Claire Power Murphy is a spiritual woman. She is also a well educated, thoughtful, intelligent person. One you would never think had been diagnosed with dementia. One you would never think had a child removed from her home. One you would never think had to move heaven and earth to get her own child back into her arms. Yet, Claire Power Murphy is all of these women. Preserved to Serve (Author House) (www.preservedtoserve.com) is Claire Power Murphy's account of the hardships she had to endure in the legal, healthcare and foster care systems because of her beliefs in nutrition and in how to raise her own children. It is a history of her life and the lives of her children from the perspective of a woman forced to defend her beliefs and fight for her right to raise her children as she saw fit. The book spans the author's lifetime from her birth to the present. The author recounts many times that the healthcare system let her down. The most poignant being the misdiagnosis of her daughter which led to the infant's removal from her home. This led to a myriad of troubles for Murphy and her family which included mountainous legal and medical bills, severe scrutiny by the foster care system and the loss of their home. She maintains the medical records were inaccurate and inconsistent and that her doctors were ignored in their intent to help her. Murphy observed several inconsistencies and obstacles in her legal representation: •Her doctors were ignored and not allowed to testify •Counsel did not present key evidence •The baby's birth and medical records were not procured •Her "request for a writ of habeas corpus, which would require that the baby be presented to the court" was ignored •Her attorney was a friend of the judge •Her attorney played golf with the hospital's director of pediatrics •Her attorney refused to go observe the baby in the hospital At the hospital, Murphy was appalled at the treatment of her baby: •Her daughter, Laurie, was transported around the hospital on a flat, metal gurney •She was forced to drink only the formula supplied by the hospital, not the breast milk and vital living juices she was used to •Her blood sugar levels dropped •Her deficiencies increased •A minor procedure was performed on the baby against the parent's wishes •The doctors provided by Murphy were "barred admittance" When Laurie entered the foster care system, she fared no better: •Laurie was moved from the hospital to a foster home without informing the parents •She could not accomplish basic tasks, such as crawling •She was being taken to United Cerebral Palsy "several times during the course of the week for evaluation and treatment of a muscular developmental problem." •She was being removed from the foster home because the foster mother was no longer able to care for her as she was "too much trouble, too sickly, cried too much, and required too many visits to the hospital." Once she was able to obtain decent legal counsel, Murphy was advised not to educate anyone regarding her experiences, and to be thankful for everything that had been done for her baby. Moreover, the attorney even advised her to be more "lovey-dovey" with her husband. When the baby was finally returned to her Murphy and her family, they were forced to endure weekly, unannounced visits for 1 ½ years, which were conjectured to be unconstitutional by her doctor. She was also forced to have the baby immunized. Murphy's account of her ordeals in dealing with the foster care system, the legal system and most of all the health care system are compelling and thought provoking. The iniquitous way in which she and her family were treated is appalling and unimaginable.
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