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Mom With Terminal Cancer Loses Custody Of Kids

First Posted: 05/06/11 03:01 PM ET Updated: 07/06/11 06:12 AM ET

Cancer Custody

ABC News:

Alaina Giordano's divorce and terminal illness leads to a family torn apart.

Read the whole story: ABC News

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11:19 PM on 05/24/2011
To: CollinsMama, templescroll, OB-GYN, Epiphany2b, peegan, Lucille, etc.

As your opinions have already been formed, I will let you read more facts to this case before I comment.

http://abclocal.go.com/wtvd/story?section=news/local&id=8127895

If anyone is willing to reply, we can have a discussion about the above link.

Thank you for your time.
12:48 PM on 05/20/2011
There is no justice in the terrible decision and anyone who thinks this judge made the right call has some serious mental capacity issues. Not to mention no soul. I am thoroughly disgusted by the position that these children and this mother have been put into by this ex-husband and judge. My heart breaks for these children having to lose their mother, much less by order of a judge who decided to listen to some whack job psychiatrist instead of good sense and compassion. The father should be the one with visitation, since he is the one that moved out of state and is the one who can afford the airfare. Ugh, this decision is just so backwards it's downright unbelievable. It literally makes me nauseated if I think about it too much. So awful.
10:28 AM on 05/25/2011
Please see posting above.
Thank you.
http://abclocal.go.com/wtvd/story?section=news/local&id=8127895
09:43 PM on 05/11/2011
BEWARE moms...don't tell anyone you're sick...cancer witch hunt! I had breast cancer when my son was 9 years old. I fought it and survived! That was 7 years ago! My son was my only reason to fight to live!! My son and I are closer than ever before! My son always came first and NEVER missed a day of school! He went with me to my chemo, he helped me shave my head when I started losing hair; I explained that bad things sometimes happen to good people. The church, my son's school, my doctors, the community WERE ALL SUPPORTIVE. My son is a straight A student now in highschool. He has learned to help people through this personal tragedy. We volunteered at Relay For Life, we both camped overnight when he was younger at the events. Camp Kesem @ Stanford connected him w/ children with similar tragic circumstances. Facing cancer alone, just doesn't happen anymore...people help! This is not the Dark Ages. We don't put people away who are terminal...we don't take their kids!! I could still work 2 while I recovered/treatment. Today we are stronger then ever and KNOW that if we survived cancer 'together'...we can survive anything! The judge has stolen the mother's right to live and thrive on HER OWN TERMS. No excuse can justify her decision...she has condemned the mom to die, before she even has had a chance to fight. Shame on the JUDGE!!!
10:29 AM on 05/25/2011
Please see posting above.
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OB-GYN
To Your Health, America. Live Long and Prosper!
04:51 PM on 05/08/2011
How is this fair and reasonable judgement? King Solomon comes to mind, although I never liked his idea either.

Bring Public pressure to bear on the Judge and spouse. Advertise this mal-decision and come up with a compromise. Surely a dying parent has the right to spend close time with the children she bore.

Appeal this unrighteousness.
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HUFFPOST SUPER USER
ActionLady
08:12 PM on 05/08/2011
I have to agree. This is just very cruel!
GraceNotes
We live for books.
08:59 AM on 05/11/2011
She told Matt Lauer this morning that she is trying to find an attorney who will appeal this ruling.
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02:49 PM on 05/08/2011
While I understand the judge's reasoning for this decision, I don't understand why a compromise solution was not found. For example, mom and dad reunite temporarily (assuming no second wife/girlfriend) until she passes. Or maybe mom keeps children until she becomes too sick to care for them (with dad having the kids for entire summers in the interim). A compromise might have given the the kids the guilt-free closure they'll need and not deprive a vulnerable mom of what may be her greatest source of joy during the time she has left.
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HUFFPOST SUPER USER
Fran Jaime
My micro-bio is empty but my life is full!
11:34 PM on 05/07/2011
HP, how can I read the story if it's a video?
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HUFFPOST SUPER USER
Jake Thomas
elastic
08:02 PM on 05/07/2011
You need to see the video and not just read the headline to get the gist of this story. Alaina Giordano's story sounds sad but we are only hearing one side of it. Ultimately it is the interests of the children that must come first however painful that is for Alaina Giordano.
12:39 PM on 05/20/2011
You think that taking children away from a loving mother who potentially won't be around for much longer is in the best interest of the children? You have to be kidding me! SMH. Not only are those kids the main reason for her to fight her illness, but they will realize when they are older that they should have been allowed to spend as much time as possible with their Mother while she was still around.
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HUFFPOST SUPER USER
pjlowry
04:56 PM on 05/07/2011
I happen to agree with the Judge on this matter. The fact is her cancer is terminal and she will die, which means Dad is going to get custody of the kids no matter what, it was only a matter of time. If the kids had do deal with Mom's death and moving in with Dad at the same time, chances are the situation would be more traumatizing to the kids than doing the two incidents separately. By moving the kids in with Dad early, they don't have to deal with that stress and the stress that comes with losing a loved one at the same time. The judge was hesatant to make this decision, but clearly it was made because he was thinking of the kids, not the parents.

Divorce might be hell, but men are not ogres. She is going to get visitation and the kids are going to get a chance to say goodbye. Her health is going to deteriorate and no kid should be forced to watch that happen ... it can literally f**k a kid up for life. There was more at stake than this woman's right to see her kids. It's one thing to lose a parent, but should two kids that young be subjected to watching their mother die a slow and agonizing death?

The judge didn't think so... and saved those two girls a lot of future therapy.
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Epiphany2b
Always waiting for the light to dawn
01:27 PM on 05/08/2011
No, all the kids will have to deal with is wondering if they hadn't deserted their mother, she could have lived longer; or what they could have done that was so wrong that they had to be taken away from her. Kids don't always think with the same reasoning that adults do.
10:30 AM on 05/25/2011
Please see posting above.
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HUFFPOST COMMUNITY MODERATOR
peegan
Obama 2012
04:01 PM on 05/08/2011
The kids are going to need therapy when they realize what a selfish pr  k their dad is.
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HUFFPOST SUPER USER
Aranxa
04:54 PM on 05/06/2011
HP - Don't print "Read the whole story:" if your link is to a video.
04:36 PM on 05/06/2011
This is incredibly cruel and heartbreaking on so many levels.
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HUFFPOST SUPER USER
Jabandit
In vino veritas.
03:34 PM on 05/06/2011
This is the most terrible thing I've seen in a LONG WHILE
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HUFFPOST COMMUNITY MODERATOR
glomtt
Terribly Political
02:51 PM on 05/06/2011
Such a sad story.
HUFFPOST SUPER USER
Greg Albright
02:36 PM on 05/06/2011
Women seem to have a much harder time losing their children in a divorce than men do...

And how sad...