If you have perfect children and circumstances, I envy you.
Over 17 years ago, my journey in IDA, Individual with Disabilities Act, began as the advocate voice for the most special person in my life. I was given a set of circumstances that have changed the very core of who I am, perhaps for the better, or not.
When your child does not fit in a narrow range of typical, the world is a daunting prospect. My sole obligation is to protect him and uphold his fundamental IDA rights, and do the best I can.
I never would have imagined the revolving door treatment issues that occur to almost experimentation levels, or that I would be enduring the absolute untruths through omission about the people that I love the most.
Like it or not, the systematic closure of mental health services has forced law enforcement to the front lines of what is truly a clinical matter.
While I expect political backlash from those that wish to turn my personal tragedy into their political vengeance, I will not accept political and untruthful commentary from an elected official about my son and I concerning the events at my home in November 2013.
I have read comments by Councilman Chris Anderson that clearly show his political motives.
*It is a fact that in November 2013, I telephoned 911 asking for assistance to transport my minor son to the Erlanger Emergency room for certificate of need evaluation in accordance with Tennessee Code Annotated regarding evaluation and treatment standards for mental health crisis, and medications.
*I demanded that my son receive the certificate of need evaluation and treatment that law enforcement are not clinically trained or licensed to perform.
It is a fundamental legal requirement to transport an individual identified under IDA in documented crisis for certificate of need by a licensed clinician.
It makes me wonder how many mental health patients are incarcerated without certification of need evaluation and treatment in accordance with the Tennessee Code. At the same time, I cannot paint with a broad brush, because I have also encountered a majority of the most compassionate law enforcement people that give so much of themselves.
Collecting all the information shows that my son's mugshot with his mental health issues were published 27 times. What baggage for a youth in crisis to carry for a misdemeanor offense. Unless you are in my shoes, you really don’t understand that the treatment outcomes are paramount and the front burner issues for us.
I have recently obtained the original complaint against my husband that first surfaced at Mayor Andy Berke's office from a gmail account of an unknown party hiding behind a veil that clearly possessed my minor son's mental health record and juvenile records. I have made numerous inquiries as to the source of this gmail complaint sent to the Mayor, and been advised that the city cannot obtain an IP address out of the city server. Really? Why not tech savvy kids? You can indeed pull the IP address.
I was so incensed that someone would send my son’s protected juvenile and medical information outside of the CPD to Mayor Berke.
If someone believed there was impropriety in the handling of my son’s case, they could have made the argument without decimating private medical and juvenile information.
How would anyone like it if their child’s private medical and juvenile records were disseminated outside of law enforcement to the Mayor? That, Councilman Anderson, is not an allegation, it is a fact.
I demanded that my son be transported to Erlanger as a fundamental IDA right. I did what a parent is suppose. That is where the dispute began.
Ask yourself, how would you feel if your son’s private mental health records were disseminated outside of trusted entities, or parties that you felt were trustworthy?
April Eidson
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After reading the situation the Eidson family has been put into by the calloused use of a juvenile child's medical records to assault the family for political reasons are very, very disturbing. The election of Andy Berke and Chris Anderson to responsible, creditable positions of authority was a vile tragedy.
I hope she sues the city into oblivion, not to hurt the taxpayers, but to help make the taxpayers and voters realize that Andy Berke and his henchmen are evil and deserve to be cast into obscurity.
Brandi Wright