The Miller Family: The Rolling Pertussis-Mobile

[Mrs. Bean]

I'm ER nurse, the only time we life flight patients out is when the situation is very dire. Poor little laddie, I pray he survives this and maybe this will bring parents to question their beliefs about vaccines. 

[Spanger]

I'm not an expert at anything, but I was under the impression that medical neglect, from a cps standpoint, would be more along the lines of failure to provide medications as prescribed by a doctor.... Or failure to bring a child in for ongoing treatment like chemo or kidney dialysis.  Something that would directly harm the child if it's not done.

Im not sure that immunization or lack there of would be considered the same.  In part, because skipping vaccinations does not automatically cause a child to become ill- many kids also forgo vaccines and never become sick because of it.

Is it stupid to skip vaccinations (barring legit reason such as allergy or weakened immune system)- yes.  It's stupid and careless.  But since vaccinations are not legally mandated/enforced, I'm not sure it's a CPS medical neglect matter just because a kid was not vaccinated and illness or death occurs.

Although showing pictures of your gravely ill child and stating you are praying and treating with essential oils rather than going to a doctor- that might be considered medical neglect, especially if it's later found that earlier medical intervention could have helped.

Not trying to advocate for anti-vaxing at all, just saying that in and of itself, skipping vaccines is probably not enough to qualify as medical neglect.

[Jana814]

4 minutes ago, Mrs. Bean said:

Poor little laddie, I pray he survives this and maybe this will bring parents to question their beliefs about vaccines. 

I hope it does also. Although I don't think it will. They are completely anti-vaccines. 

[Carol]

They did the right thing.  I wish they would have done it several days ago but at least he's there now.   

Their latest post says he will be in the hospital in SLC for "at least a few days".  

 

[CTRLZero]

4 hours ago, Yogi said:

They reported that they went to the ER. I wonder what that bill will be like. Don't they have Samaritan?

I hope the little guy recovers fully.  I do wonder about how this bill will be covered, since I'm sure they won't accept government help even if they qualify.   Can the Samaritan fund cover a large bill like this?  Not sure how that works.  Maybe they'll have to sell some of their arsenal?  Maybe Jill will hold a fundraiser?  Nah.  I'm stumped, but curious. 

[Marshmallow World]

1 hour ago, Dandruff said:

I hope the hospital staff give those "parents" a solid talking to, with no allowance for interruption.  Could they call CPS under these circumstances?

I have had a ton of experience with DCFS in Utah (not personally, thankfully, but professionally through my job). I'm confident DCFS wouldn't do a damn thing, based on past experience. Maybe a cursory visit to check the report off their list, but the standard to intervene or remove children is ridiculously high. Like, I'm shocked what kind of situation it has to be for them to intervene. I get that the standard to remove a child SHOULD be high, as it's extremely traumatic for the children, but the kind of stuff they shrug off makes me furious at times. Refusing to vaccinate is not a cause for their concern. I can't share details, but the stuff I've seen them ignore or just kind of wag their finger at before closing the case makes me ill. Not that all DCFS workers are bad - many of very good people who get burned out after a couple of years (I don't blame them), but the higher-ups are definitely jaded.

(Please note that I am not knocking all DCFS workers, just the system that chews them up and spits them out and ignores children's safety. Don't even get me started on the DCFS approach to the FLDS......)

[Mrs. Bean]

That ignorant Beth Stevens that few days earlier said "don't take him to the doctor, treat with EO, breastmilk, and prayer" posted this 

  On  what authority does she continue to dictate what parents should and shouldn't do, and kudos to Anna Peterson.

Edited September 2, 2017 by Mrs. Bean

[DancingPhalanges]

1 hour ago, DancingPhalanges said:

Comment on the post regarding the Miller child being flown to another hospital. 

  Reveal hidden contents

 

I'm going to quote myself because I'm past time to edit. I should have added that although I find the situation stupid and avoidable, I'm not one to burn someone with a comment like this while it's happening. I also won't judge someone who does because they may know them better.

On another note, did we post this for our blocked fj'ers?

I like Nurie's hair here.

Spoiler

 

[JermajestyDuggar]

I would love to give the Millers the "Most ignorant non-vax FJ fundie award" but I can't. That award goes to the Johnston's (The Activist Mommy and husband). Because Patrick Johnston went to MEDICAL SCHOOL and still doesn't fully vax his kids. I am amazed he still has a medical license to be honest. 

[Anonymousguest]

Thank God they decided to take him to the hospital! I wonder why they decided that the Drs can do something for him? Also they said his white cell count is high. Umm, isn't that what happens with a bacterial infection? 

I don't think cps would get involved for not getting vaccines, nor do I think they should. While I think people should vaccinated their kids, I also think parents should retain the right to make medical decisions for their children. Vaccines do come with some risk, it's why you still have to sign a consent to vaccinate.  Not seeking medical attention with an obviously sick child falls into another category, but still on the slippery slope. 

They said they were in WY, so I guess still traveling around spreading whooping cough. Does that mean the rest of the children are now in another state in an RV without their parents? How old are their kids? Do they travel like the Rods with the whole family? I wonder if the health department for the areas they have been in will be contacted to they can track down those who were exposed. 

[neurogirl]

Oh for fucks sake (comment on the Miller's post)

At least one commenter offered to send them money through FB as well.

Edited September 2, 2017 by neurogirl

[DancingPhalanges]

6 minutes ago, JermajestyDuggar said:

I would love to give the Millers the "Most ignorant non-vax FJ fundie award" but I can't. That award goes to the Johnston's (The Activist Mommy and husband). Because Patrick Johnston went to MEDICAL SCHOOL and still doesn't fully vax his kids. I am amazed he still has a medical license to be honest. 

As a normal, logical human being this is just beyond my understanding. I fully embrace preventative care. Shots, boosters, annual physicals for all, etc. I also like acupuncture but my Neuro prescribed it. I thought it was nuts but I did it, liked it and may do it again. Acupuncture is not my treatment however, that would be dangerous and irresponsible.

So the Millers are runners up for the award for worst anti-vaxxers. Probably will rationalize it somehow and stay in the running for worst parents. 

[Coy Koi]

Omfg, so apparently Paul Miller had no idea that Joel was even taken to the ER (let alone airlifted to another state) until now. He went camping somewhere with no cell service or other means of contact, leaving his wife alone with whatever too-high number of kids they have, and a dangerously ill infant! What in the hell is wrong with these people??? Now I'm even more pissed.

And two days ago when they originally posted asking for prayers for Joel, they said it had been "less than a week" that he had been sick. So I'm sure it's not just that it was a really long camping trip and he left before it happened (he's the main one to post on their page, and he'd been posting recently. Plus the other kids have been passing pertussis around for longer than Joel has had it anyway. He should never have left with any of them so sick).

This piece of shit does not deserve kids.

[ThunderRolls]

Well I think someone needs rescue ferrets for Beth Stevens and the Millers - my god, these people are batty! 

Beth Stevens: With all due respect, you need to do research on what is in vaccines!

Paul Abigail Miller: Yes.. Actually we are pretty sure we were infected by a child who was fully vaccinated, yet still contracted pertussis.

Beth Stevens: It's the vaccinated children that infect unvaccinated children. I do wish people would research before criticizing those who choose not to vaccinate!

FFS! 

[Yogi]

If I were a kid in that family I would fast regularly just to get a freaking break from everyone. If it's the only way to get a day of peace and rest and privacy, I'd be all over it.

On another note it seems like the Miller baby is doing better. But they do say that baby Joel along with several other still have a bad 'pertussis cough'. This is probably going on six weeks of coughing. And frankly the rest of the family is just going to reinfect the infant.

I can't wait to hear the final hospital bill and how it will be paid.

[snickerz]

Just as I thought, the Millers DO have pertussis. 10 members of the family.

[SoGladIWasCofE]

Do you have a link to a post about it? I can't seem to find their Facebook anymore.

Edit: found it

Yeah, they've come down with it. That's awful, and the parents responsibility.

https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=10214699739826688&id=1219604895

Edited September 15, 2017 by SoGladIWasCofE
Update

[FecundFundieFundus]

Oh my god they still performed when they thought they could have pertussis. 

If anyone in that church is immunocompromised or medically fragile (or has a loved one at home/in hospital who is) they were put at major risk. The selfishness of people who don't vaccinate or take into account the medical needs of others makes me frothing mad. 

[VanillaBean]

Fucking assholes. That is all.

[Carol]

I love that Paul Miller says his son was initially misdiagnosed.  Here is the post from Abigail that refutes that.

"Paul Abigail Miller They did say that possibly he does still have pertussis, but it's all a bit confusing. He's definitely not well, so we are going to take care of him, regardless". September 2 at 5:09pm

These dumb ass parents know their kids are sick so they continue to haul them from church to church, the only precautions being that they leave as soon as their performance is over and their kids don't associate with anyone outside their family.  

I guess they think that is going to keep the congregation safe.  Idiots!  This is what happens when you HAVE to sing for your supper, common sense takes a back seat to the big grift.  I'm cracking up that they are permanently moving to Madison, WI.  Madison is pretty liberal and I don't think many of it's residents take kindly to someone who spews hell and damnation, has eleventy kids and has been grifting in a bus for god knows how many years.

[Coy Koi]

Obviously these idiots show no regard for the health and safety of others, including their own kids. But even apart from that, how on earth does someone sing when they are violently coughing??

I don't have any experience with whooping cough, but it sure sounds like it would be miserable to have. But then it would be even worse to have it while crammed into an RV with 10 or so others who also have it! I don't see how anyone could get any rest with all that coughing going on. I don't tolerate noise well, and I definitely don't tolerate having no personal space or privacy, so this just really sounds like a nightmare to me, even if I wasn't one of the sick ones.

[pancakes]

If they're going out in public I'm hoping they're on antibiotics to treat it. If that's the case and they've been on the antibiotics for at least five days then they'd still be miserable but at least not contagious. I could see the CDC being all up in arms over an outbreak caused by singers with pertussis who couldn't be bothered to take some time off. How, exactly, are they able to sing while suffering from whooping cough? It's difficult to sing with any sort of cough, let alone something like that and wouldn't even trying to sing make it worse?

[Lurky]

@pancakes They said they were treating with essential oils up to the baby being taken to hospital.

I am so angry about the Millers.  They kept "most of" their children out of churches, for some time? That doesn't stop the rest of them infecting people!!

Whooping cough is a horrible condition.  My parents didn't vaccinate us because there was a scare about the vaccines when I was little.  So my brother and I both had it, and while mine wasn't so bad, my brother nearly died (including from whooping in the bath) and he ended up in an isolation hospital with my mum, to protect my baby sister. 

My family friend had polio when she was a baby, and was very lucky to live, but it wrecked absolute havoc on her body, to the point that doctors used her x rays to illustrate the disease.  She had 100 complications throughout her life, lived in a lot of pain, and died a lot younger than she should have.  Anyone who has the choice and chooses not to protect their children from polio is just evil, in my book. (A colleague wasn't going to get her kids the polio vaccine, arguing that it was a disease passed on through dirt, and mostly about slums and poverty in cities.  My friend grew up in in a beautiful clifftop house overlooking a beautiful beach, in a wealthy household with a servant in the late 1940s (NOT a common thing!), and all kinds of luxuries and mod cons for the time.  The opposite of a slum child!)

[ThunderRolls]

14 hours ago, Carol said:

  I'm cracking up that they are permanently moving to Madison, WI.  Madison is pretty liberal and I don't think many of it's residents take kindly to someone who spews hell and damnation, has eleventy kids and has been grifting in a bus for god knows how many years.

What?! Nooooooo! I live just outside Madison - I'm assuming they would be too since housing and taxes are quite high. Damnit. Far too close. There are plenty of anti-vaxxer nut jobs though - usually hippie dippie types and white women who think they're smarter than the doctors. There is definitely a growing fundie community, though. Ugh. Stay put, Millers! 

[bertnee]

Look at this bullshit. [emoji58]