TSA Breaks Teens Insulin Pump During Forced Full-Body Scanner Examination
A Denver teen was forced to go through a full-body scanner by Transporation Safety Administration (TSA) officials even after she produced a notice from her doctor clearly stating that she could not be subjected to the scanner for medical reasons. Savannah Barry, 16, says that after requesting a pat down she was denied that request and forced to be scanned with her $10,000 insulin pump attached.
After the screening Barry felt something was wrong and called her mother, who in turn contacted the insulin pump’s producer. The manufacturer told her mom that Savannah had to immediately remove the pump as soon as she landed because full-body scanners can cause damage tot he device’s software, interfering with how the pump delivers the right doses of insulin.
Speaking to ABC 7 a staff attorney for the American Diabetics Associations says this isn’t an uncommon threat and that cases such as Barry’s “aren’t isolated incidences. They are occurring across the country, and we think that a way of ending that is to have better training by TSA.”
The random full-body scan for Savannah Barry was instigated because she was carrying a juice box to held control her insulin levels.
After the incident Savannah’s mom told MSNBC:
“It’s bigger than diabetes — there are other people with other medical conditions that need to opt for the pat-down. That’s why we’re questioning the education and training of these agents.”
The TSA in the meantime has requested a conference call with the family to discuss the issue and hopefully to issue a $10,000 payment for their stupidity.
