An inexcusable failure
Deference to transgender beliefs has robbed a NZ teen of her life
Today’s RNZ story “Teenager starves to death alone in emergency accommodation” is the tragic story of a family torn apart by the transgender cult.
It is also the story of our health and education system, in thrall to gender ideology, undermining a mentally unwell girl’s parents and ignoring the recommendations of her psychiatrist. There was an inexcusable failure of oversight from professionals in education, social welfare, and health who were supposed to be responsible for her care.
Even after her death, it is notable that some entrusted with her care have been unwilling to accept Vanessa was a girl, using “they” or “his” pronouns in the RNZ story.
Although, as Vanessa’s mother reported to RGE, there is no doubt that anorexia was the immediate cause of her death, “We now know they [government agencies] were not providing proper care and focused on Vanessa’s gender identity, ignoring all of her well-established other mental health conditions. We have learned some of the professionals didn’t even know about Vanessa’s long-standing anorexia nervosa diagnosis.”
Anorexia is recognised universally, by all mental health professionals, to be a 'deadly' issue where starvation to the point of death is always the aim of the sufferer. The sufferers do not eat of their own volition.
“Knowing and acknowledging these stark facts about anorexia, not one professional, not one counsellor, not one adult in this system managed to do the one most important act of all....simply take the measure of meeting with her,” says Vanessa’s mother.
“Taking the word of an anorexic 'over the phone' or 'skyping' was woefully inadequate, malpractice and perhaps even malfeasance. It was clear from her body in January 2023 that Vanessa’s physical and mental deterioration through continued weight loss would have been obvious to any competent responsible person who had seen her in person in the weeks or months before her death.”
Five government agencies were supposed to be looking after Vanessa – Health, Education, Work and Income, Oranga Tamariki, ACC. Vanessa fainted in November when she visited Family Works but no one called an ambulance.
“Physically acknowledging and reporting her deterioration would have been a simple matter. Had they done so, our treasured daughter would still be alive.”
Vanessa, and everyone who was supposed to help her, accepted the transgender belief that her parents, in not agreeing that she had become a boy, were uncaring bigots who deserved to be cut off.
Two years later, Vanessa’s parents are left devastated, and investigating the neglect of their daughter's well-being over a critical period of time, while under the care of the State, has become their primary focus.
The questions that haunt Vanessa’s parents are:
Why was a 16 year old girl with anorexia and living alone not being closely supervised?
Why did some of the professionals who were supposed to be caring for her not even know about her long history of trauma and mental illness?
Why was her GP conducting phone consultations so that he couldn’t see her weight loss?
Why was Vanessa, with such serious mental health diagnoses, permitted to enrol in an online school where no teachers would see her face to face?
Why did CAMHS suddenly discharge her ten months before her death and why was the compulsory Mental Health Act order revoked although her mental health had worsened?
“Vanessa’s death may have occurred 'suddenly', but it was not unexpectedly, says Vanessa’s mother. “All those professionals involved in her care know this to be true. When a psychiatric illness is telling you not to eat, surely it is 'expected' that death will always be the result, if it is not treated.”
“There must have been a clear deterioration in her physical appearance at this time, yet the adults caring for Vanessa remained indifferent. These adults must have seen the downward progression. Yes, these people are not medically-trained individuals, yet what part did the lack of common humanity and a deference to transgender ideology play, as Vanessa got worse by the day?
Vanessa’s mental health was overwhelmed by a fashionable cult that indoctrinated her into the false belief she could change sex, a belief that suited her already distorted thinking about food.
This cult belief was actively affirmed by many of her teachers, the counsellor, some of the medical professionals treating her, and many other professionals Vanessa interacted with in the last four years of her life.
“Our society, in thrall to the cult of transgenderism, has robbed us of our beautiful and beloved daughter.”
By Fern Hickson
This has me in a rage, this idiotic cult has literally helped kill this poor child. Anorexia is a nightmarish illness, like the victim has been captured by an evil spirit and with the starvation they cannot think straight. Those poor parents, I hope they pursue this to the bitter end and help finish this dumb gender cult.
This is a terrible failure by the relevant government agencies. A devastating story of obedience to gender theory outweighing the substantive issue of anorexia.
Gender affirmation is not an appropriate treatment and certainly not when there are serious mental health issues.