Baby Mario Viera was in the NICU of a Miami, Florida hospital when hospital staff circumcised him against his mother’s instructions.
The surgery was performed eight days after his birth, and without a parent present. The hospital blames a misread consent form.
Mario’s mother, Vera Delgado, was understandably upset. Especially because she told doctors several times that she didn’t want him circumcised. From CBS 4:
It’s a big hospital. It’s a good hospital, and I thought he’s safe, he’s good there.
I know some people will think, ‘Oh that’s not a big deal.’ But what would happen if you don’t want that for your son, and they do it anyway?
I was crying. I spent that day and the next day crying.
Even those who believe in circumcision should be outraged with the hospital’s “mistake”. What kind of “misreading” does it take to actually perform unnecessary surgery on an infant, much less one in the ICU?
South Miami Hospital released a statement that read,
The baby’s circumcision was an unfortunate mistake caused by a misread consent form. As soon as the error was discovered, the doctor and nurses let the family know what had occurred.
Oh good. Welp, as long as the parents knew their son had been taken from the ICU and accidentally mutilated, no harm done.
What further annoys me about this outrageous “mistake” is the way CBS 4 reported it.
It turns out every man in Mario’s family is uncircumcised. It’s a family tradition.
Yes, it’s a family tradition. Like turkey and Grandma’s green bean casserole on Thanksgiving.
Funny, I have that tradition in my family, too! We don’t believe in subjecting male infants to pain just after birth simply based on their gender! Because not harming babies is a tradition in my family.
And for linguistic purposes, can everyone please correct their use of the word “uncircumcised”? Otherwise, I’m going to have to call myself an unmastectomized, uncircumcised woman.
And I’d prefer to keep calling myself whole, thankyouverymuch. Just like my sons. Just like every son, especially Vera Delgado’s, should be.
I know they said they’re sorry, but it’s done. The damage is done.
You can find a great blog post on this tragedy at Peaceful Parenting. I found this story on Intact America’s Facebook page.
Thanks for sharing this story.
It is absolutely awful, but the world needs to know that such a tragedy occurred. đ
UNACCEPTABLE.
The CBS report also left a bitter taste in my mouth when they referred to being “uncircumcised” as a family tradition. The insanity of such a statement is mind-boggling and incredibly frustrating. Are we really living in an era where referring to leaving your children’s bodies intact must be described as “tradition” ?!
Unfortunately, even if there is a large settlement, nothing will undo the damage caused to this young baby due to the foreskin-hungry doctors that performed this unnecessary, painful, permanent and harmful procedure on him.
Intact America
http://www.intactamerica.org
Catholics Against Circumcision
http://www.catholicsagainstcircumcision.org/
Not Just Skin
http://www.notjustskin.org/
Whole Baby Revolution
http://www.wholebabyrevolution.com
Whole Network
http://www.thewholenetwork.com
This is a horrendous mistake. I certainly hope the family sues for millions in damages – this child will never get back what was stolen from him. Even if he restores his foreskin, thousands of highly sensitive and complex nerve systems are gone forever. This is an outrage.
* not to mention the fact that he has a pretty good chance of having permanent psychological trauma from being the victim of a violent sexual assault.
Are you for real? Pyschological trauma from sexual assault? It’s skin lady. And the removal of it is known to have medical benefits such as reduced infections. Not to mention it’s also a biblical command. So you’re saying God doesn’t know what He’s talking about now? Please spare us the hyberbole and histrionics. The hospital was wrong and needs to be held accountable for going against someone’s wishes but I can rest assure you, those of us who had the procedure done are none the worse for it.
Wow…you surely do not know the bible or you would know that god doesn´t want his sons to be cut, just like he doesn´t want people to get tattoos.
Go and read the bible before you make look yourself like a moron-wannabe-christian
And you are also uninformed that 80% of all males worldwide are not mutilated after birth and have less infections, not more.
Yeah europe has less STDs, penile cancer and HIV cases than america where 80% of the grown males are cut.
The foreskin protects the baby from germs just like the hymnen is there to protect female infants from getting fecal matter up in her vagina.
Or how do you think is a bloody, festering wound in a diaper cleaner than whole, uncut skin?
There are 4.500 mammal species with a foreskin that protects the genitals,only one species thinks it knows better than god who made mankind with a foreskin.
Oh and about the bible..it was written by humans and also thwarted when some wanted to exclde or include something he thought he could profit one.
Or do you also smite people that are not following your kind of religion, keep their women and girls as slave, do you sleep with the slave of your wife when she can not bear a child and do you whip your children?
Why not? According to the bible you think which is Gods word, you also can sell your daughters into slavery…but never eat pork or mussles or such dirty stuff…
How does this keep happening?You go in with a diseased left leg and they accidentally remove the right leg.Shouldn’t the person doing the surgery be able to look at the body and realize that this is a healthy penis and doesn’t need to be circumcised and maybe ask someone why this person is being operated on so some of this can stop?
Circumcision is NERVE damage. These folks need to pay this kid big money for harming his sensory system. That is about 20000 fine touch and stretch nerve endings amputated. This practice needs to end for all baby boys. They should have the gauranteed right to get all of their pleasure parts.
Genital cutting — removing a source of pelasure for life is not acceptable!!!!!!!!!!!
The hospital’s “apologize and move-on” approach to the brutal sexual assault upon a sick child on their premises demonstrates they simply don’t appreciate the gravity of what has occured. They just don’t ‘get it’.
If justice is served, those involved will be charged or lose their jobs as a minimum and the hoptital will be forced to pay millions in compensation. Perhaps that will get their attention.
Utterly shocking. I sincerely hope the family are going to sue the hospital for everything they are worth, and then some. Not that this will change anything for the poor baby and his family. Surely this is assault in your country? I am sure in the UK the police would be involved by now.
Just heartbreaking! And to think the poor baby was recovering in the NICU. He must have had a problem to begin with and then they subject him to torture! That is why circumcision should be outlawed. The norm should be to leave them intact, as God intended, then these horrible mistakes wouldn’t happen. As a side, another reason for home births for low risk pregnancy (not sure if this mom was since baby was in NICU) but for all others it would prevent that mistake from ever happening.
Yes, not circumcising is a tradition in most families in the world, like not notching babies’ ears. There must be thousands of such traditions. And the hospital saying the circumcision was without complications is like the March Hare saying it used “the best butter” to oil its watch.
Circumcision is not some minor decision parents make for their child. It’s an unnecessary surgery, an amputation of a healthy body part with highly specialized sexual function, which if performed on any other body part or on a girl’s genitalia will get you thrown in jail. This is malpractice that Americans are culturally accustomed to and it’s sickening. The “complication” is that doctors ever started mutilating male children to begin with. “There were no complications experienced while we mutilated your child.”
A boy’s penis is not the property of parents to be modified to their liking. All the immoral and nonthinking trolls who marginalize or continue to perpetuate this barbarism need to be taught how to rejoin the rest of humanity. You know, the overwhelming vast majority of people on this earth who choose TO NOT MUTILATE THEIR MALE CHILDREN.
I would certainly sue them! That is inexcusable! Definitely makes me think twice about giving birth in a hospital… Ugh
you’re all funny
Accidental Circumcision Leads to the Proposal of a New Law
Mario’s Law
The law would in essence ban the procedure unless it was for religious purposes or deemed medically necessary
Fuck yes. Pardon my french, but I feel that strongly about it!
So you selfish people would rather have the kid grow up with a stupid looking penis? I don’t know anyone circumcised who wishes they weren’t.. I’m glad I was. Or I would have it done as an adult.
A “stupid looking penis”? Really? You’re 15, aren’t you? Let us know how you feel after you’ve lost your virginity, you annoying little ape.
To the Mohel Who Cut Me by Shea Levy
http://www.beyondthebris.com/2011/06/to-mohel-who-cut-me.html
On Circumcision, Authority and the Perpetuation of Abuse by Jonathan Friedman
http://www.beyondthebris.com/2011/06/on-circumcision-authority-and.html
Well, according to 80% of all men worldwide you are the one with a unnatural, deformed penis.
And yes, I know a bunch of men and women who wish that they had not been mutilated as children.
Denial is not a river in africa, maybe when you are around 40 and can´t get it up any longer because you are missing 20.000 nerv endings and natural lubrication because the tip of your penis is all calloused over, that you might feel a bit stupid about what you wrote here.
Just like a colourblind person you think everything is fine because you never knew there existed colours like red and green and blue..black and white is totally fine as vision, colour vision is not needed…
Yeah..sure…you don´t know what you are missing,doesn´t mean that other people have to be routinely colour blinded as infants just because a minority of colourblind persons thinks it is perfectly normal and good not to see colours
@Chris: I’m not usually flat-out rude to commenters, but that was one of the stupidest comments I’ve ever had on any of my blogs.
How about this: tell me how often you see other men’s penises and get informed regarding how sensitive the foreskin is, and then we’ll talk. We’ll just start there. An iota of research would help your cause, I promise.
This is tragic. What’s more tragic is that it happens ALL THE TIME. “How would you know?” Darryl and Chris are asking. I work for an attorney that takes these kind of cases. I’ve seen doctors get told NO 5 different times and still cut the baby as soon as the opportunity comes along. I’ve seen them wake the mother whose English is poor out of much needed sleep to trick her into signing a consent form AFTER the baby was cut against her wishes. I’m glad this case is getting a lot of attention. This is medical malpractice. This is a big deal and if you don’t think so, you’re clouded by your positive opinion of circumcision. Imagine if it were a pinky finger “accidentally” being amputated. The issue here is not whether you think the foreskin should be removed, it’s whether a doctor can cut something off WITHOUT PERMISSION.