A pediatrician is currently under fire after she allegedly refused to treat a baby because her parents are gay.
Krista and Jami Contreras are both excited but nervous first-time lesbian parents to a 6-day-old baby they named Bay Windsor. For her first check-up, they made a thorough research, looking for the best doctor for their new addition. Eventually they found the 49-year-old Dr. Vesna Roi, who works in the pediatric department of Eastlake in Roseville, Michigan.
For the parents, she was the best doctor they could find. Apart from the fact that she tried to treat babies holistically--that is, without relying too much on medications--she also knew they were lesbians, after they shared the information with her the first time they saw each other.
They set up their appointment weeks before and were scheduled to meet up with the doctor in October. However, they were shocked to learn they would be attended by another doctor, Dr. Karam, as Dr. Roi believed she couldn't care for the baby after praying on it.
Although the doctor didn't specify the real reason why she didn't go on with the appointment, citing patient-doctor confidentiality, in an apology letter she sent to the parents on February 9, the doctor mentioned that she felt she couldn't connect properly with the couple. She stressed, though, that their "choices" didn't affect her decision to back out. She reportedly also didn't make the rounds in the hospital so they wouldn't have to bump into each other.
The parents have expressed their feeling of humiliation and embarrassment over what happened. In an interview with Detroit Free Press, they mentioned how they were initially dumbfounded by the doctor's explanation and that even friends believed that what Dr. Roi had done was illegal.
The parents may not be able to sue the doctor over it since lesbians and gays are not covered by the state's anti-discrimination law, they are still sharing their story to let the public know the challenges couples like them face regularly.
