Isaiah Rider will not go back to his home in Missouri after a Cook County juvenile court judge said the state of Illinois proved that the 17-year-old was the victim of "medical child abuse."
Rider's mother, Michelle Rider, was stunned by the decision.
"I feel like today was a complete injustice," Michelle Rider said. "I have a very sick child who is in the hospital."
Isaiah was brought back to Illinois earlier this month after spending several months in the Chicago area between April and September when the staff at Lurie Children's Hospital accused his mother of medical child abuse.
Michelle Rider had brought her son to Lurie so he could be treated for a chronic illness that caused him to lose his leg and suffer seizures.
In his decision, the judge pointed out that Michelle Rider had taken her son to six different hospitals before coming to Chicago for treatment.
"Our viewpoint is that Michelle went from hospital to hospital as a vigilant parent getting second opinions, and there are extrapolations of the evidence that we disagree with," said Joseph Cecala, Michelle Rider's attorney.
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Rider felt that Lurie was not giving her son the right medication or treatment, but the judge said Lurie did nothing wrong. The judge then said that part of Isaiah's medical problems were created by "abuse and neglect" that was "administered by a parent."
Michelle Rider disagrees.
"Is it wrong to seek help for a child that is ill?" Rider said. "Is it wrong as a parent to advocate for your child and get the best care for them?"
