Mom Of Conjoined Twins, Amber McCullough, Barred From Visiting Surviving Daughter After Being 'Disruptive'
Amber McCullough, a Minnesota mother who gave birth to conjoined twin baby girls last August, was recently barred from visiting her surviving daughter for allegedly being "disruptive to staff and interfering with their ability to take care of other patients," the NY Daily News reported.
McCullough treasured every minute she was able to spend with her surviving daughter, Hannah, after losing her daughter Olivia after a five-hour operation meant to separate the conjoined girls. However, due to claims of disruptive behavior, McCullough is now spending even less time with her precious daughter. This, however, wasn't always the case.
During Hannah's four-month hospitalization at the Children’s Hospital of Colorado in Aurora, McCullough was permitted to visit her daughter every day for up to two hours a day. According to Daily News, earlier this month, the hospital sent McCullough an email stating that due to a violation of a previously established behavioral agreement, McCullough would be banned from visiting her daughter for three days. Although the three-day ban has since been lifted, McCullough is now limited to seeing her daughter only four hours per day; and is not allowed to visit the baby between Sunday and Tuesday.
The twin girls were born in August via cesarean section and were connected at the chest, abdomen, and pelvis, the Daily News reported. Due to heart complications, Olivia passed away shortly after the operation. Hannah survived, but lost a lot of blood during the operation, as well as developing fluid in her lungs; low blood pressure; and jaundice. Despite these health concerns, the little girl is recovering, albeit still requiring further hospitalization and a special ventilator.
According to KSDK.com, during times of crisis or stress, the hospital may have families sign a behavioral agreement in order to establish structure and proper care for a patient. When these terms are violated, restricted visitation may ensue. Although hospitals are not able to release specific patient information, in an email to McCullough's lawyer James Avery, the Children's Hospital of Colorado stated that McCullough's banning was due to her having become disruptive and "the situation has become untenable and unworkable."
In an update McCullough posted to her daughter's GoFundMe page on Tuesday, the mother claimed that her disruptive behavior was only in response to her filing complaints as to how her daughter was being treated. "I have proof of their lies as I wised up some time ago not to step foot in that place without a recorder in my bra," she wrote.
McCollough has since filed paperwork for a $900,000 lawsuit against the hospital, and she plans on moving her daughter to Boston Children's hospital for further treatment.