 April
14, 2000
11:00 PM est
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
The Finlay Institute
Issues Preliminary Report on Psychiatric, Social
and Psychological medical issues.
Contact persons: Gladys Lorenzo, PhD, Adelaida
Arias-Llanes, PhD, Antonio Gordon, M.D., PhD.,
and Enrique Canton, MD
The community has been following the case of
Elian Gonzalez for the past four months. The
outcome of the current situation seems far from
clear despite various deadlines and threats. The
Finlay Institute was formed as a nonprofit
organization in South Florida in 1978 to serve
our Cuban American community in areas related to
medical sciences. I am glad to report to you
today that we have arrived at important
conclusions that need to be voiced today.
We at the Finlay Institute come forth at this
time in order: to define the current psychiatric
and psychological issues in the case in the hopes
of orienting the Gonzalez family, the legal
counsel, the government agencies and services,
the various political groups interested in the
case, and the public at large.
The Antecedents.
The child Elian Gonzalez is an orphan. His mother
died in a shipwreck in late November 1999. In the
same disaster the stepfather of Elian died along
with eight others. The biological father of
Elian, Juan Miguel Gonzalez, had been separated
from the biological mother, Elizabeth Broton
since at least 2 years prior to the shipwreck.
Therefore, at the time of the migratory, maritime
disaster Elian had an absence of his biological
father for an appreciable period of time.
The Immediate Recovery.
On Thanksgiving Day, 1999 a fisherman found Elian
holding to an inner tube like a raft. Elian was
at sea for more than 48 hours. He was reanimated
medically and discharged from a local hospital.
At that time Elian was given to the family of
Lazaro Gonzalez, a relative of Elian who has
resided in Miami for several years. The daughter
of Lazaro Gonzalez, Marisleysis took Elian and
served as a surrogate mother for the orphan.
Lazaro Gonzalez and the fisherman who saved him
from the ocean fulfilled the surrogate father
figure.
Outcome Thus Far.
The orphan Elian was expected to have
posttraumatic stress disorder. The acceptance of
Elian in the household of Lazaro Gonzalez, in
particular the relationship that ensued between
Elian and Marisleysis, and the community
integration process that followed including the
Entry of Elian into a local culturally acceptable
school; all favored the ease of resolution of the
post traumatic stress disorder. The relationship
with the fisherman, a member of the host cultural
community, anglo, served to acculturate
Elian to his new environment in Little Havana.
This favorable outcome thus far could have easily
been derailed. The danger in this type of
situation is the development of anaclitic type of
depression, an often-fatal mental disorder common
in children who suffer from a lost object
relationship. It is our professional opinion,
that if Elian would not have established a
favorable, nurturing relationship with the
extended family who took him into custody he
would have befallen into anaclitic type of
depression with its most devasting outcomes.
Furthermore, alternative placements at the time
of the discharge from hospital after the
shipwreck in an out-of-family foster home, an
orphanage, or the like would have resulted in
serious developmental damage and irreparable
emotional disorders. The outcome from anaclitic
depression is usually death.
Recommendations.
1. The current survival arrangement that serves
Elian both physically and emotionally should not
be changed drastically. The extended family that
serves as the de facto surrogate family of Elian
must intervene in his immediate plans for the
foreseeable future. The cultural environment
where Elian develops most be fitting to his
social history, current status and
development.
2. The biological father of Elian, Juan Miguel
Gonzalez, has at present a broken relationship
with his older son. While it seems favorable to
encourage the re-establishment of such
relationship, the current family commitments of
Juan Miguel Gonzalez must be taken into account
in any psychological perspective.
3. The reintegration of children to their
original families has been repeatedly found to be
unsatisfactory. Invariably, the original family,
which in the case of Elian Gonzalez consisted of
Elizabeth Broton, Juan Miguel Gonzalez and
himself, does not exist.
4. The process of reintegration of Elian to his
biological father may take a minimum of 90 days.
Otherwise, the chances of such re-establishment
of a solid relationship will more than likely
result in failure.
Contacts:
E-Mail:
agordon@finlay-online.com
Beeper# 305-841-4517
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