To say it's been a crazy year for partners in life and procreation Erica May Carey and Cleave Rengo would be an understatement. The Washington couple have welcomed three children into the world in a little over a year. What's more, they almost lost all three of their babies to the state when word got out that Carey had given birth to the last two in the privacy of her own home, without any medical assistance. Suffice it to say, what should have been perhaps the best time in this couple's lives has since spiraled into a literal nightmare.
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Led by their Christian faith, Carey and Rengo decided to forgo any and all medical assistance during Carey's second pregnancy. For them, this meant nixing regular prenatal checkups and ultrasounds. "I've done a lot of research about other women who have done it and they said the spiritual experience was so much more whole," the 29-year-old mother of three explains to KING-TV. "It was just us. We wanted to preserve that sanctity and sacredness in our birth." And so it was decided.
According to Carey, her pregnancy was without any complications. Things only got a bit hairy during the Carey's labor and delivery, when the couple received a shock of a lifetime. Soon after delivering their baby boy, Daniel, Rengo noticed an outline of a baby's body pressing against Carey's abdomen. Oh, my gosh! It turned out Carey had been pregnant with twins!
Bonus baby aside, Rengo and Carey say the twins' birth was without incident. Soon after they were born, the family fell into a rhythm. That is, until someone reported the twins' birth, prompting paramedics to show up to the couple's home. At first, paramedics tried to persuade Carey and Rengo to take their children to the hospital to get checked out, but when they refused, worrying the twins would be exposed to disease and germs. The next day, Child Protective Services showed up their door.
Over the course of several visits, CPS workers tried to encourage Rengo and Carey to treat their older child's eczema with a topical steroid cream, but they refused. Soon thereafter, all three children were removed. In the time since, the couple's eldest child has developed pneumonia, and the twins have been weaned off breast milk. Suffice it to say, both Rengo and Carey believe none of this is in their children's best interest. I'm inclined to agree.
Every parent has the right to raise their child(ren) as they deem fit, so long as they are being kept safe and healthy. From what I gather, the children were not abused, malnourished or seriously ill. Carey and Rengo were just doing what they thought was best for their children. For them, that meant keeping them away from disease-ridden hospitals and nixing topical ointments that may cause some serious side effects. There's absolutely nothing wrong with that. If you ask me, the state is in the wrong. They've ripped apart a family that would have otherwise been healthy and intact. So much for protecting families.
Image via Thinkstock
