On June 12, 2025, my 3-year-old son, Amarii, nearly drowned. He survived, but has been fighting for his life in critical care ever since. I am his only legal guardian.

On July 21, after I reported life-threatening medical negligence to the police, Children’s Hospital Colorado permanently banned me from his bedside. They had already barred my father and sister, and now my little boy — who just turned three — has no family allowed to be with him.

This policy of barring parents from critically ill children is not only heart-wrenching, it can also have serious consequences for the child’s recovery and well-being. Children, especially those as young as Amarii, need their family's presence for emotional support, reassurance, and love. Studies have shown that parental presence can significantly improve the recovery outcomes of critically ill children.

While I was at his side, I caught emergencies that the staff missed:

-his bladder was dangerously distended for over two hours and could have ruptured. I caught it - the nurses did not. 

• During a critical EEG test, he was drenched in sweat due to his bladder being distended for so long. Four leads on the back of his head had lifted from his scalp and were barely attached to his head while being covered in sweat. I intervened to prevent skin breakdown and infection risk.
• These are not "obstruction of care" these are the actions of a mother protecting her child's life. 
• Since my removal, I have no way of knowing if these life-threatening issues are being caught in time. This is irreparable harm in progress. 
• Hospitals claim that barring parents is sometimes necessary due to safety concerns or administrative reasons. However, such drastic measures need to be thoroughly reviewed and implemented only when absolutely crucial, ensuring that the child’s best interest is the top priority. Every effort must be made to allow family presence, with exceptions only in cases of proven safety threats.

I demand a state and hospital policy requiring judicial review 24 hours before a hospital can bar a parent from a critically ill child, protections against hospital retaliation toward parents who advocate for patient safety, and Immediate reinstatement of my parental access to Amarii's bedside. 

An equitable solution must be the establishment of clear, compassionate, and transparent guidelines for family visitation in hospitals. These guidelines should involve input from medical professionals, ethicists, and patient advocacy groups to ensure that they respect both the child's welfare and the family's rights.

What happened to me and Amarii is, unfortunately, not an isolated incident. Many families across the country face similar heartaches, having to fight bureaucratic battles while their hearts are already burdened with worry for their loved one's health. We need to advocate for policies that protect the right of parents to be with their children when they are most vulnerable.

I call upon the management at Children’s Hospital Colorado, health regulatory bodies, and lawmakers to review and amend these excessive and often damaging policies. Support Amarii, myself, and countless other families by signing this petition to ensure that no child has to face illness alone when they need their family the most. Please sign to support a compassionate approach to family visitation rights in hospitals.

No child should be isolated from their parent or guardian, as well as their entire family in a hospital setting unless there is proven abuse and a valid court order. The hospital must not be allowed to retaliate against parents for speaking up about medical neglect.