Mom of 9 claims she was sterilized against her will

[Modbert]

A 35-year-old mother of nine is suing a Springfield hospital, three doctors and two nurses, claiming they permanently sterilized her against her will, violating her reproductive rights, according to a lawsuit filed in Superior Court.

Tessa Savicki, who has nine children aged 3 to 21, claims doctors were supposed to implant an intrauterine device, which is a type of reversible birth control, after she delivered a son, Manuel Flores, on Dec. 19, 2006, at Baystate Medical Center.

Instead, she said, a type of permanent sterilization known as a tubal ligation was performed, leaving her mentally distraught and incapable of bearing more children.

This is the second time Savicki has sued over reproductive issues. In 2001, she reached a settlement with CVS and a spermacide company after she became pregnant with her now 12-year-old daughter after claiming she bought and used an expired spermacide, according to federal court documents.

Savicki has nine children from several men, is unemployed and relies on public assistance for two of the four children who live with her. She receives supplemental security income, or SSI, for a disability, non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma, she said. Her mother has custody of three of her children. Two of her children are no longer minors.

Savicki said her life has stabilized in the last decade after a rocky start. She had her first child at 13 and dropped out of high school in the ninth grade.

Savicki said she’s been in a relationship with her fiance, Angel Flores Tirado, 36, since she was 25. She lives with him and the couple’s three children. Tirado helps support the family with his full-time job as a personal care assistant. Savicki said she’s had eight of her nine children while in committed relationships and hoped for one more child with Tirado.

“It’s not like I’m jumping from guy to guy to guy to get pregnant,” she said. “I’m trying to make a healthy home for my children.”

Just remember, we have only heard one side of the story as the doctors cannot give their side yet. What are your thoughts on the matter however USMB?

 

[Granny]

She doesn't have a glowing record - first child at 13 and then 8 more by different men. She's not using very good judgment about anything - including giving herself and her children a reasonable lifestyle considering her greatly limited income.

It's hard to say what happened in the OR - patient mixup, eligible writing on medical charts, or intentional sterilization. As for the IUD - I worked for the law firm defending A.H. Robbins - maker of the Dalkon Shield. Massive lawsuits involving that IUD. From looking at pictures of the thing I could not figure out for the life of me how the damned thing could possibly prevent pregnancy. What it did do was cause multiple serious injuries including sterilization and hysterectomies, etc. I didn't work on the Dalkon team but those who did were frazzled all the time - pressure, pressure, pressure. It was the end of A.H. Robbins. This woman could be screwed either way.

 

[Modbert]

I would just figure after having one at 13 that the thought of having children after that would be a bad one until you can support the ones you already have.