Should a preschool boy be circumcised? Dad says yes and Mom says no. She fears her son could die due to the procedure.
When Heather Hironimus and Dennis Nebus split up, they had a parenting agreement regarding their son, Chase. Originally, both parents agreed that the one-year-old should be circumcised. Nebus “would be responsible for scheduling and paying for the boy’s circumcision.” The father delayed the procedure and now mom has changed her mind. She objects because the procedure is “not medically necessary and she did not want to have the parties’ son undergo requisite general anesthesia for fear of death.”
However, Judge Jeffrey Gillen allowed for the procedure and stated that the mother “shall not in any way lead [Chase] to believe that she is or was opposed to his being circumcised, whether or not she accompanies [Chase] to the procedure.” A higher court has ordered a stay in the case and Hironimus has started raising funds to “save” her son from circmcision.
Should the mother be able to change her mind? Should the father have had a time limit? Where does the child’s rights come in during this fight between the parents?
