Alayna Wyland, Infant Child Of Faith-Healing Parents, Returned Home

By Steve Mayes, The Oregonian
Religion News Service

OREGON CITY, Ore. (RNS) A Clackamas County judge ruled Friday (Sept. 24) that an infant who faced blindness from an untreated medical condition can return home while her parents prepare for trial on charges of criminal mistreatment.

Circuit Judge Douglas V. Van Dyk imposed several conditions on Timothy and Rebecca Wyland, who are members of an Oregon City church that rejects medical care and practices faith healing.

Although the girl will live with the Wylands, the state Department of Human Services will retain temporary custody and monitor Alayna's health and medical treatment.

The nine-month-old girl has been in foster care and receiving court-ordered medical treatment since her parents' arrest two months ago.

The Wylands, who have unsupervised visits with Alayna on weekdays, brought her to Friday's hearing. The unsightly baseball-sized mass had largely disappeared, and the infant's previously hidden eye was plainly visible.

While the girl's condition has improved, it is not clear how much vision will return, said John P. Anderson, a state attorney representing the Department of Human Services. "It's hard to tell what's going on," he said.

Anderson said the girl has 20/60 vision in her right eye and 20/1,000 in her left eye and may face years of treatment.

Anderson and local prosecutors had opposed Alayna's return to the Wylands, saying it would be more difficult to track the child's well-being and monitor her medical needs.

The Wylands agreed to all conditions imposed by the judge, including "this court's order regarding medical care," but the legal battle over Alayna is far from over.

The state Department of Human Services will seek legal custody at an Oct. 12 hearing, and a trial date in the Wylands' criminal case will be set Oct. 7.

Comments

[me again]

07:58 PM on 09/28/2010

Another example of the stupidity of blind faith.

[schildpad]

03:57 PM on 09/28/2010

Poor kid. But that's the religious right for you. They'll do anything to keep you alive in the womb - but after that, you're on your own.

[PresidentRobertBooth]

03:17 PM on 09/28/2010

Hmmm..

Traditional marriage? CHECK

Male and female parent? CHECK

Bat*** crazy? CHECK

[Ionakr]

02:48 PM on 09/28/2010

Unfortunately these people follow a cult. A real Christian would know that God gave us doctors. Luke was a doctor (read your bible). Yes I believe that God works miracles but he also gave us common sense to know when to seek professional help. I pray for that child.

[yemaya]

07:17 PM on 09/28/2010

either god heals the sick or he doesn't. Can't have it both ways.

[SaquaroSue]

01:52 PM on 09/28/2010

If anything happens to this poor child, the Judge in this case should be charged with murder for giving her back. Children are people, not property, you shouldn't get to just maim and damage them as if they were a lamp.

[Red Star Rogue]

11:07 AM on 09/28/2010

Its amazing we have a liscening system to be a doctor, a lawyer, to drive a car, certifications for programming languages, and electrical work, but no process to authorize people to be parents. The limitations wouldn't even have to be very strict. maybe keeping 5% of people from breeding.

[ThinkCreeps]

07:19 AM on 09/28/2010

Hopefully the child will grow up safely, despite her parents' efforts.

At that point perhaps she can seek appropriate redress for her loss of sight at the hands of her parents: an eye for an eye seems to have sound biblical foundation.

[StillMadMatt]

02:54 AM on 09/28/2010

Put acid in the parents eyes and pray for them.

[JohnFromCensornati]

02:41 AM on 09/28/2010

Sounds like they practice faith d-y-i-n-g.

[Weirdo]

01:43 AM on 09/28/2010

You don't have the right to impose your religious beliefs on a child. You have the duty to properly care for it until such time that it can make its own decisions about its health and how it will apply its mind.

[yemaya]

07:18 PM on 09/28/2010

 I agree. This is child abuse and neglect.

[deejay64]

12:57 AM on 09/28/2010

This is the same assinine justice system, from the same assinine state, that kept a Canadian child from his mother for two years. For riding a bicycle without a helmet. Fuckwits!

[ThinkCreeps]

07:21 AM on 09/28/2010

I'm not sure about your point.

Riding without a helmet would seem to be a $30-ticket sort of issue. While parents certainly shouldn't expose their child to unnecessary head injuries, it's hardly the same as willfully allowing them to be blinded.

[cornel]

12:37 AM on 09/28/2010

Just let the parents kill their kid, what is your problem? Are we living in a police run state? Please, just let the insane utanize themselves, good rid!

[ThinkCreeps]

07:22 AM on 09/28/2010

I've got no problem with encouraging them to kill and maim themselves, but it's a bit harsh to try to clean genetic house by going after their kids.

[Candi Cj Dubord Jensen]

12:28 AM on 09/28/2010

What is bothering me about this..even more than those parents actions...is: the state took the baby away, now they're giving baby back..but state is keeping temporary custody and monitoring the situation and, soon, the state will be seeking legal custody of baby...which means baby gets taken away from the parents again if the state gets legal custody...which they just might because of the total lack of any sense of responsibility to get medical care for baby on the part of the parents...and the parents have a criminal trial which, if there is any real justice left in this country, will hopefully provide severe consequences for these parents and maybe some kind of "don't be THAT KIND of parent" education...
Yes, people have a right to their religious beliefs, but those beliefs can not put others health or safety at risk, for instance: they can be pro-life all they want..but being pro-life should include taking proper care of that life once it has been brought into this world...the behavior of these parents was completely negligent...I always hear from the religious that God helps those who help themselves...doesn't that mean pray all ya want but ACT too?!?! Good Grief! I'm glad that child is getting the needed care and that it is helping..poor thing.

[livesimply]

11:50 PM on 09/27/2010

I just don't see how there can be a lot of love for a child who's parent wouldn't use any resource available to them to insure her safety and well-being. I hope she finds a loving home and I hope she got love while in the state's custody. It is so important for little ones to have.

[yemaya]

07:20 PM on 09/28/2010

In the bible God tests Abraham and asks him to sacrifice his son.

Wonder where these folks get their crazy ideas?

[afgail]

11:49 PM on 09/27/2010

At the heart of every religious fanatic is profound ignorance. And a certain degree of pure evil. Why would a parent listen to a religious leader that required that they sacrifice their own child in the name of a an uncaring/unloving god? Why wouldn't their first and over riding instinct be to do everything in their power to keep their child safe and healthy? The court has to recognize that the parents are unfit parents suffering from depraved indifference.

[Weirdo]

01:45 AM on 09/28/2010

It's an instance of the way religion can pervert ordinary sensibility.

[Willow-the-Witch]

02:01 AM on 09/28/2010

The courts often do recognize it. Problems arise in trying to prosecute parents for neglect when they are using religion as a defense. As soon as they style themselves as the victims of religious persecution, few juries are willing to convict. Saw a couple not far from here walk free after waiting until their son was nearly comatose from meningitis before deciding he might need a doctor. He died. They were charged with involuntary manslaughter, I think. And they went home to the rest of their children (4 or 5, I believe) and continued with their faith-healing ways.