'Grey's Anatomy' Explores Delicate Balance Between Religious Rights and Child Welfare

Grey's Anatomy tackled the sensitive topic of religious freedoms versus child welfare on the "Leave It Inside" episode. When a sick boy named Liam begged for medical attention despite his parents' religious beliefs in non-medical intervention the doctors of Grey Sloan Memorial Hospital had to wrestle with what action to take. Liam suffered from a massive brain tumor. However, when doctors told his parents they would like to perform surgery or he might die, the father replied, "No, doctor, he won't, not if it's God's will. So, thank you for respecting our beliefs, how soon can you discharge my son?" The hospital discharged the boy but he came back a short time later and by then the tumor had rendered him blind. Liam tearfully told the Dr. Karev, "I prayed and I prayed, but it didn't work. God didn't help me... Can you fix my eyes?" Dr. Karev had the boy admitted for surgery. The surgery was a complete success but when the father returned he was not please. The father told Dr. Karev, "I hope you enjoyed practicing medicine, 'cause after I'm done suing this place you're all done." While the episode didn't end with the latest drama resolved, there is hope that the boy's mother might be Dr. Karev's saving grace, because she was the one that secretly drove him to the hospital.