‘Grey’s Anatomy’ Explores Delicate Balance Between Religious Rights and Children’s Welfare
Grey’s Anatomy tackled the sensitive topic of balancing religious freedom and children’s welfare on the “Leave It Inside” episode. When a sick boy named Liam begged for medical attention despite his parents’ religious belief in nonmedical treatments, the doctors of Grey Sloan Memorial Hospital had to wrestle with what action to take.
Liam suffered from a massive brain tumor. However, when doctors told his parents they would like to perform surgery on him or he might die, the father replied, “No, doctor, he won’t; not if it’s God’s will. So thank you for respecting our beliefs — how soon can you discharge my son?”
The hospital discharged the boy, but he came back a short time later, and by then the tumor had rendered him blind. Liam tearfully said to Dr. Karev, “I prayed and I prayed, but it didn’t work. God didn’t help me. … Can you fix my eyes?”
Karev had the boy admitted for surgery. The surgery was a complete success, but when the father returned, he was not pleased. The father told Dr. Karev, “I hope you enjoyed practicing medicine, ’cause after I’m done suing this place, you’re all done.”
While the episode didn’t end with the latest drama resolved, there is hope that the boy’s mother might be Karev’s saving grace — because she was the one who secretly drove the boy to the hospital.
Grey’s Anatomy airs Thursdays at 8 p.m. on ABC. Watch recent episodes of Grey’s Anatomy for free on Yahoo View.
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