Injured 9 year old in Georgia

[ktmkids]

I'm a mother of a injured 9 year old who is in a children's hospital in Georgia. My son has raced for 4 1/2 years. I am looking for someone who has any experience with child protective services getting involved in custody because they let their child ride a dirt bike. Thank you for any help or advise you may have.

Danielle Moreland

[Tatonka]

Danielle - I am very sorry to hear about your son's crash & him being in the hospital. I hope he is on the mend!

How did the situation with Child Protective Services come to pass? It seems like quite a stretch, was their something unique going on that resulted in them being called? I don't have any legal experience with this - maybe someone who does can chime in here and give some guidance. Anyone?

Stay strong & stay in touch.

BV

[Riding the Metro]

Danielle,
First, I hope for a speedy and full recovery for your son.

As for the CPS - hospitals have a group of personel that are called "mandated reporters", that are required by law to report incidents they deem to be in the best interest of the child.

Without knowing the full circumstances, contact your CPS office for a full disclosure, it's your right to know.

I hope this helps.

AJ

[ktmkids]

Thanks for your responses. My son Brady has been racing since the age of 5. He went 3 years with no injuries, and then had a bad year. 3 crashes resulting in 5 broken bones. After one year injury free, last Sunday, he crashed at our track at home practicing and has been in the hospital for 8 days. He had surgery to repair two large holes in his intestines. The doctor in ICU called us into a meeting right before they were to take him off the ventilator and would wake up for the first time. She said that no child belongs on a dirt bike and we put him in that hospital bed. She went on to say that she felt his life was in danger if released back into our care because we have encouraged his riding. She had already called Child Protective Services. Now instead of being able to focus just on our sons health, we are going to have to fight to bring him home. My biggest support has been from the MX community, our extended family. What doctors don't understand, is that not only is it our responsibility to keep our child safe, it is also our responsibility to encourage his dreams. I had to explain to him what is about to happen because they are going to interview him and I'm trying to make sure he is not scared. I also have a 11 year old that races who will be interviewed. I called the AMA to look for guidance, and unbelievable, they have never had this situation come to them before. I am praying that someone who has gone through this will find my post and give me guidance. Thanks for your ear.

[Gatlin5]

Hi Danielle,

I'm so sorry that your having to deal with that situation. I have emailed the only Lawyer I know that also rides to see if he or someone he knows has ever delt with this and to recommend where to start.

I have invited him to join us on this forum, I hope we would here from him soon.

Best of wishes,

Joe

[Tatonka]

Danielle - again, our thoughts and prayers go out to Brady for a complete and speedy recovery. Also, know that your whole family is in our thoughts as you deal with not only your son's injury but this additional drama as well.

This is a situation that is almost incomprehensible. I agree with John in his suggestion above to take this to KTMTalk and post it in the General Mini section. There really is a large and very active group of parents who frequent that site and it's possible someone there has the experience you seek.

Please email me at bv@riderdown.org a few more details (like sizes, favorites, etc., as well as a mailing address) regarding Brady if you would. Thanks, and keep plugging. We will keep you informed if we hear of anything or speak to someone who may have more advice for your situation. Take care.

BV

[Tatonka]

John - Humm Another Idea, Team Yamaha Wink

What's up with that?

BV

[Tatonka]

Danielle - My sincere apologies, I went back & reread the pinned post over at KTMTalk and see that you have already raised this issue there. We'll keep working!!

Hang Tough!!

BV

[ktmkids]

Thanks for the additional replies. Especially the one from whoever knows a attorney who rides. Anyone who does not ride and understand the kinship of this sport (not just the sport), does not understand. Child Protective Services is expected to speak with him tomorrow. I'm GOING TO bring him home and when I do, I want to get as many people behind me in making sure this never happens to a family again. My child is going to live his dreams, whatever they be, rather than being a child who only reads about what others do. For those who asked, our address is: Brady Moreland, c/o Danielle and Rocky Moreland, 4411 Pool Road, Winston, GA 30187. Phone: 770-841-1447. Size Youth Medium. Anything else you'd like, just let us know. I read him all his posts from KTM Talk, our local track, Bremenmx, and his web page from the hospital (carepages.com - page name: bradymoreland (no spaces). This support helps him. He is doing very poorly right now, but hopefully it's the dark before the light.

Danielle Moreland

[Bigmaico]

KTM KIDS:

Please know that a few of the other site now know about your problem!

I'm trying to get in contact with a Lawyer friend that rides to see if he can offer some advise!

Please know that I will make it my mission to to help you out in any way that I can, I'm working on putting out the word & starting the battle to stop this from happening to anyone!

[cybercop]

Danielle,

It was good seeing Brady today and I hope that Alec, Jacob, and David help lift his spirits.

It hurt me to see you the way you were. You and Rocky are true friends.

I discussed this with Scott over dinner tonight and he is with me with regards to mandating a Court order to allow anyone to speak to your son.

Make it as hard as possible for them. That is our thoughts.

Any deputy or other officer that would show up would have to error on the side of the parents until a court order is given.

I would hope that any judge would regards this as a parent allowing their child to partake in a legal activity and not issue it.

My thoughts about these people is simple. Just ask them if they watch any pro sports such as football, SuperCross, or even tennis or soccer.

Then ask them where these champions came from. None of these guys woke up at the age of 16 to 18 and said, "you know, I think I will be a Pro football player!". These champions start at an very early age. I blew out more knews and broke more bones in football and tennis than I ever did in the military or riding bikes.

Anyway, off my soapbox.

I would just be polite and let them know they need to speak to your attorney, whomever that might be.

Good luck, and you know we are behind you.

[Gatlin5]

Hi Danielle,

I corresponded with the lawyer acquaintence I told you about and I am waiting on his reply on a couple of thoughts, although he can not officially advise you he did mention that you get a lawyer as soon as possible and make sure that lawyer is present during any and all interviews with your son. I can tell you his stance was alot like that of Cybercop.

He did mention that Child services has to respond due to fact there was any type of accusation of endangerment to a child no matter how absurd.

Don't panic but get a lawyer and protect your rights no one else will.

Hang in there and get some rest, I can only imagine how hard this past week has been on you both. It will be just a bad memory in the near future.

Good luck and I hope Brady continues to recover well.

Joe

[Gatlin5]

Hi Danielle,

If you have not already seen it, you may want to take a look at the KTMTalk thread. The lawyer I told you about has responded in some detail
there.

Joe

[Matts14mom]

This is very sad, Is there a way to get another Dr, and have a restraining order to the doctor who is putting you through this, that doctor wouldn't be aloud near my son or family, need to post his name so the MX racers there in GA know not to get around them. Sorry, this makes me so mad. Iam so sorry you have to deal with that on top of dealing with your son.

Post us your son's hospital address so we can send him some support. What other sport can you get this much support.
God Bless you and your family.

[Jakes Dad]

Well I came by this thread by way of another MX web board and we have never and may never meet any of you being so far away, but I had to join so I could send our regards.

Danielle first off let me say that my heart goes out to you and your family.
An injury to your child is horrible enough but to then face this it is literally adding insult to injury.

My son Jake and I send our thoughts out to Brady and you all, we will be thinking good thoughts and sending a card soon.

I write for a New England based MX mag and a few months ago I wrote a story about this subject, I hope this doesn't bore you guys but here it is.
I call it "The Eternal Question"


Why would you let your child do that?
We have all heard that question in its various forms. Perhaps you are trying to explain to grandma how come her sweet little grand-daughter is roosting her friends instead of selling Girl Scout cookies with them. Could be a casual conversation at your kid?s school as to why they don?t see you at the Soccer field. The question came to me one time from a parent of my son?s classmate who plays Lacrosse?..a game with no protective padding to speak of, where they chase you around with a big stick. Maybe you are unfortunate enough to have heard this while sitting in an emergency room somewhere with your injured child. Are you crazy, that?s so dangerous? What could you be thinking? Why would you do that? I can?t speak for the masses here but for me the answer is because I love my child.

What more can you give your child than the opportunity to feel the sense of personal accomplishment that comes from learning how to do something on their own. When my son Jake got his first bike it was something he had talked about doing for a long time. Of course going to the races and watching the other kids on the track convinced him that it would be a cinch to jump on and ride. As is often the case the reality of controlling the bike was a little different than the idea of it and after about 3 minutes of riding/falling over he rolled over to me and said he was done. Now I knew that he wanted to ride but it was hard and he was discouraged. All he had talked about since he could form sentences was how he was going to learn to ride and race in a ?real race?, there was no way I was going to let him just give up. Instead of letting Jake stop I leaned over and told him that I knew he was having a hard time with it and maybe he just wanted to quit but I wasn?t going to let him. ?Whenever you try something new you are going to fall and it is going to be scary but that is a lot better than being scared to try.? So back out he went and darned if he didn?t come back over after finally catching the hang of it, a beaming look of self satisfaction on his face that fairly screamed ?I did it dad!!?
To this day I think that was a pivotal moment in Jakes life where he learned that nothing worthwhile comes easy, more so than I could have ever made him understand with mere words. Does it get any better than that as a parent? Could you ask for anything more than to see your child reach for something work hard and get it?

Now for the flipside, could it be anymore scary for us as parents? I know that I, like most of you, would like life much better if I could always be there to shield my child from harm, be there to stop any and all injustice or pain from befalling the apple of my eye. In case you don?t know me let me just relate this little personal fact, I am just a teensy bit over-protective of my little guy. I have what I call ?The List? which started out as a running joke between my girlfriend and I. This list is my record of anyone who has ever crossed Jakes path and caused him any harm. The kid at soccer practice that elbowed Jake in the face, he was the first one on the list. Those older kids at the skating rink who bumped him on the floor a few times as they raced around, knocking him down once?.on the list. The list is my way of keeping track of anyone whom I may have to dispatch should they touch him again. So why in the world would I decide to let Jake race motocross? Oddly enough it has actually been a way for me to get used to the idea that I can?t always be there to protect him from the real world. Sometimes life is going to knock him down and there is nothing I can do to stop it. So I guess I have learned something from racing as well, all we can do as parents is suit them up in the safety gear and send them out to fend for themselves. Not surprisingly they do seem to fend for themselves much better than we would like to admit. I got my most graphic example of this when Jake took his first real hit on the track. It was July of last year and we had made our first visit to the Hemonds MX facility in Maine, the mornings races had started well and then a couple motos before Jakes 65-C race came up it poured. The rain stopped but the track had soaked up a lot of water and was messy in spots, one of those spots being the ?S? turn at the holeshot. The gate dropped and they sped off into the turn, as the riders tangled up in the turn Jake got stuck behind a rider that slipped and he got crossed up, the bike falling to the right and Jake falling to his left resting on one knee. That is when a kid behind him having the same problem stopping in the pack ran up close behind, jumped his rear wheel and BAM squarely punched him in the back with his front tire and suddenly Jake was face down in the mud being used as a berm. My heart stopped for the excruciatingly long few moments that he was flat on the track, my mind racing ?oh my god, he?s dead, oh my god, he is really hurt, what was I thinking to let him?.? Then as quickly as he went down he popped up shook the mud off like a dog shaking off after a bath, dragged his bike up out of the muck and off he went. When the race was over, I asked him how he felt after getting run over and he totally dismissed me telling me he just got bumped from behind. I had to show him the tire track across the back of his chest protector before he would believe me. Scared? Yeah just a little and we got off light. I have watched other parents have to follow an ambulance out of the pits and thought to myself how lucky we have been.

Unfortunately life is a dangerous sport in and of itself so there is no shortage of things that can harm our children every day of the week. Two little boys have an argument in the concession stand line after a little league game and one of them kills the other with a bat. More than one little boy or girl has gone missing while doing everyday things never to be seen again, victims of the ever growing population of sick animals roaming the face of the planet. There is no shortage of bad things or bad people in the world and all you can really do is keep your children close to you.

That is another thing that I point out to people when they ask me about our choice of sports. Where else can you go and see whole family?s sharing in the same activity, spending every weekend and many waking moments in between dedicated to a common goal? How many times do you see a sport that your 10 year old daughter, 16 year old son and still thinks he?s an 18 year old husband/father can all compete in on the same day and at the same place? I defy anyone to find another sport where the families involved come together and help each other over the rough spots in life the way the extended motocross family does. OK so maybe I am a little biased. All I know is what I see and that is what I have seen time and again as we have gotten more and more involved in this sport. People from different places and diverse backgrounds who come together to share in the competition and friendship that comes from this sport that we all love as well as the friendships that our children get to form amid the competition. There was more than one race last season where Jake told me that he had seen a friend down on the track and wanted to stop to help them up. That is a sentiment that I have always found sorely missing from the stick and ball sports that dominate the schoolyard.
So why in the world would we let our children do this? Perhaps it is the excitement, fun, family togetherness or the solid values they can learn? Maybe it is the chance for Jake to develop an understanding that life is a difficult bike to ride and it requires practice and dedication to be done well. Could be that I want Jake to understand that even if the goal is never reached the real victory is in the enjoyment you get running the race. All these things have been part and parcel of our experience in this sport. So I put this to all of you that would ask such a frivolous question of those of us that choose to stand trackside and watch our children learn to fly.

Why in world wouldn?t we let them do this?

[ktmkids]

Thanks for posting your story, it really hit home and validated some things I have not been able to put into words. I stand fast saying it's not only our job to keep our children safe, but to support their dreams. My oldest son played baseball for 8 years and never once did I see him between games play with the other team like our kids do at the track, never did someone help the other guy when he fell running to bases, did you ever think that if you forgot a glove at home to ask the opponent and not only would he see if he had one, he would run looking for one asking everyone in his path to find one so they would not miss the game? it was all about winning. MX is not just about winning. It's a personal challenge. Also I can tell you there are about 50 other "Dad's" at the track that my son could call upon at any time if he needed help, and about 50 kids we consider step sons. These boys would never have the opportunity to get into trouble, and how many 16 year old boys would rather spend every weekend with their family at the track then out getting into trouble with friends? Yes, it has it's risks as does everything, but more than ever, during our challange this week, it has it's benefits that I would not change. Am I scared for the day Brady rides again, ABSOLUTELY, but when he crosses the finish line in mid air and does his well known no hander and waves to the crowd, I'll be the one in the front row with tears down my face, next to our family, and friends.

[Tatonka]

Danielle - once again just a reminder that our thoughts and prayers are with Brady and your entire family. I'm not just speaking here for the Vermeulen's or for RiderDown but from the entire MX community. I heard someone once say from "emergency comes emergence" and your situation has really caused people to rally around in support and defense of our sport! We will continue to do more! Let's hear it - what more can we do to prevent this type of attitude & treatment?

ps. JakesDad - excellent article, thanks for sharing that here. And you never know, we may meet someday, most of us in this sport have a way of getting around the track a couple of times! :wink: If you (or for that matter anyone on here) ever get to CO let me know!

Ride On!

BV

[SiteAdmin]

Here are a couple of links that may be helpful;

Click here for the link to this thread on KTMTalk.com; Prayers for Brady Moreland http://ktmtalk.com/index.php?showtopic=139519

and also to Brady's Carepages at the Hospital; http://www.carepages.com/ You will have to register & then enter BRADYMORELAND to gain access. Give him a shout.

I hope they work!

[39k's mom]

My son has been riding since he was four years old. His father tried to take me for full custody claiming that I was putting him in danger by allowing him to race. The court decided that there was not sufficent evidence to prove this. All kids have the potential to get hurt, even if they don't ride a bike.

When my son was 3 1/2 he fractured his skill on the playground at daycare. His did not say a word about that.

I'm not sure your states laws, but I am almost certain that they cannot remove your son from your care without proving that you are unfit. That is hard to prove. I would suggest contacting an attorney in your area before it goes any further.

Good Luck!

[openairmovie]

ktmkids,

please check your email I sent an email, I would also like to ask a question via email.


Best of luck,
Nick #477 Sannicandro

[Jakes Dad]

Glad you guys liked the story, it is one that came from the heart

Really happy to see from the carepages site that Brady has had some good days.

When I read this one thing popped into my head.....
My son has been riding since he was four years old. His father tried to take me for full custody claiming that I was putting him in danger by allowing him to race. The court decided that there was not sufficent evidence to prove this.

This is what is known as a legal precedent so if 39k's mom can get you her case info on the custody ruling it will help your lawyer to argue your case.

Hope all goes well for Brady again tomorrow and for many more days......and look for a care package from NE soon.
ps...Tatonka, your right!! You just never know when you may meet up with distant friends.

Donn

[marcd312]

Hi how are you im so sorry about youre son the best advice i can give you is to keep on the ama i know you said you have contacted them once before.But there was the same situation here in connecticut at the milford riders were a young child had crashed and broke his leg and one of the politicions was pushing for a new law to punish the parent for any child that got hurt riding a dirt bike under the age of 16,and the parents would be charged with risk of injury to a minor .But the club and members contacted the ama and they got there lawyers and ended the whole thing in know time at all.Well i hope everything turns out alright it's just funny that if your son was to get hurt in baseball or football it would be a different story.Good luck Marc

[Pirkolaracing]

I can't quite believe what I am reading...My boys both race mx and have had broken bones quite a few times...arms, collar etc. We haul them to the emergency room and never get questioned about their injuries. I have never heard of cps being called before.. I hope your son gets better soon and makes a speedy recovery!!!! We will be thinking about your family during this time - and I hope you know all mx people will rally behind you!!!
Kids can get hurt doing any sport these days from rollerblading, skateboarding...heck you can even break a bone falling down a missed step in the house!!! (I oughta know) Keep your spirits up!!! MX mom in Minnesota

[TwinTurbos]

Danielle-
I'm sorry you are having to deal with this on top of your son's injuries. It is very upsetting to have someone question your parenting ability because you allow your son to do something he loves. My husband and I got a bit fired up when we read your post. He suggested I reply with my thoughts so here goes...

My husband has dirtbiking in his veins. Although I don't share his passion (yet) I can relate to it as I have a great love for horses. There is nothing like galloping across an open field on the back of a horse or simply plodding along enjoying the view we have of the Rocky Mountains. I'd like to think I'm a pretty decent rider and I feel confident when I get on our horses, but I still respect the fact that they are a good 1200lbs, they have a mind of their own and they are a flight animal. Meaning if they get spooked they jump, or worse, do a full tilt boogie away from whatever is scaring them with complete disregard for their rider. (At least dirt bikes have brakes.) Now of course there are horses that are better trained than others, but they all have basic instincts just like us. I know the risks I take (think about Christopher Reeve) when I get on our horses but I do it because I love it and there is nothing else like it. My point is that horseback riding can be dangerous just like dirtbiking, but I've never heard of anyone being reported for letting their kids ride, jump or compete with horses.

My 14 year old rides both horses and dirtbikes and I plan on letting our twin girls ride both as well. With any luck they will feel the same passion for these sports that my husband and I do.

Take care, good luck and know we are thinking of you.

[Gatlin5]

Hi Danielle,

I was checking in to see how Brady is doing, I hope all is going well.

Please keep us updated.

Best

Joe