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Immigrant Children Need Love & Kindness

T

his is not
about poli-
tics. This is
not about laws. This
is about medicine,
about the human
brain and develop-
ment, and about
Brooke
human beings. I am
Weingarden,
not a politician or a
DO, MPH
lawyer. I am a physi-
cian, a child and ado-
lescent psychiatrist,
a mom, neighbor and
an American, and I
am completely horrified at the treat-
ment of the detained immigrant chil-
dren who were separated from their
parents at the U.S.-Mexico border.
Watching this situation unfold
is like watching a child pull on the
handle of a pot of boiling water on
the stove, but I am outside of the
house watching through the window
and cannot save him from the severe
burns I know are coming. I am watch-
ing a disaster, knowing what will hap-
pen and knowing the future pain that
will continue.
I have connections to many physi-
cians who have had experiences with
these children. Their encounters are
extremely alarming, and there is evi-
dence that these children are already
exhibiting symptoms of serious trau-
ma-related neuropsychiatric disorders
that will affect them for the rest of
their lives.
These children have experienced
actual changes in their neurobiologi-

cal systems — the neurons in their
brain — and are likely to suffer severe,
emotional and cognitive illnesses that
are extremely difficult to treat. These
diagnoses require intensive chronic
treatment, which may not always be
enough to address such trauma.
The initial separation of these
children from their parents without
warning or explanation has caused
significant harm to these kids, and
their subsequent treatment is making
matters even worse. They are chil-
dren, toddlers and babies. They are
afraid, unaware of what is happening
to them, alone and so extremely frag-
ile. They are being told not to speak
to anyone about their experiences.
They are being subjected to physical,
emotional and sexual abuse, and face
threats from strangers who say if they
do not behave, they will not see their
parents again.
Not only have these children been
physically separated from their sense
of safety, their parents, but they have
also had their most important pos-
sessions taken from them and have
nowhere to seek solace.
Part of normal child development
is for children to learn about the
environment around them and slowly
start exploring. While this happens,
they often find a transitional object —
a lovey, a toy, a blankie. These objects
symbolize an extension of the mother-
child bond — something physical
that they can carry with them to keep
them safe as they start to navigate the
world.

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As a psychiatrist, knowing the
severe effects of ripping away a child’s
comfort like this is completely heart-
shattering. As a mother, it is equally
gut-wrenching, thinking about a small
child so afraid and alone and then
without their transitional object or
any kindness or comfort.
Imagine if this was your child. These
children cannot hug one another;
they are not allowed to be touched or
consoled. While this may seem like a
standard protocol, this is significantly
harmful and will alter the course of
their life for years to come.
There is no reason these children,
toddlers and babies should not be
shown kindness, regardless of how
they got here; they do not deserve the
cruelty that has been shown to them.
They are kids! They need their lovey;
they need their blankies; and yes, of
course, they need their parents!
However, in the here and now, while
they are not with their families, these
children need people to be nice to
them. They need people to care and
to give them compassion. It is impera-
tive. They have not done anything
wrong, and with the severity of the
mental health crisis in the world, I
urge everyone to think of their acts
and behaviors and how showing kind-
ness can make a big difference in the
midst of a nightmare. •

Dr. Brooke Weingarden, DO, MPH, works as a child/
adolescent psychiatrist at Birmingham Maple
Clinic. She was a member of The Well/JN’s 36
Under 36 class of 2018.

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Joelle Harder
jharder@renmedia.us

Regarding Emma
Share’s Essay
‘Confronting Racism’

Researching Ms. Share’s “Detroit Jews for
Justice” website, I found in the “testimoni-
als” section endorsements for #blacklives-
matter: “Feeling blessed to be a part of an
intentional Jewish community that seeks
to use ritual and Jewish identity to stand
in solidarity with the #blacklivesmatter
movement” and “The light we created
when we stood together this Hanukkah
to say #blacklivesmatter was a bright
reminder of the kind of sparks we’re creat-
ing …”
Does Share endorse BLM’s anti-Israel
screeds declaring its support for the
global Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions
(BDS) movement and condemning the
Zionist-led campaign against it?
Does Share endorse the BLM
Charlottesville and Ferguson events where
BLM encouraged the looting and burning
of stores?
Does Share remember BLM activists in
Minneapolis chanting, “pigs in a blanket,
fry ’em like bacon”?
I suggest Share better choose her allies
if she wants her organization to be rel-
evant.

Ed Kohl
West Bloomfield

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July 19 • 2018

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