevu said.
    Ndeve criticized the government for failing to direct resources to curbing initiation deaths.
    Meanwhile, the Eastern Cape Province urged families, communities and traditional leaders to work hand in hand to ensure the creation of a conducive environment for a successful and safe initiation season.
    The government alone cannot resolve this issue, provincial spokesperson Mamkeli Ngam said.
    Circumcision is viewed as a sacred practice in African cultures, marking a male’s transition from child to adulthood. According to the tradition, young males have to be circumcised as the passage to manhood.
    Every year dozens of boys die and many more are hospitalized in South Africa as a result of botched circumcision. In the last 10 years there have been more than 1,000 penile amputations.

  271. https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2018/12/23/toddler-dies-botched-circumcision-rome-migrant-refuge/
    Toddler dies in botched circumcision in Rome migrant refuge
    Josephine McKenna, ROME
    23 December 2018 • 8:59pm
    A toddler has died and his twin brother is fighting for his life at a Rome hospital after a botched home circumcision carried out at a migrant refuge on the outskirts of the city.
    Italian police and local prosecutors have opened a murder investigation into the death of the boy who reportedly died of severe blood loss on Saturday when the procedure went wrong.
    He and his brother, who have not been named, were born in Italy in January 2017 to a woman of Nigerian origin who is believed to have sought asylum in Italy.
    The operation took place in a welcome centre with nine apartments provided by the nonprofit organization Arci and the local council in the town of Monterondo, a suburb of Rome.
    “We are shocked to learn of the death of a child and the serious condition of his twin in Monterondo,” Arci’s Rome branch said in a statement published on its Facebook page on Sunday.
    “The two children are hosted in a welcome centre that Arci has run with Monterotondo Council since 2009. It is a tragedy that leaves us speechless! We are anxiously awaiting a medical update on the second child.”
    Italian media reports said police were questioning the doctor, also believed to be of Nigerian origin, who had carried out the operation and had called for emergency assistance when the child began bleeding profusely. The baby’s twin brother is in intensive care at a Rome hospital.
    “We are waiting for investigators to ascertain the truth,” Arci said.
    The organization said once investigators determine who is responsible for the death of the child it would be looking at taking its own civil legal action.
    Local town officials said the mother of the twins had five other children in Nigeria and had given no indication that she was about to circumcise her twins.
    “It is an absurd tragedy,” Antonino Lupi, the mayor of Monterotondo, told the daily Corriere Della Sera. “No-one outside the nuclear family is allowed to enter the building.
    “Evidently the mother took the initiative without telling anyone, otherwise it would not have been at all allowed.”
    Foad Aodi, founder of the association of foreign doctors in Italy (AMSI) and Co-mai, an organization supporting the Arab community, said up to 35 percent of circumcisions in Italy were carried out at home in a clandestine manner.
    “For years we have been committed to supporting legality and the right to good health and religious respect for all,” Mr Aodi said in a statement.
    He appealed to the health ministry to allow circumcisions at public and private health institutions at an affordable price for Muslim and Jewish families.

  272. https://www.nation.co.ke/counties/meru/Girl-died-after-FGM-procedure/1183302-4996162-6bslrx/index.html

    Girl died after FGM procedure, medics say
    Saturday February 23 2019
    By DAVID MUCHUI

    Medics have confirmed that a girl, 14, who died at Mwanika in Igembe Central in December last year succumbed to Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) complications.
    Nyambene Level Four Hospital medical superintendent Dr Michael Kariuki, who performed a post-mortem on Jelida Gaichuiri’s body, said she died from severe pneumonia after an infection on the FGM wound.
    The body of the 14-year-old has been lying at the morgue for the last two and half months after her parents went into hiding.
    “The postmortem was conducted following a directive from the family. We can confirm that the girl was circumcised. The wound was infected by bacteria which caused severe pneumonia. Specifically, she died from Cardiorespiratory arrest due to severe pneumonia and sepsis as a result of an infected type two FGM wound,” Dr Kariuki said.
    The post-mortem was done even as a confusion raged over where she would be laid to rest following reports that the family was not ready to bury the victim.
    Ms Catherine Thiakunu, an anti-FGM crusader who has been spearheading a search for justice for Jelida said the post-mortem was done after she convinced an uncle to approve the process.
    “The family has already paid the hospital to dispose the body. The grandmother claims there is no land to bury the deceased. I understand that they are against her burial because tradition does not allow the burying a childless person,” Ms Thiakunu said.
    She said they were engaging Njuri Ncheke elders to convince the family to accept the body so as to accord the late Jelida a descent send-off.
    Ms Thiakunu raised concern over rampant cases of FGM in Igembe noting that records indicate that up to 15 girls are admitted in hospital due to circumcision related complications every year.

  273. http://www.newindianexpress.com/cities/hyderabad/2019/feb/24/consumer-forum-directs-doc-to-pay-rs-2-lakh-for-botched-up-circumcision-1942897.html
    Consumer forum directs doctor to pay Rs 2 lakh for botched up circumcision

    A city-based doctor was rapped for negligence while conducting circumcision on a one-year-old child.
    Published: 24th February 2019 11:06 AM
    By Express News Service
    HYDERABAD (India): A city-based doctor was rapped for negligence while conducting circumcision on a one-year-old child. The delicate procedure led to complications, following which the child had unbearable pain. Taking note of the issue, a district consumer forum directed the doctor to pay Rs2 lakh as compensation.
    The procedure was carried out at SEHA hospital near Lakdikapul on April 6, 2015. Khaleel (name changed), a one-year-old child was taken to the doctor by his father Nazir Hussain for circumcision. Nazir Hussain agreed for the surgical procedure to be conducted through the plastibell method, a way through which a plastic bell-like component is slipped on the child’s urethra.
    In usual cases, the plastibell method is harmless and the component would separate itself. But in the present case complications arose after the surgery, and a hole was noticed in the urethra. Whenever the child urinated, it would come out from the new opening also. Though Hussain was told that the surgery would not have any stitches or scars, the hole came as a surprise. On June 2, the doctor had to put five stitches to the hole and assured that the hole would heal on its own within 15 days.
    But that did not happen and Hussain approached another hospital in Ameerpet. The doctors there found that the circumcision procedure developed complications and that the area developed urethral fistula, a complication that causes restriction of urine due to a scar in the urinary bladder.

  274. Italy: Infant dies after parents circumcise him at home
    March 24, 2019
    ROME (AP) — An infant boy in Italy has died as the result of a circumcision performed by his parents at home, according to Italian media reports on Sunday.
    The ANSA news agency reported that the 5-month-old baby was brought to a hospital in Bologna by helicopter in cardiac arrest on Friday afternoon and died that night.
    The prosecutor’s office in the northern province of Reggio Emilia has opened a manslaughter investigation, and the infant will undergo an autopsy.
    The tragedy follows a botched home circumcision of a 2-year-old who died of severe blood loss in December in Rome. In that case, his twin brother nearly died, too, but survived following intensive care treatment.
    Circumcision is not practiced among Italy’s Roman Catholic majority. Many immigrants in Italy are Muslim and practice circumcision for cultural and religious reasons, but sometimes have trouble accessing the practice in hospitals.
    For some, the hospital costs are too high. Also, in some Italian hospitals, doctors refuse to perform circumcisions until the boys have reached the age of 4 or even older.
    Foad Aodi, the founder of the association of foreign doctors in Italy (AMSI), has appealed to health authorities to allow circumcisions at affordable prices and to lower the age of access to help fight clandestine attempts at circumcisions.

    https://www.smdailyjournal.com/news/world/italy-infant-dies-after-parents-circumcise-him-at-home/article_133d594d-40f9-5cfd-b48c-96e2df43a260.html

  275. https://www.foxnews.com/health/second-infant-dies-in-italy-after-at-home-circumcision
    Second infant dies in Italy after at-home circumcision
    By Alexandria Hein | Fox News
    April 3, 2019
    Another infant has died in Italy after an at-home circumcision, marking the second such death in as many months.
    Italian news agency ANSA did not reveal the boy’s age or name, but said that the child died overnight at a location near Genoa after his mother, identified as a Nigerian woman, and his grandmother called for help.
    When paramedics arrived, the child was already dead, ANSA reported.
    According to the report, the child’s mother and grandmother were arrested and taken to police headquarters for questioning, along with a man who authorities say carried out the botched procedure. The boy’s father is reportedly believed to be out of the country.
    The first death involved a 5-month-old baby boy who arrived at a hospital in Bologna two weeks ago by helicopter. According to reports at the time, the child was already in cardiac arrest and dies within hours of his arrival.
    Home circumcision remains a trend among immigrants in Italy, but is not practiced among the country’s Roman Catholic majority. Seeking the procedure at a hospital in Italy remains costly, and some doctors will not perform a circumcision until a child reaches age 4.
    After last month’s death, Yassine Lafram, a leader of Bologna’s Islamic community, called for an end to at-home circumcision.It’s a death that could certainly have been avoided and pains us deeply,” Lafram said, of the 5-month-old’s passing, according to ANSA. “We firmly condemn these irresponsible gestures and we hope that they never happen again.”

  276. https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/world-news/baby-penis-amputated-after-nurse-18260867
    Baby’s penis chopped off after ‘nurse posing as doctor botches his circumcision’
    The nurse allegedly earned a £2.40 bonus for carrying out the procedure at a medical centre in Cairo, Egypt
    BY
    ABIGAIL O’LEARY
    • 12:18, 15 JUL 2019
    • UPDATED12:38, 15 JUL 2019
    • A one-month-old baby had to have his penis amputated after a nurse allegedly pretending to be a doctor carried out a botched circumcision.
    • Ashraf Helmi had gone with his sister-in-law to have his son vaccinated at a medical centre in northern Cairo, Egypt.
    • While there, he claims he was persuaded to have his son circumcised and agreed to let a nurse who allegedly pretended to be a doctor to do the operation.
    • The nurse reportedly carried out the operation for a 50 EGP (£2.40) bonus.
    • Helmi said: “She did it at an emergency room and not an operation room. I made sure I was there because you hear of all the botched surgeries out there.
    • “After finishing, she then fastened the gauze so tightly and when I told her it’s very rough for a small boy, she said, ‘I know what I’m doing!'”
    • When he noticed a swelling on his son’s penis, Helmi went for a follow-up appointment at the medical centre.
    • While there, he became suspicious after the woman who operated on the tot allegedly told him to wait till she brought a ‘doctor’ – and he later reported the matter to police.
    • A few days later, baby Mohamed developed an infection and his father then rushed him to hospital where surgeons had to amputate his penis as it had turned gangrenous.
    • “I didn’t know what went on in the operation room; I only had someone tell me, ‘Come take your daughter!'” he said.
    • Ministry of Health Deputy Minister, Hamdi al-Tabakh told local media that the nurse admitted she had gone through with the ill-fated surgery.
    • However, he said it was at the father’s house, not at the medical centre, a claim which the father denies.
    • “The nurse is being internally investigated but she said the incident took place at the father’s house upon his request,” al-Tabakh added.
    • The nurse has been detained and the case is being investigated.

  277. Kenya
    https://www.cedars-sinai.org/education/graduate-medical/residency/ob-gyn/residents.html
    Boy’s penis completely cut off in botched circumcision
    • Graham Kajilwa 22nd Aug 2019 00:00:00 GMT +0300
    A two-year-old boy is nursing severe injuries after a botched circumcision at a government hospital that left his genitals completely severed.

    The incident which occurred on Sunday at Isinya Health Centre, Kajiado County had the boy’s penis completely cut off.
    The boy had to undergo a reconstructive surgery at Kajiado County Referral Hospital.
    Betty Nyamoita, the boy’s mother, said she took her son to Isinya Health Centre for the procedure at about midday, but she waited until 6 pm before he could be attended to.
    Since it was late, she requested the doctor who was to perform the procedure to postpone it until the following day.
    “He insisted on performing it so that he can check on him the following morning before he clocks out after his night shift,” said Ms Nyamoita.
    The Standard has since established that the man was actually a nurse and not a doctor. She explained that after the exercise, the boy was handed over to him. However, his wound was not bandaged.
    “He claimed his genitals were too small and the bandage won’t fit,” Nyamaito recalled.
    That night, Nyamaito said, the boy did not sleep because of pain. Upon examining him, she said she noticed that he was not stitched properly.
    On Monday, Nyamoita went back to the hospital to consult with the medic who circumcised her son. He was not in.
    His colleagues said he was not going to be in until Friday. His phone was also off. Having panicked after noticing her son bleeding uncontrollably, Nyamoita consulted a private clinic.
    “The doctor stared at the boy for a while without saying a word. Then he told me to rush my son to Kajiado County Referral Hospital’,” she said.
    It is at Kajiado that doctors, led by one of the Cuban specialists Arisleibis Enriquez, performed a surgery on Tuesday to salvage the boy’s penis.
    Dr Enriquez, a urologist, said all the structures of the boy’s penis were separated and they had to reconstruct the urethra. His genitals were also swollen.
    “He lost the head of the penis. I tried to form something similar to that,” she said.
    At the moment, a catheter has been fitted to enable the boy pass urine. A nurse at the Isinya facility defended her colleague saying he has been circumcising boys for some time, even as she begged Nyamoita not to report the matter to police.
    The nurse in question is yet to report to the hospital.

  278. https://nypost.com/2019/09/10/botched-circumcision-leaves-british-man-unable-to-have-sex/
    Botched circumcision leaves British man unable to have sex
    By Yaron Steinbuch
    September 10, 2019 | 9:28am
    A British man who experienced difficulties urinating underwent surgery that left him with an “extremely buried penis” – worsening his condition and preventing him from having sex with his wife, according to a report.
    The man had been initially told that he would undergo a “dorsal slit” — a single incision along the upper length of the foreskin — for his urinary problem, but when he was wheeled into surgery at Furness General Hospital, Dr. Kavinder Madhra told him he would perform a full circumcision, according to The Mail.
    But during the October 2012 surgery, when he was 54, too much skin was removed and he was left with an “extremely buried penis,” a condition that “took his manhood away,” almost caused his marriage to break down and left him suicidal.
    The unidentified man also was left unable to direct the flow of urine and has to press a bucket against himself when going to the toilet, according to the news outlet.
    “After the operation I suffered an infection and when all the swelling had gone down I was pretty much left without a penis as it was buried in my body,” he said.
    “I haven’t been able to go to the toilet normally since as I have no control when I go for a wee. It just shoots everywhere so I have to use a bucket,” he continued.
    “That has stopped me going out to restaurants or any days out as it is just so difficult and embarrassing,” the man added. “I’ve had experts come and see me and basically suggest that I wear a large nappy. I am not prepared to degrade myself any further by doing that.
    “Before the operation I had a good sex life with my wife but that has been impossible since. That has been really difficult to handle,” he said. “I basically go to bed unable to have any sexual activity with my wife. That has been taken from us and had a massive impact on our relationship.”
    The man took legal action against the University Hospitals of Morecambe Bay NHS Foundation Trust, whose officials admitted that too much skin had been removed during the botched procedure.
    They also acknowledged that he had not been fully warned of the risks of complications as a result of his being overweight. Outside medical experts said he also should have undergone liposuction and skin grafts at the same time.
    The man received a negotiated settlement of about $154,000 in the case with the help of medical negligence attorney Rachel O’Connor.
    “The problem my client faced initially was quite common in that he was finding it difficult to go to the toilet due to experiencing tightening of the foreskin, which was making it difficult to urinate,” O’Connor said.
    “Given his weight and condition, it was the view of independent medical experts that we consulted that a circumcision should never have been carried out in isolation and the matter was further worsened by the surgeon removing too much skin during the operation.
    “The impact on my client’s life has been huge. He says he has gone from a happy-go-lucky person who had a good social life to someone who admits he has been moody and angry and feeling trapped in his home,” she continued.
    “There was suggestion of him having reconstructive surgery, but he lost all trust in the medical profession as a result of what happened.”
    Madhra had been allowed to continue practicing despite five complaints being made against him by both patients and doctors in 2014, but he resigned four years later after the Medical Practitioners Tribunal Service imposed restrictions on his work.
    Shahedal Bari, the trust’s medcial director, said: “I would like to say how sorry I am for the harm caused to this patient.I sincerely hope that this financial settlement will go some way towards compensating him for what has happened.”

  279. https://www.thesun.co.uk/news/10228512/boy-penis-amputated-circumcision-doctor-mistake/
    DRENCHED IN BLOOD
    Toddler, 3, has penis cut off in a botched circumcision by a highly experienced surgeon
    • Jacob Dirnhuber
    • Janet Tappin Coelho
    • 28 Oct 2019, 16:58
    • Updated: 28 Oct 2019, 17:02
    A BUNGLING surgeon chopped off a toddler’s willy in a botched circumcision – before dying of a heart attack just days later.
    The three-year-old’s penis was mutilated by “experienced” Dr Pedro Abrantes in Malacacheta, Brazil, last month.
    Alberthy Camargos, the tot’s distraught dad, told how he discovered the blunder when a nurse changed the bandages.
    He wept: “It was only a couple hours after the surgery. When they lifted the gauze there was no visible penis, just a stump.
    “I went crazy and dropped to the ground. I went into shock. I tried to move, but I was paralysed and needed to be supported by nurses.”
    “The doctor assured me that everything was normal. He told me that he had removed the excess skin and the penis would reappear in 10 days.
    BUNGLING SURGEON LEFT BLOODY STUMP
    “I felt disgusted by the answer. They were treating me like a fool and I lost total confidence in the medical team.
    “I knew just by looking and from hearing my son’s cries of pain and seeing the disorientated state he was in, that the surgery had gone wrong and my son’s body had been mutilated.”
    A medical report into the blunder said there had been: “laceration of the foreskin skin with open and bleeding cavernous bodies (spongy-like areas)… and the inadvertent partial amputation of the penis… (leaving) the base of the penis”.
    A spokesperson for Dr Carlos Marx Municipal Hospital said an internal enquiry is underway and the medical team that assisted Dr Abrantes is under investigation.

  280. http://intaction.org/circumcision-torments-promising-young-american-leads-to-suicide-the-thaddeus-formal-story/
    Editor’s note: Intaction is sensitive to the family’s grief over this heartbreaking situation, and we do not wish to add to it. However we are publishing this information, which was gathered from public sources and social media, to help others achieve greater understanding of the psychological harm of circumcision. While circumcision can have a tragic impact on some individuals, oftentimes the public cannot possibly understand how bad it can be until they read stories such as Thaddeus’s. Our hope is that mental health specialists will gain greater awareness of the effect of forced genital cutting on some men when treating depression. The family of Thaddeus Formal has our deepest condolences.
    “I was raped and mutilated as a baby. Taken away to a dark corner of a hospital strapped down while knives and clamps were put to my most precious sacred body part. A good lesson taught to us at birth with sugar stuffed into our mouths [common infant pain relief] as we suffer the worst pain of our whole lives. With no coping mechanisms and no support from family or society we are left to stoop ourselves into drugs and alcohol with no understanding or escape from a sense of violation in the deepest parts of our psyche.
    I love you brother. Until we meet again ….
    ~Thaddeus recounting his feelings in a final message to a close friend.

    Thad’s Story As Told By Friend David Johnson
    This is going to be my personal interpretation of one of my best friends, Thaddeus. We were childhood friends from a very early age. My mom and his mom were friends and were pregnant at the same time.
    When Thad was young he was a very hyperactive child. Early on in his school life, certain teachers pushed to put him on medications. Luckily, his parents never did that. Thad was a very intelligent and athletic person.
    I would say for most of his life he struggled emotionally and he always confided in me to give him support. You could say I am an empathic type of person. I often soak up other’s emotional problems and give them support. At the same time though, sometimes I would take on too much responsibilities for others and reap consequences for being too involved (you empaths know what I’m talking about).

    Anyways, as kids we were always hanging out at each other’s homes. We would play video games and ping pong. As we got older, we went to high school and got separated for a while. Thad was slowly growing up and pursued academic and athletic endeavors. I got heavily into drugs in high school and had my own problems. Thad was popular in high school, had girlfriends, and was a star tennis player and water polo player. Things seemed to be going all too well for him. His dad was a doctor and his mom was a good saleswoman making good money. It was the family that seemingly had it all.
    Thad had aced high school as a straight A student and went to a top tier university to study biochemistry so he could eventually get into medicine. During this time, Thad got into fishing and became a highly skilled fishermen who could compete with the best.
    In contrast to his school years, more and more issues started coming up for him. He began to have more trouble with women and would notice problems with his sexuality coming up. There were days Thad would call me crying because of social issues he was having. One day in particular, after he was partying, he broke his arm and was really struggling. It brought out all the social group issues and concerns he had to the surface. The pressures of higher education, the social, and sexual problems were starting to really weigh on him.
    He began to date a woman and fell in love with her. I knew that he wanted to be with her, but as they were graduating and moving on, Thad was having trouble truly expressing his feelings for her.
    I always wanted to spend more time with him, but his school was not close to where I lived. Eventually, he graduated with his degree in biochemistry and he came back home to live with his parents. During this time, I spent a lot of days with him. This was the worst state I ever saw him in. He was clearly very depressed and not in tip top physical shape as he once was in high school. I could tell he wasn’t taking care of himself physically or mentally.
    During the next year or two, we didn’t talk much but kept in contact during holidays. Thad and I started talking every day. He messaged me educational material about circumcision.
    He watched Eric Clopper’s Harvard performance “Sex and Circumcision” and saw the movie “American Circumcision.” I knew about circumcision from past research but didn’t think too much of it. This was obviously a big issue for Thad. As I started to research more, it became increasingly more of a problem for me as well. At this point, Thad was calling me almost every night. We started playing some old video games again and that seemed to brighten our moods. Thad was clearly struggling more than ever, and I encouraged him to start taking care of himself. His education was almost over and I thought it was important he prioritized himself.
    I invited him to come live with us for a while out in nature to try to deal with some things. He was dealing with sexual issues of erectile dysfunction and felt a big loss of confidence with women. Thad was in love with the woman from college that he met in his years in biochemistry. He still thought about her and missed her over the years. Thad still had feelings for her.
    Unfortunately, they went their own ways and never rekindled their relationship. Thad had a very hard time expressing himself to her and allowing vulnerabilities. He was insecure and did not feel worthy of her and the relationship.
    His pride was pushing him on to succeed, but inside he was feeling a deep sense of hurt and inability to express himself. To this day, I know that he was meant to be with her if things would have been different.
    I encouraged him to start [foreskin] restoration and get out of the U.S. for a while to meet some new people.

    Thad was only five months away from finishing his second degree. The pressures of life, the growing awareness of his sexual problems and circumcision were growing too much for him too bear. He harbored a deep depression for years with no relief, only getting worse, and he couldn’t cope with it any longer.
    On October 7th 2019, Thad decided to take his own life.
    He sent me one last email time stamped to the day after his death. A loving message of a deeply hurt individual. He never wanted to cause harm to others and wanted the best for his friends and family.
    This event forever changed me and made me realize the importance of dealing with trauma. Childhood trauma between the ages of birth and age 5 are the most deep to deal with. Every year after that becomes less and less impactful on ones mind. Sexual abuse and rape as a new born baby causes a deep psychological and physical trauma that needs to be dealt with sooner rather than later.
    With circumcision rates as high as they are in the U.S., this problem has become a plague on our society, with people left with a deep feeling of loss and no one to turn to. Drugs are often the only escape for many having lost the most natural sense of well being as a man.
    We need to be compassionate towards people and they need more comprehensive support in dealing with trauma as it is not a minor issue. We need to come to terms with what has happened to us. If a women was raped and tortured as an adult we would understand why she is behaving erratically and depressed.
    Many men are struggling with similar issues with no understanding or help in sight, only ever increasing pressures of society put on their shoulders. How can we begin to fix a problem without first accepting that the problem is there to begin with. Denial is the emotion that only allows the cycle to continue.
    We MUST do the self work of ACCEPTING our own trauma in order to stop the next generation from suffering the same trauma again.

    https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=2480744718690979&set=a.107477526017722&type=3&theater
    R.I.P. to my brother.
    Jason Allan Merrifield
    November 13 – 14, 1974
    Daniel Joseph Merrifield – “Jason died from an infection complication arising from circumcision. He was 1 day old. The infection spread to his bloodstream, inciting heart failure… from what I’ve been told.”

  281. FGM: 15-year-old girl rushed to hospital in Egypt after home op goes wrong

    February 3, 2021 at 1:29 pm | Published in: Africa, Egypt, News

    Egypt authorities have arrested a retired nurse and the father of a 15-year-old girl after a botched FGM operation that saw her being rushed to hospital for severe bleeding.

    The illegal operation was reported to the public prosecutor by the doctor who treated her at the hospital.

    FGM is banned in Egypt but critics say authorities turn a blind eye and fail to hold perpetrators to account, which encourages the operations to continue.
    In January the Egyptian cabinet approved harsher FGM penalties raising the maximum sentence to 20 years and stipulating jail time for anyone requesting the operation be carried out.

    The practice was banned in 2008 with stricter punishments put in place in 2016, yet it is still practiced widely by both Christians and Muslims indicating authorities have failed to put an end to the brutal practice.

    Besides being incredibly painful, the operation can cause childbirth complications, infertility and death from infection.

    According to UNICEF, almost 90 per cent of Egyptian women and girls between the ages of 15 and 49 have undergone FGM. It is one of the top four countries worldwide where FGM is carried out.

    In June last year, a father of three girls organised for his daughters to be cut after telling them they were having the coronavirus vaccination.

    Earlier that year, 12-year-old Nada Abdul Maksoud died after her parents forced her to undergo FGM and she bled to death.

    The doctor who carried out the operation was released immediately.
    Often women are circumcised without anaesthetic as doctors charge extra and often families cannot afford it or don’t want to pay. Doctors often charge high prices for FGM since the operation is illegal.

    Official figures put the number of women who have been impacted by FGM worldwide as 200 million, but rights activists say this is a huge underestimation.

  282. https://frontpageafricaonline.com/news/liberia-4-yr-old-penis-chopped-off-by-quack-doctor-during-circumcision/

    Liberia: 4-Yr-Old Penis Chopped Off By ‘Quack’ Doctor During Circumcision

    By Elton W. Tiah Last updated Feb 23, 2021

    District #4, Grand Bassa — A four-year-old boy, Dehnyuwah Wheagon, is suffering from unprofessional circumcision which led to his penis being almost totally chopped off by a community “doctor” identified Solomon Goffa in District #4, Grand Bassa County.

    According to reports, the penis of little Degyuwah Wheagon was allegedly cut off by the doctor when he carried out the circumcision.

    Theophilus George, uncle of the child, told this newspaper that the incident occurred three weeks ago and that they didn’t notice it until they took the boy to the hospital.

    “Solomon Goffa circumcised the boy three weeks ago; but the boy kept feeling pain and crying so we took him to the hospital for checkup because Solomon Goffa couldn’t be seen around.”

    He explained further that when the boy was rushed to the Liberian Government Hospital in Buchanan, doctors told them that Goffa wrongfully circumcised the boy by cutting off his penis.

    “When the doctors at the Liberia Government Hospital informed us that our son’s penis was cut off, we complained Solomon Goffa to the police,” George added.

    The child and his mother, Patience Wheagon are currently in Block B, New Buchanan Community, Grand Bassa County.

    The Women and Children Protection Division of the Liberian National Police has arrested and sent to prison Solomon Goffa and another person who according to reports aided him in the process.

    Both Solomon Goffa and his assistant are currently being jailed at the Liberian National Police headquarters in Buchanan as investigation continues.

  283. https://www.jpost.com/israel-news/3-week-old-baby-hospitalized-with-brain-infection-after-bris-gone-wrong-633078

    Jerusalem Post Israel News

    3-week-old baby hospitalized with brain infection after brit gone wrong

    Evidence of newborn herpes infections accompanied by brain infections and their connection to the ‘oral suction’ in circumcisions have been widely described in medical history for the past 200 years.

    By IDAN ZONSHINE
    JUNE 28, 2020 22:26

    A three-weeks-old baby is currently in serious condition at the Bnei Zion Medical Center in Haifa due to a herpetic infection, which began in the genital area and has spread to the brain, leading to convulsions and seizures.

    Laboratory tests found that the infant likely contracted the Type 1 herpes virus during his brit, directly from the mohel, who performed the ceremony using the controversial Orthodox method of blood cleaning known as “Metzitzah B’Peh,” or oral suction.

    Director of Pediatrics at Bnei Zion Medical Center, Prof. Itzhak Sarugo, said that “the baby was hospitalized in serious condition, with a visible inflammation of the brain (encephalitis) accompanied by prolonged convulsions and a severe skin infection that started in the groin area where the circumcision was performed.”

    The baby was rushed to Bnei Zion Hospital by his parents immediately after they noticed a large infection in the genital area following the brit.

    During hospitalization in the pediatric ward, the herpes virus was discovered in both the cerebrospinal fluid and in the lesions that were on the baby’s skin.

    During the first three days of hospitalization the infant suffered from numerous seizures despite receiving treatment both for seizures and the virus.

    Sarugo said that “the antiviral treatment he received is aimed at destroying the virus in the brain and preventing the inflammation of the nervous system. The baby will have to receive this treatment for the next six months.”

    The professor explained that “evidence of newborn herpes infections accompanied by brain infections, and their connection to the oral suction in circumcisions, have been widely described in medical history for the past 200 years.

    “The herpes virus can cause a skin infection, which can spread to the brain and cause severe inflammation of the brain and even death,” Sarugo said.

    The neonatal herpes virus can also be transmitted while a baby passes through the birth canal, though not through the placenta, often leading to preventative C-section surgeries.

    However, in adults, the virus is most often spread through saliva, sexual contact or blood transfusions.

    Bnei Zion Medical Center further stated that “the nature of the lesions’ diffusion and onset in the groin area and the continued spread of the lesions imply infection during the brit in the sucking stage when there is contact between the mohel’s mouth and the baby’s blood.”

    The Talmud writes that a “Mohel (Circumciser) who does not suck creates a danger, and should be dismissed from practice.” Rashi, commenting on that Talmudic passage, explains that the purpose of this step is to draw some blood from deep inside the wound, to prevent danger to the baby.

    The suction phase in circumcisions today is most often performed by using a small suction tube, similar to the kind found at a dentist’s office, thus avoiding the use of the mouth as recommended by the Pediatric Association and the Ministry of Health.

    However, some Orthodox and Hassidic Jewish factions still use the Metzitzah B’Peh method for traditional reasons, since it is one of the four steps to fulfill the mitzvah (commandment).

  284. http://outbreaknewstoday.com/new-york-city-three-new-cases-of-neonatal-herpes-following-ritual-jewish-circumcision-reported-33262/

    New York City: Three new cases of neonatal herpes following ritual Jewish circumcision reported

    by News Desk

    February 24, 2020

    New York City health officials report since December 2019, three male infants were diagnosed with neonatal herpes following ritual Jewish circumcision, with the most recent case reported in January 2020.

    All three babies were admitted to the hospital for treatment and are recovering.

    Direct orogenital suction (DOS) during ritual Jewish circumcision (also known as metzitzah b’peh) is a practice during which a mohel (religious circumciser) uses his mouth to suck blood away from the penile circumcision wound. DOS can transmit herpes simplex virus (HSV) to newborn males which can cause severe infection, resulting in brain damage, and death.

    Since April 2006, when neonatal herpes reporting became mandatory in NYC, there has been a total of 169 babies (male and female) with laboratory-confirmed neonatal herpes infection. Among these, 22 (13%) developed their infections following ritual Jewish circumcision.

    Signs and symptoms may include: a vesicular or pustular rash (following DOS, these lesions typically appear on the genitals, groin, buttocks and ankle; fever; poor feeding; irritability; and lethargy. Fever and rash are not always present so, a historical exposure such as DOS should raise suspicion for an atypical presentation of neonatal herpes.

  285. https://www.facebook.com/miamiherald/posts/10159196018547300?__tn__=K-R

    Miami Herald

    A South Florida doctor almost killed a baby during circumcision, the state says

    Dr. Donghua Xie gave the baby boy about twice as much pain medication as he should have, the department said in an administrative complaint filed March 1.

    A Margate doctor caused a baby to turn blue, have a seizure and stop breathing during a circumcision, the Florida Department of Health said.

  286. https://www.palmbeachpost.com/story/news/2021/05/29/doctor-botched-babys-circumcision-after-state-opted-end-his-license-parents-say/7421107002/

    Doctor botched newborn’s circumcision after state opted to revoke his license, parents say

    John Pacenti
    Palm Beach Post
    Published 8:00 a.m. ET May 29, 2021

    Fewer than two weeks after the Board of Medicine decided to revoke his medical license because of a patient’s death, former OB-GYN Berto Lopez performed a circumcision on a 10-day-old infant for $250 cash, hitting an artery and mangling the boy’s genitalia, the parents say.

    It was not the first time Lopez had botched a circumcision, according to court documents.

    In the most recent incident, the former doctor’s actions turned the unbridled joy of first-time parents into one of escalating panic, as they rushed to the emergency room one day later and then to a urologist the next.

    The news from the urologist was devastating.

    “He said he hadn’t seen a wound like this except maybe one other time in his career. He confirmed one-third of the head of the penis was cut off,” the father of the infant told The Palm Beach Post.

    “We were very shocked this could happen, that this doctor could still be working.”

    Lopez carries no medical malpractice insurance. He lost all hospital privileges. And even before his medical license was revoked, he was prohibited from doing surgery without supervision of another doctor.

    A circumcision, by definition, is the surgical removal of the foreskin of the penis.

    The Board of Medicine revoked Lopez’s license at a meeting Feb. 5. However, an official order was not entered until Feb. 22.

    License not revoked until order is entered
    The couple contacted The Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office and were told the lag meant Lopez wasn’t technically practicing without a license. “They said it probably wouldn’t work as a criminal case,” the father said.

    Department of Health spokesman Brad Dalton said a doctor’s license isn’t officially revoked until the order is filed. He said the delay is due to department attorneys processing the numerous decisions made by the Board of Medicine at a given disciplinary meeting.

    The Post discovered Lopez is also still holding himself to be a doctor for a company selling vitamin supplements.

    A person answering the phone at the West Palm Beach office where the circumcision was performed said Lopez was taking some personal time and was uncertain whether he would return to practice.

    Lopez left a voicemail that he had no comment for any story about him in The Post.

    Woman bled to death giving birth to her 2nd child
    The couple’s attorney, Gary Cohen, previously sued Lopez for the death of Onystei Castillo-Lopez, the case that would cost the physician his license.

    Lopez had punctured her cervix with an amino hook and then failed to properly repair the damage, according to court documents. Castillo-Lopez bled to death at Good Samaritan Medical Center in July 2017 after giving birth to her second child.

    The lawsuit was settled, though Cohen said Lopez has not kept up with his payments to Castillo-Lopez’s family.

    In April 2014, Lopez lost another patient, Ashley Perez, after she went into shock because of an arterial bleed following a cesarean section and tubal ligation, according a complaint filed by the Department of Health.

    The Perez case was the second time he was in front of the Board of Medicine. He was disciplined in April 2004 after failing to remove a fetus who had died in utero. The woman ended up giving birth at home to “a female fetus with normal head, neck, abdomen, legs and back.”

    The Board of Medicine allowed Lopez to settle the previous complaints filed by the Department of Health in 2004 and 2014.

    In 2004, he agreed to a board reprimand, a $10,000 fine, 15 hours of continuing medical education and 25 hours of community service.

    Supervision of surgeries required
    After Perez’s death, the board decided in April 2017 to allow Lopez to remain in his practice with the caveat that any surgeries had to be supervised by another physician.

    In July 2019, a lawsuit was filed against Lopez accusing him of negligence in performing a circumcision at Good Samaritan Medical Center.

    In this incident, according to the lawsuit, Lopez completely amputated the penis. The lawsuit was settled.

    That circumcision occurred on April 14, 2017 — one week after the Board of Medicine mandated another physician supervise Lopez during surgical procedures.

    The lawsuit over the first circumcision is now sealed. And the parents of the second infant asked their names not to be published to protect their child’s privacy.

    “There is something seriously wrong with his practices,” Cohen said of Lopez. “These are not the normal actions of any doctor, not even a bad doctor. He never has taken even 1% of responsibility for the deaths and injuries that he has caused.”

    Circumcision is a personal choice of parents and often a religious one.

    Jewish mohels perform circumcision during a ceremony, but often these individuals are doctors practicing in the faith who often are board-certified as well as certified through the Jewish denomination.

    There is no indication that Lopez was acting as mohel.

    The latest child who suffered a botched circumcision was born at Palm Beach Maternity Center on the very day the Board of Medicine decided to revoke the former OB-GYN’s license.

    Attorney Gary Cohen is representing the couple claiming that former OB-GYN Berto Lopez botched a circumcision on their newborn 10 days after the Florida Board of Medicine revoked his license. (Photo: Provided)
    The parents wanted to have the baby circumcised and were advised by the midwife to have it performed within the first two weeks after birth.

    The couple, though, could not find a doctor who could do it until mid-March. They went back to the midwife and she recommended Lopez.

    Midwife didn’t know about Lopez’s license
    Cohen said he did not want to identify the midwife because he was in the middle of building a possible lawsuit. The lawyer said the midwife told the clients that she knew Lopez personally and warned the couple that he “can be a little sarcastic or inappropriate with his comments.”

    The father of the boy said he didn’t know whether the midwife knew that Lopez had lost his license.

    “We really believe that she should have known what this doctor was capable of since they had a working relationship in the past,” he said.

    The couple arrived with their son Feb. 15 at Lopez’s office on 1501 Presidential Way. They paid $250 cash before a young woman from the front desk called them back into one of the rooms.

    Lopez said he would take only cash for the procedure and would not do it through health insurance, the parents said.

    The father stayed with the baby in the room, while the mother waited outside. Lopez called in one of the women from the receptionist desk to assist him with the operation.

    “I had the feeling that something was wrong because I knew that it was supposed to be a short procedure. And the amount of bleeding was excessive,” the father said.

    “I was also concerned with the fact that he had the receptionist who was at the front desk helping him with the operation instead of an actual nurse.”

    The father then started to doubt Lopez’s abilities when the bleeding wouldn’t stop. Lopez ended up putting in two sutures, he said.

    “He said he hit an artery,” the father said. “He said that what happened was normal, and that it would heal within a couple days after we treat it, like a typical circumcision.”

    But it didn’t heal. The wound was so swollen the next day the couple took their son to the emergency room. The genitalia wasn’t even discernable.

    The next stop was the urologist and the heartbreaking assessment of the damage done.

    The mother said the news of permanent damage was earth-shattering.

    “I had to change a diaper, you know, so many times a day,” she said. “The wound was very open.”

    The worst part for the mother was that Lopez told them not to worry about the bleeding, that everything would heal properly.

    “It’s so unfair that a doctor like that would lie to us to our face and not even tell us the truth so at least we could have gone to the emergency room and repaired the issues that he caused,” she said.

    “But he didn’t care. He was a liar. He shouldn’t have been operating on our son or anybody else.”

    The urologist has told the family that there has been permanent damage to the organ, that it will never look normal.

    Cohen said he is researching the issue of whether Lopez committed a criminal act after the Board of Medicine decided to revoke his license.

    Lopez bills himself as doctor selling vitamins
    At the time, Lopez’s lawyer said the physician planned to appeal the decision but later said he decided to turn in his license.

    However, Lopez could still be found this week billing himself as a doctor for a Palm Beach Gardens company selling pre-natal and other vitamins under Folate Maxx and Coastal Vitamins. He even has a video on Amazon.com.

    The company’s owner, Paul Siu, when contacted by The Post, said he was unaware that Lopez had had his license revoked and would be removing him as medical director.

    Siu said he was in contact with Lopez about two times a month when the doctor would call for his payment. The former doctor was evasive when Siu asked him about his problems with the Board of Medicine.

    “What I heard from Dr. Lopez was that he was getting his license back,” Siu said.

  287. https://www.facebook.com/BloodstainedMenTheirFriends/photos/pb.172212266252130.-2207520000../2314337118706290/?type=3&theater

    “This death will never be recorded anywhere as a circumcision tragedy. The American Academy of Pediatrics has specifically said they don’t know (or want to know) the death and other tragedies related to circumcision. Why don’t they want to know? It’s a billion dollar business that relies on deceit, equivocation, and fake science.”

    “my family and I need some prayers. our new borne grandchild past away from complications due to circumcision yesterday with the age of 3 1/2 weeks. we are all lost for words and in shock, . we are devastated. we just came back seeing him and the family holding him and had a joyful trip and now just 2 weeks later we have to go back for his funeral. please keep us in your prayers thank you.

  288. https://www.jpost.com/israel-news/parents-refuse-surgery-for-baby-after-circumcision-gone-wrong-641940

    Parents refuse surgery for baby after circumcision gone wrong

    The baby was brought to the pediatric emergency room at Ziv Medical Center in Safed with extreme bleeding.

    By JERUSALEM POST STAFF SEPTEMBER 11, 2020 14:44

    Parents refused an emergency surgery for their eight-day-old infant after a life endangering accident occurred during his traditional circumcision ceremony on Friday morning, Israeli media reported.

    After refusing the surgery, the parents left the hospital.

    The baby was brought to the pediatric emergency room at Ziv Medical Center in Safed with extreme bleeding as a result of a ‘significant incision’ in his genitals during the traditional brit milah ceremony, according to the hospital announcement.

    An expert urologist examined the injured baby and determined that his life was in danger. “After being examined, it was decided that immediate surgery should be performed,” the hospital noted.

    At this point the parents took the baby and left the hospital before the doctors were able to perform the operation.

    The incident was reported to the police who opened an investigation.

    N12 reported Friday afternoon that the baby was hospitalized in moderate condition at the Baruch Padeh Medical Center.

  289. https://www.timeslive.co.za/news/south-africa/2021-08-23-man-hacked-to-death-during-argument-about-circumcision/

    An argument between two men in Kirkwood in the Eastern Cape allegedly resulted in a 22-year-old man being hacked to death with a panga.

    Police spokesperson Sgt Majola Nkohli said Anathi Balindlela had allegedly become embroiled in an argument with another man regarding medical versus traditional circumcision.

    Balindlela was found dead during the early hours of Monday in the Bersheba area.

    A 28-year-old man has been arrested and is expected to appear in the Kirkwood magistrate’s court on Wednesday on a charge of murder.

    “Just after midnight, police responded after a man was found in a street in the Bersheba area in Kirkwood, hacked to death with a panga,” Nkohli said.

    “The deceased sustained injuries on his upper body.

    “It is alleged the two men were embroiled in a violent confrontation about masculinity relating to medical and traditional circumcision.”

    The panga was seized in the investigation.

  290. https://www.sowetanlive.co.za/news/south-africa/2021-08-05-13-initiates-lost-lives-in-spate-of-illegal-circumcisions/

    13 initiates lost lives in spate of illegal circumcisions
    E Cape’s gory details include penile amputations

    By lindile sifile – 05 August 2021 – 14:20

    At least 13 initiates have died in the Eastern Cape while four had penile amputations and 3,281 were circumcised illegally during the December 2020 summer season.

    This is according to a report tabled by the province’s cooperative governance and traditional affairs before the portfolio committee on Thursday. While 10,747 initiates were circumcised in the province last summer, at least 300 illegal initiation schools were erected in the Eastern Cape, 39 initiates had to be hospitalised while 310 tested positive for Covid-19.

  291. https://www.dovepress.com/catastrophic-complications-of-circumcision-by-traditional-circumcisers-peer-reviewed-fulltext-article-OAEM

    Patients

    Case 1

    Parents of a 5-month-old boy took him to the hospital with complaints of purulent discharge around the penis, bleeding, and amputation of the distal part of the penis after ritual circumcision two days ago. A local non-qualified traditional person had used the Mogen clamp technique to circumcise the boy. Before the procedure, no antibiotics were prescribed. It was also done without the use of an anesthetic. The patient’s vital signs were unstable when he arrived (blood pressure: 60/30 mmHg, respiratory rate: 28 respirations per minute, pulse rate: 150 beats per minute). He was very pale and agitated. The physical examination revealed total skin loss of the penis that extended to the scrotum and suprapubic region, as well as purulent discharge around the penis and amputation of the distal part of the penis (Figure 1A and B).

    Figure 1 (A) Complete skin loss in the whole penis extended to the scrotum associated with purulent discharge around the penis and distal penile amputation. (B) The distal part of the penis was amputated (arrow).

    The blood test results revealed hemoglobin: 6.8 gm/dL. He was rushed to the operating room for resuscitation, and after general anesthesia, normal saline and packed red blood cell transfusions were started. The urologist first sutured the bleeding site with Chromic 6/0 to achieve hemostasis. There was an attempt to do penile reimplantation, but it was unsuccessful. The child was treated with intravenous Cefazolin (50 mg/kg/day), daily debridement and wound irrigation, and suprapubic catheter insertion and planned for future surgical reconstruction. After 2 days, the parents of the patient decided to leave the hospital without follow-up.

    Case 2

    A 20-day-old baby was taken to the hospital with severe bleeding following a ritual circumcision 7 days ago. A local unqualified traditional practitioner performed the circumcision utilizing the Mogen clamp technique. No antibiotics were prescribed. It was also done without the use of an anesthetic. On arrival, the patient was in a state of hemorrhagic shock. The patient’s vital signs were unstable (blood pressure: 50/33 mmHg, respiratory rate: 32 breaths per minute, and pulse rate: 170 beats per minute). He was very pale and agitated. The physical examination of the baby revealed total skin loss from the penis to the scrotum, as well as extensive bleeding from the frenular artery (Figure 2A and B).

    Figure 2 (A) Complete skin loss after ritual circumcision with severe bleeding. (B) The penile body after bleeding control.

    The blood investigation revealed hemoglobin: 6 gm/dL. He was rushed to the operating room for resuscitation, and before general anesthesia, normal saline and packed red blood cell transfusions were started. The urology team obtained hemostasis by initially suturing the site of bleeding with Chromic 6/0. Notwithstanding, the patient developed sudden cardiac arrest. Cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) was initiated and continued for one hour, but it was unsuccessful, and the baby died.

  292. https://www.palmbeachpost.com/story/news/2021/09/23/florida-ob-gyn-parents-two-babies-claim-doctor-botched-circumcision/8192744002/

    Parents of two baby boys claim Palm Beach County doctor botched circumcisions

    John Pacenti, Palm Beach Post

    When in February, the Florida Board of Medicine decided to overrule an administrative judge and revoke Dr. Berto Lopez’s license, his lawyer vowed an appeal.

    Elena Ris, who is also Lopez’s sister, told the board her brother had lost all his hospital privileges and posed no threat to the public. He couldn’t do surgery, she said, without supervision.

    But that didn’t stop Lopez. He used a 10-day lag before the board’s decision became official to keep seeing patients.

    In May, the parents of an infant boy came forward to tell the Palm Beach Post that less than two weeks after the decision to revoke his license, Lopez botched their 10-day-old son’s circumcision. The baby lost a third of his penis and his urethra was cut, they said.

    Lopez had told the parents not to worry, that the bleeding was normal. He insisted on a $250 cash payment.

    “He didn’t care. He was a liar. He shouldn’t have been operating on our son or anybody else,” said the infant’s mother, who The Post is not naming to protect the boy’s identity.

    Lopez decided not to appeal the board’s revocation of his license.

    The board addressed the 10-day lag in August, prioritizing the filing of orders suspending or revoking doctors’ licenses.

    Lopez had mishandled a circumcision at least once before, records show.

    In 2017, Lopez amputated an infant’s penis, according to a lawsuit that was sealed by a judge some time after The Post found it.

    “A penile and scrotal ultrasound was performed and no tissue identifiable as glans penis is present,” the lawsuit stated.

    The case concluded as many malpractice cases do: with a confidential settlement.”

  293. https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-10287861/Toddler-2-dies-baby-brother-fighting-life-botched-circumcisions.html

    Toddler, 2, dies and his baby brother is fighting for life ‘after botched circumcisions’ as homicide cops are called to investigate

    •Boys had circumcision operations at a medical clinic in Perth on Tuesday
    •Rushed to hospital but toddler declared dead on arrival at emergency
    •His little brother had emergency surgery and spent the night in the ICU

    By Nic White For Daily Mail Australia
    PUBLISHED: 06:26 EST, 8 December 2021 | UPDATED: 06:43 EST, 8 December 2021

    A two-year-old boy has died and his baby brother narrowly survived life-saving surgery after allegedly botched circumcisions.

    The boys were rushed to hospital in Armadale after the procedures at a medical clinic in Perth’s southeast suburbs on Tuesday night.

    The toddler was declared dead on arrival at the hospital’s emergency department and his brother rushed to Perth Children’s Hospital, Seven News reported.

    There the little boy, believed to be seven or eight months old, had emergency surgery and spent the night in the ICU.

    He is believed to be in a stable condition and recovering in hospital.

    Homicide detectives were called in to investigate, but Western Australian Police said his death is no longer being treated as suspicious.

    The investigation has been turned over to the coroner and a report will be prepared by police.

  294. Death After Circumcision – Baby R
    January 19, 2022 – January 24, 2022

    https://www.facebook.com/BloodstainedMenTheirFriends/photos/a.172218806251476/2455257217947612

    A perfectly healthy newborn boy died three days ago in a Texas hospital. American doctors hide these deaths from young parents, giving them no warning how common it is for babies to die after circumcision. The parents themselves are too traumatized and guilt-ridden to speak out to protect other babies. This parent deleted their post after it came to our attention, resulting in several screenshots from different sources, put together for this heart-wrenching post. Each year in the United States more than 100 newborn baby boys die as a result of circumcision and circumcision complications.

    https://www.circinfo.org/USA_deaths.html

  295. https://philippineslifestyle.com/teen-bleeds-to-death-after-free-circumcision-in-medical-mission/

    Philippines Lifestyle

    Teen bleeds to death after free circumcision in medical mission

    By Margret Fermin –
    March 26, 2022

    The circumcision of a 13-year-old boy ended in tragedy after he died due to alleged blood loss after his circumcision in Lucena City in Quezon province.

    According to the boy’s grandfather, his grandson was circumcised during a medical mission conducted by the Scout Royal Brotherhood Fraternity in Zaballero, Lucena City, on March 19.

    But the bleeding in the child’s circumcision did not stop until he was rushed to the hospital on March 21. But the next day, he passed away.

    In the victim’s death certificate, it was stated that the child had bled and was killed.

    The victim’s family approached the Volunteers Against Crime and Corruption and Public Attorneys Office to bring justice to the child’s plight.

    They believe that there was negligence on the part of those who performed the medical mission and circumcision.

    The victim’s body will also be subjected to an autopsy by the PAO Forensic Team.

    On the other hand, PAO Chief Atty Persida Acosta said that there may have been malpractice and negligence in what happened to the child. She said those behind the free circumcision did not even check the victim’s condition.

    She said this incident should also serve as a lesson to those who will carry out the medical mission that there should be a screening of patients before performing the procedure.

  296. https://www.saps.gov.za/newsroom/msspeechdetail.php?nid=39533

    Two young men die after circumcision
    2022/04/30

    Media Statement
    South African Police Service
    Office of the Provincial Commissioner Mpumalanga

    NELSPRUIT – The Provincial Commissioner of the SAPS in Mpumalanga, Lieutenant General Semakaleng Daphney Manamela was moved by the death of two young men who died in separate incidents related to circumcision. The incidents are said to have occurred on Friday, 29 April 2022 at Verena and Laersdrift respectively.

    According to the information, on Friday 03h30am Thomas Ntuli, aged 19 was taken to a local clinic by his family after reports that he had some complications at the initiation school that he was in subsequent to circumcision procedure performed on him. It is further said that whilst the medical staff at the clinic was busy attending to him, he unfortunately passed on.

    Police at Verena were alerted about the incident and a case of culpable homicide was opened for investigation.

    Meanwhile a similar incident occurred at Laersdrift on the same Friday around 09h00am whereby Sibusiso Masombuka, aged 18 passed away following reports that he developed some complications after he too went for circumcision at another initiation school a day prior to his demise.

    It is further reported that on the sad day at about 06h00am Masombuka complained about being dizzy then he was removed from the other fellows so that he could get some space to breathe. His condition is said to have deteriorated whereby his parents were notified and the medical personnel were summoned to the scene where he was sadly certified dead. The police were also informed where upon their arrival, an inquest case was opened for investigation.

    The Provincial Commissioner of the SAPS in Mpumalanga, Lieutenant General Semakaleng Daphney Manamela has since sent her sincere condolences to the families of the deceased. The General further made a clarion call for the investigation team to be given a space to probe both incidents.

  297. https://www.dawn.com/news/1690992/quack-puts-lives-of-two-brothers-in-danger-after-circumcision

    Quack puts lives of two brothers in danger after circumcision in Sialkot (Pakistan)

    Published May 23, 2022

    NAROWAL: A quack has allegedly damaged the genitals of two brothers during circumcision at a private hospital in Sialkot.

    Shahzain, a labourer of Goharpur area of Sialkot city, took his sons Muhammad Sahil, 3, and Muhammad Ayan, 1, to a private hospital two weeks ago for circumcision. He said the doctor charged exorbitant fee for circumcision of the children and discharged them after two days.

    The children kept screaming due to severe pain instead of healing, he said, adding that he eventually took them back to the hospital where the doctor asked them to take the children to some other hospital.

    “When I asked about the condition of the children, the doctor insulted me and took me out of the hospital,” said Shahzain. He said he took his children to the Children’s Hospital, Sialkot, where doctors informed him that the genitals of the young ones had been damaged and they were in pain due to infection.

    Shahzain said the lives of his children had been put in danger by the quack. He said he had filed a complaint against the private hospital to the health department, the deputy commissioner and the Muradpura police station but to no avail.

    Local residents Abdul Khaliq and Karim Bakhsh said there were complaints about the private hospital which was not even registered with the Punjab Healthcare Commission. They said the hospital was notorious as surgical instruments were being reused without sterelisation.

    The labourer has demanded that Chief Minister Hamza Shehbaz and health authorities take stern action against the doctor.

  298. https://california18.com/bordeaux-a-doctor-implicated-for-complications-after-circumcisions/5414172022/

    Bordeaux: a doctor implicated for complications after circumcisions
    June 28, 2022

    The Ritual Circumcision Center of Bordeaux was recently singled out after the death of a two-month-old infant. One of its co-founders, David A., was indicted in February 2021.

    A “complex file, both in substance and in form”. In Bordeaux, more than a dozen couples denounce complications after circumcisions performed on their children within the Center de Circumcisions Rituelle (CCR) of the city. More specifically, it is David A., co-founder of the structure and doctor, who is accused of having breached ethics, report our colleagues from South West.

    The Order of Physicians of New Aquitaine, to which several reports have been reported, considers that these surgeries took place in poor sanitary conditions and with a lack of medical follow-up. Indicted in February 2021 for “involuntary injuries” and “endangering the lives of others”, David A. was recently suspended from his duties before appealing.

    “When you are neither a surgeon, nor an anesthetist, nor a urologist, you do not practice surgery, nor anesthesia, nor urology”, pleads Me Pierre Landete, one of the lawyers for the civil parties, with BFMTV.com .

    “considerable pain”
    The latter represents three separate couples whose children passed through the hands of David A. for their circumcision. According to the lawyer, the three little boys came out “seriously injured” from these interventions. “According to the experts appointed by the investigating judge, the most injured of them will even have to wait until puberty to benefit from reconstructive surgery. This causes considerable pain,” he explains.

    David A., general practitioner from Bordeaux, decides to open the Bordeaux CCR in 2017. He also presents himself as a “mohel”, that is to say the person authorized to perform circumcision on little boys of faith Jewish. However, if these operations are tolerated outside the health system in the name of the free exercise of worship, the doctor is not a surgeon.

    “He crosses a threshold that he should not cross,” said Me Pierre Landete. “The number of child victims shows that this doctor does not master the practice.”

    On the contrary, for the lawyer for the mis en cause, Me Thibault Soubelet, “these complaints and criticisms alone do not prove that he is responsible” for the complications.

    The doctor can continue to practice
    Suspended from his duties for two years by the Disciplinary Chamber of the Order of Physicians of New Aquitaine on May 23, David A. and his lawyer appealed against this decision. “The appeal is suspensive, which means that my client can continue to practice as a doctor in the meantime”, details Me Thibault Soubelet, contacted by BFMTV.com on Tuesday.

    For each case, the Disciplinary Chamber had decided to suspend the doctor for six months. These various cases, put together, led to a suspension of two years in total.

    “It is very questionable because it violates the principle of non-accumulation of sentences”, continues the advice of David A., who is counting on case law so that the National Disciplinary Chamber of the Order, which will have to render its decision on appeal. , to come back to this sanction.

    Battle of Experts

    “He is a character who multiplies the procedures” to escape sanctions, comments for his part Me Pierre Landete. “Nothing stops him.” Not even the dozen families who have joined as civil parties, denouncing complications following circumcisions performed by the doctor.

    Charges that the indicted denies en bloc. “He continues to contest the grievances, both on the information to the parents and on the gesture itself and the follow-up of the children”, lists Me Thibault Soubelet. “An expert in urology has 100% validated the care of Dr. David A.. This is the first time that an expert has been objective in this case”, he continues.

    On May 25, the Bordeaux CCR was mentioned in another case: a 2-month-old infant died a few hours after a circumcision performed in a house rented by the center in the Bordeaux region. An investigation is underway to determine if a link can be established between the surgery and the death of the child.

  299. https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/manitoba/circumcision-portage-la-prairie-lawsuit-southern-health-1.6504436

    Baby who bled for hours after circumcision was sent home from ER twice, suffered brain damage: lawsuit

    Child, now 5, has irreversible brain damage, motor impairment, impaired vision and speech, claim says

    Rachel Bergen · CBC News · Posted: Jul 03, 2022 6:00 AM CT

    The mother of a boy who suffered permanent brain damage after he bled into his diapers all day following his circumcision says they were twice turned away from a Manitoba emergency department when they sought care.

    She is now suing the Southern Health region and three health-care workers in the city of Portage la Prairie, alleging her son didn’t receive timely medical attention and treatment in 2017.

    Her statement of claim was filed on June 22 of this year with Manitoba Court of Queen’s Bench.

    The health authority says it hasn’t yet been served, a spokesperson said on Wednesday.

    Statements of defence hadn’t been filed as of then, and none of the allegations have been proven in court.

    The child, whom CBC News is not naming due to private health information, was born healthy in 2017, according to the statement of claim.

    In August, when he was one month old, he was taken to the Portage Clinic to be circumcised by a doctor — an important part of his family’s Muslim faith.

    About four hours after the circumcision, the parents opened his diaper and found it bloodstained.

    They took him back to the clinic to see the doctor who performed the circumcision. He is named as a defendant in the lawsuit, accused of not performing the circumcision properly and not properly following up on the baby’s care.

    The doctor checked out the baby, put Vaseline on him and sent him home with his parents, the suit says.

    Sent home from ER without treatment
    Three hours later, the parents found the baby’s diaper was “saturated” with blood, according to the court document.

    They changed it and applied Vaseline, as the doctor had advised, but took the baby to the hospital in Portage la Prairie, where the same doctor was working in the emergency department.

    Around 7 p.m. — about an hour after he was taken to the ER — the baby was discharged with no change in treatment, the statement of claim says.

    The parents returned to the hospital at 9:30 p.m., where the baby was triaged by a nurse, who is also named as a defendant.

    The nurse found it difficult to communicate with the family, who didn’t speak English very well, but told them the situation wasn’t an emergency, the suit says. They were sent back to the waiting room because there were no examination rooms available.

    The family waited, but around 10:30 p.m., the father approached the nurse, again telling her the baby had been bleeding since the morning. She replied that there were patients who needed more urgent care, and repeated that the situation was not an emergency.

    The child’s father said that if it wasn’t an emergency, they should just go home. The nurse said they could do so, but didn’t ask to look in the infant’s diaper or inspect the circumcision before they left the hospital, according to the statement of claim.

    The nurse took the baby’s chart to another doctor who was working in the emergency room, also named as a defendant in the lawsuit, and explained what had happened.

    He signed the chart without inspecting the baby and gave no instructions for bringing the child back to the hospital to be treated, the lawsuit says.

    Airlifted to HSC
    The parents took the baby home, but later that night, he became paler and started having trouble breathing. They rushed him back to the hospital again around 2:40 a.m, the statement of claim says.

    The same nurse saw the baby and noted he was very pale and lethargic, so she took him to the triage desk and admitted him as an emergency case.

    The baby was given an immediate blood transfusion, the lawsuit says, and was classified as “hemodynamically unstable at a catastrophic level” — a condition that occurs when there’s abnormal blood pressure, and which can cause inadequate blood flow to organs — and in need of “critical life-saving measures.”

    He was taken by STARS air ambulance to Health Sciences Centre in Winnipeg, about 80 kilometres east of Portage la Prairie, at 7:45 a.m. and admitted to the neonatal intensive care unit with hemorrhagic shock, which occurs when the body starts to shut down due to blood loss.

    The statement of claim says an MRI showed the baby had a severe brain injury and remained in the intensive care unit for two weeks.

    The mother alleges in the lawsuit that the injuries suffered by her son were caused or contributed to by the negligence of the two doctors, the nurse and the health region named in the suit, which led to “severe and permanent injuries.”

    Severe brain damage
    The child, now five years old, lives with motor impairment, irreversible brain damage, impaired vision and speech, and developmental delay. He “will continue to suffer the effects of his disabilities for the balance of his lifetime,” the suit says.

    The lawsuit is seeking damages for the child’s injuries, as well as compensation for the parents, who need to provide “extraordinary care” for him.

    The lawsuit also alleges the Southern Health region and hospital were negligent because they failed to have interpreter personnel accessible to help the family address a “significant language barrier,” and failed to provide cultural sensitivity training for staff.

    Martin Pollock, the mother’s lawyer, says at the time, the parents were deeply distraught about their son’s consistent bleeding.

    “You can imagine that when people are emotional and it affects the health of their newborns … that the struggle [with English] is amplified,” he said.

    In its Wednesday statement, Southern Health said its health centres offer language access services through Shared Health, the provincial health agency. That service provides patients with interpreter services by phone, video or face to face, the health authority said.

    Urgent interpreter services are also available through a contracted resource that provides 24/7 on-demand services in over 200 languages, according to the health authority.

  300. https://english.pravda.ru/news/society/153614-circumcision/

    Surgeon mutilates 7-year-old boy during home circumcision

    16.08.2022

    In Moscow, a seven-year-old boy was circumcised at home. As a result of the surgery, the child lost a quarter of his penis, Baza Telegram channel says.

    The boy’s parents called the surgeon home to perform the operation to remove foreskin. However, an accident occurred during the procedure. The boy had to be taken to hospital. Doctors provided all necessary help, but the boy’s penis became one centimetre shorter.

    The Investigative Committee of Russia in Moscow confirmed the incident.

    “A man, a surgeon from a private clinic, while in an apartment located on Geroev Panfilovtsev Street in Moscow, caused traumatic injuries to a seven-year-old boy during a paid medical procedure,” the department said in a statement.

    At the moment, investigators have opened a criminal case under part 1 of article 238 (“Provision of services that do not meet security requirements”) of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation.

  301. https://www.jpost.com/breaking-news/article-716445

    Israeli baby requires complex surgery after circumcision gone wrong
    The baby required long and complex surgery performed by three surgeons to treat the circumcision damage, but it is unclear if it was successful.

    By JERUSALEM POST STAFF Published: SEPTEMBER 6, 2022 15:40
    Updated: SEPTEMBER 6, 2022 19:37

    A baby was rushed to the hospital in northern Israel on Monday after his circumcision went wrong, with his genitals being almost completely amputated during a brit mila – a Jewish ritual circumcision, Israeli media reported. The mohel was late found to be uncertified and did not undergo required training.

    The baby was rushed to Haifa’s Rambam Health Care Campus immediately after his brit mila, which caused a severe cut in his genitalia. The treatment required three surgeons to perform a long and incredibly complicated operation.

    According to Dr. Akram Asadi, he had never seen such a severe injury due to circumcision in his 20 years as a surgeon.

    “We don’t know exactly how it happened, but the baby is suffering from an almost complete amputation of his genitals,” Asadi told N12. “This is a shocking case and the injury is very serious.”

    Despite this, the injury wasn’t life-threatening and the baby is in stable condition.

    Currently, it is too early to say if the surgery was successful, however permanent damage is expected, Israeli media reported. . .

    According to Ynet, the mohel in this case was uncertified, and is being investigated by a Chief Rabbinate and Health Ministry inter-office committee, which is responsible for supervising and certifying mohels.

  302. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/363952

    Israel unites in prayer for baby with hemophilia

    Strangers across the world are uniting in prayer for Israeli baby who was diagnosed with a life-threatening disease which prevents his blood from clotting properly.

    Published: 5.12.22, 20:30
    Updated: 6.12.22, 15:16

    BREAKING– Strangers across the world are uniting in prayer for Shimmy Karnberg, an Israeli baby who was diagnosed with hemophilia, a life-threatening disease which prevents his blood from clotting properly.

    Parents Yair and Bruria Karnberg discovered that something was wrong with their son shortly after his circumcision, when poor little Shimmy’s wound would not stop bleeding.

  303. 11 deaths since start of initiation season in the Eastern Cape

    The first death was reported as the initiation summer season started in Mdantsane, Buffalo City.

    Sipha Kema | 15 December 2022 14:17

    GQEBERHA – Since the start of this year’s initiation season in the Eastern Cape, community members say already 11 initiates have died.

    The first death was reported as the initiation summer season started in Mdantsane, Buffalo City.

    While the 2022 circumcision summer season death rate has thus far recorded a decrease at 11, compared to the 34 reported in 2021, the continuous fatalities are still a cause of concern for the province.

    Eyewitness News understands that one of the recorded deaths was forewarned during the pre-screening process, yet the family dismissed the caution that resulted in death due to an underlying health condition.

    Eastern Cape’s Department of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (CoGTA) MEC, Zolile Williams, said that nine of the 11 initiates’ deaths resulted from various causes, more especially dehydration.

    Williams has lambasted the families and initiation surgeons who restricted the initiates from drinking water for two weeks.

    “It is grossly wrong to deprive kids of water, but there is a limit to how you use water, especially in the first week. So, we are saying no child must be dehydrated and must die as a result of that. It’s an unnecessary death of our kids. What we are emphasising is that no child must be dehydrated and, therefore, kids must be given water.”

    The latest death has left a family distraught and a community in shock after a 20-year-old initiate was found hanging from a tree at Madlangathini locality in Mthatha.

    An inquest case was opened for further investigation.

  304. https://coconuts.co/jakarta/news/indonesian-boy-loses-tip-during-mass-circumcision-event/

    Indonesian boy loses tip during mass circumcision event

    By Coconuts Jakarta
    Dec 21, 2022 | 10:30am Jakarta time

    An Indonesian boy’s rite of passage to manhood may be compromised after a section of his manhood was reportedly snipped off.

    According to the police, a private clinic in Cerenti District, Riau Province held a free mass circumcision event to celebrate the birthday of the clinic owner’s son on Dec. 18. Ninety-three boys had signed up for their free snips.

    Among them was a 10-year-old boy, who could not have foreseen that he would lose more than his foreskin.

    “[The circumcision practitioner cut] the tip. We’re still looking into it because the boy was taken to a hospital in Pekanbaru,” Cerenti Police Chief Irwan Fikri said yesterday, referring to the provincial capital.

    The chief did not say how much of the tip was severed.

    Irwan added that the boy was 85th in line for a circumcision. The event was called off right after the incident, meaning eight boys were spared what would have been a terrifying encounter with the shears.

    The boy’s current condition, and whether or not his tip could be reattached, has not been disclosed.

    Most Indonesian boys, especially Muslims, get circumcised around the age of five or before the onset of puberty. Many remember the procedure with a certain fondness since circumcisions are traditionally treated as a rite of passage into manhood that is rewarded with parties and presents.

    Though circumcisions are generally safe, there have been the rare occasion that the procedure gets botched in Indonesia.

  305. https://coconuts.co/jakarta/news/circumcision-gone-wrong-indonesian-boys-penis-glans-cut-off-botched-surgery-carried-retired-nurse/

    Circumcision gone wrong: Indonesian boy’s penis glans cut off in botched surgery carried out by retired nurse

    By Coconuts Jakarta
    Sep 7, 2018 | 11:47am Jakarta time

    In a story that will cause men everywhere to clench their nether regions, an Indonesian boy has reportedly fallen victim to a reported botched circumcision — locally known as sunat — leading to the loss of an instrumental part of his genitalia.

    Last Thursday, a boy identified by his initial B, whose age wasn’t disclosed, was scheduled to go through the religious rite of passage that most boys in Muslim-majority Indonesia must face.

    A mantri (a term for those who perform circumcisions and other medical procedures outside of medical practice) was called to perform the procedure at the boy’s home in Pekalongan Regency, Central Java. However, he reportedly cut off more than just the boy’s foreskin, severing his penis glans as well, reportedly to the boy’s screaming agony.

    The child’s family then took him to the hospital immediately afterwards to stop the bleeding, but doctors weren’t able to reattach his penis glans.

    The police are currently investigating the case for possible medical malpractice.

    “It’s still being handled by the UPPA (Women and Child Protection Services). We are still looking into this and no suspects have been named,” Pekalongan Regency Police Chief Wawan Kurniawan told reporters yesterday, as quoted by Detik.

    Police are investigating the mantri, who was identified as a 68-year-old retired male nurse with the initial B. In rural Indonesia, many families turn to unlicensed mantri to perform circumcisions in order to cut costs.

    The police noted that B used a “laser” cutting technique to circumcise the boy, which doesn’t literally involve a laser, but instead utilizes an electrical surgery tool that runs alternating electrical current runs through a thin metal rod to cut the tissue while cauterizing it at the same time, minimizing risk of infection (imagine Darth Vader cutting off Luke Skywalker’s hand with a lightsaber and apply that technique to cutting the foreskin off a penis).

    B’s surgical tools have been confiscated by the police.

    Most Indonesian boys, especially Muslims, remember their circumcisions because they are often carried out when they are around five years old or before the onset of puberty. Many remember the operation with a certain fondness, since circumcisions are traditionally a rite of passage into manhood rewarded with parties and presents. It’s safe to say the boy in this case won’t have good memories of his circumcision as police say he’s recovering physically but “traumatized” by the incident.

  306. https://www.ansa.it/english/news/2023/03/27/2-women-arrested-after-circumcision-boy-bled-out_588e19ca-9dbf-4e7e-92af-22283a9f38b9.html

    2 women arrested after circumcision boy bled out

    Nigerians charged with manslaughter, illegal medical practice

    27 March 2023

    (ANSA) – ROME, MAR 27 – Italian police on Monday arrested two Nigerian women in connection with the death of a 20 days-old Nigerian boy who bled out after a home ritual circumcision near Rome last Friday, police said.

    The two women are charged with aggravated manslaughter and illegal exercise of a profession.

    The child’s mother is also being investigated on suspicion of conspiracy to commit manslaughter.

    The boy’s parents rushed him to hospital but he arrived there dead.
    Some 5,000 such circumcisions are performed in Italy every year, and 35% of them clandestinely, according to the latest figures.

  307. https://www.monitor.co.ug/uganda/news/national/four-month-old-baby-dies-in-botched-circumcision-procedure-4201320

    Four month old baby dies in botched circumcision procedure
    Sunday, April 16, 2023

    By Yahudu Kitunzi
    Reporter

    Daily Monitor

    What you need to know:

    After he was discharged at around 1pm the deceased got a convulsion and was taken back to theatre where he was put on oxygen. His situation worsened as he bled until he passed on at around 6pm on Saturday.

    Police in Pallisa District in eastern Uganda are investigating circumstances under which a baby died one hour after being circumcised.

    The incident happened at Pallisa General hospital on Saturday. It’s reported that Eriasa Clement Edwin, a four months old baby, started bleeding immediately after circumcision.

    The Bukedi North Regional Police Spokesperson, ASP Immaculate Alaso, confirmed the unfortunate incident saying the doctor who performed carried out the circumcision is on the run but efforts are underway to apprehend him.

    She said Ms Betty Apolot and Mr Richard Opio handed their child to the suspect to be circumcised when he was normal, according to police’s preliminary investigations.

    “On April 15, 2023 the mother of the deceased at around 10am reached to Pallisa General hospital for safe male circumcision which was done between 11am to midday. After he was discharged at around 1pm the deceased got a convulsion and was taken back to theatre where he was put on oxygen. His situation worsened as he bled until he passed on at around 6pm on Saturday,” ASP Alaso said on Sunday.

    “Police visited the scene and obtained statements from the parents of the deceased and other eyewitnesses. However, police are on ground to establish whether the suspect is a trained surgeon qualified to perform such a procedure,” Ms Alaso said.

    Our efforts to get a comment from the hospital’s medical superintendent were futile as unknown contact was unavailable by press time.

  308. https://www.dispatchlive.co.za/news/2023-06-29-breaking-consternation-as-six-eastern-cape-initiates-die-within-72-hours/

    BREAKING | Consternation as six Eastern Cape initiates die within 72 hours

    By Lulamile Feni – 29 June 2023

    Six initiates died within 72 hours in the Eastern Cape this week, triggering widespread shock, with leaders fearing for the worst in the 2023 winter initiation season . . .

    He gave details of the deaths. • June 25: An 18-year-old initiate died at Malizole village, in Mbizana, five days after he was circumcised on June 21.

  309. https://yen.com.gh/ghana/237841-knust-hospital-accused-medical-negligence-10-day-baby-boy-dead-circumcision-procedure/

    Baby Dies At KNUST Hospital During Circumcision: NGO Vows To Prove Medical Negligence Against Health Facility Updated

    Wednesday, July 19, 2023 at 2:03 PM by George Nyavor

    An NGO has taken up the matter of suspected medical negligence against KNUST Hospital following the death of a 10-day-old baby boy during circumcision Advocacy for Medical Malpractice Victim has said it can establish a prima facie case against the KNUST Hospital Parents of the baby boy said shortly after a nurse started the process of circumcising their boy the baby cried out loudly followed by senior nurses and doctors rushing into the theatre.

    An NGO, Advocacy for Medical Malpractice Victims, has vowed to prove that KNUST Hospital was medically negligent in the death of a 10-day-old baby boy during circumcision.

    Despite the hospital’s refusal to comment on the matter or even admit to medical negligence, the NGO whose interest is in the care and treatment of patients has vowed to secure justice for the parents of the baby boy.

    Advocacy for Medical Malpractice Victims, according to the Joy News report, has said it can establish a prima facie case against the KNUST Hospital.

    “From all indications, the hospital was negligent in the conduct of the circumcision,” Executive Secretary, Kwame Brobbey Appiah, is quoted in the report.

    The bizarre death of the 10-day-old baby boy at the KNUST Hospital in Kumasi during circumcision compelled the parents to cite the health facility for medical negligence. According to a report by Joy News, sources at the facility say the baby boy died of cardiac arrest during what was supposed to be a simple procedure.

    “Authorities at the KNUST Hospital have declined comments on the matter,” the report published on Wednesday, July 19, 2023, said.

    Baby’s loud cry during circumcision was the last parents heard Parents Mohammed Jamal, 36, a private security officer and Halimatu Adams, 27, a fashion designer said when they got to the facility, they met a nurse who examined the baby and undressed him.

    “[She] took off his diapers and told us everything was okay,” the father of the boy, Mohammed, recounted. But not long after the boy was taken into the theatre for the procedure to remove the foreskin on his phallus, they heard a wild cry.

    The parents say not long after this, some senior nurses and doctors were seen rushing into the theatre. That was when the parents suspected something serious had happened. “I became restless a few minutes later. A woman who spoke to me in Hausa tried to calm me down but it was impossible. I felt like attending nature’s call,” the baby’s mother narrated.

    Halimatu said by the time a doctor came to formally announce that her son has died, she already knew because she felt it. “I told him I think my child was dead…I felt something bad had happened to my son,” Halimatu recounted.

  310. https://lawandsocietymagazine.com/no-justice-for-man-whose-penis-got-chopped-off-in-botched-circumcision/

    No justice for man whose penis got chopped off in botched circumcision

    A 22-year-old man had his penis chopped off in a botched circumcision at age 10. He has had a compensation award of £500,000 reduced to just £20,000 after the Malay government appealed against his claim.

    The unnamed victim reportedly lost roughly 90 percent of his penis during the operation. It took place at the local hospital in his hometown of Kuala Lipis, Malaysia. The incident occurred on December 13, 2010.

    The medics, who reportedly severed his privates, were not qualified in microsurgeries. The decision was made to transfer the boy to Selayang Hospital where better qualified surgeons could rectify the situation.

    However, the delay meant he was only operated on 10 hours later. At this point, all hope for reattaching his penis was lost.

    Afterwards, he remained hospitalised for over a month amid an agonising and desperate recovery process after which he filed a lawsuit against the government and hospital directors with the help of his mother.

    Courts
    On April 7, 2022, Justice Datuk Akhtar Tahir ruled in his favour and awarded him MYR 3.1 million (£532,409) in damages.

    Judge Akhtar said in June of last year: “The delay in attending to the plaintiff’s injury extinguished hopes of a successful surgery in saving the penis.

    “The Selayang Hospital had been informed about the transfer of the plaintiff. Yet the medical personnel did not take steps to prepare for a possible surgery.

    “It is clear that no amount of financial award given by the court will compensate the loss suffered by the plaintiff.

    “All the shame and humiliation the plaintiff suffers comes as a result of this terrible loss.

    “His mother had testified that since the age of 10, the plaintiff has entered into a shell. He finds it hard to interact with others, let alone develop the courage ever to marry.”

    The amount sought by the plaintiff was north of £500,000, including a litany of general, special and severe damages collectively owed by all the defendants.

    But the payout was greatly reduced after the government filed an appeal that the Putrajaya Court of Appeal accepted.

  311. http://www.savingsons.org/2011/10/newborn-baby-survives-heart-failure.html

    Following by Amye Wright
    Posted with permission from the Herald Citizen

    Amanda Bond had just had a tubal ligation reversal three weeks before she found out that she was expecting her third child. “I wasn’t supposed to (get pregnant) until six weeks (after),” Bond said. The pregnancy was “bad” from the beginning, she says. She’d had at least 20 ultrasounds during the pregnancy. “We had no clue that he had something going on with him,” she said. According to Bond, the chances of reaching a full-term pregnancy with the baby were slim.

    However, at 38 weeks, Chance was born at Cookeville Regional Medical Center. He was a typical, healthy baby. Everything was fine until he had a circumcision the following day.

    “About 15 minutes after they circumcised him, he crashed,” Bond said. “Luckily, we had someone here that knew what was going on and saved his life.”

    That someone was Dr. Apryl Hall, Pediatrics-Hospitalist, and the staff of the unit. Dr. Hall administered a prostaglandin which kept a key valve open in Chance’s heart, in order to save his life. “They saved his life,” Bond said. “To be on it that quick is a big deal.” According to Bond, Chance’s condition — hypoplastic left heart syndrome — should have been picked up on one of the many ultrasounds but wasn’t. . . .

Leave a Reply to Keith Rutter Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *