A Michigan mother has a choice to make: either go against her beliefs and vaccinate her son, or go to jail.
Rebecca Bredow, of the Metro Detroit area, has one week to get her 9-year-old son vaccinated or an Oakland County judge will throw her in jail.
"I would rather sit behind bars standing up for what I believe in, than giving in to something I strongly don't believe in," she told WXYZ. "God forbid he were to be injured by one of the vaccines, then what. That scares me."
Bredow, a mother of two, told the outlet that when her son was born she and her ex-husband decided to space out and delay some of his vaccines.
However, now that the child is older the boy's father wants the vaccines done. Bredow, who educated herself and researched the effects vaccines have on children, is against it.
"It wasn't until they started grouping them together that I backed off of doing vaccines," she explained.
After reading up on vaccinations, Bredow said she decided the best option would be a waiver, which in the state of Michigan allows parents to opt out of getting their kids certain vaccinations.
Her decision has landed her in a court battle with her ex-husband, where a judge sided with the father, who wants the vaccines given to his son.
"I believe in the choice of the parent to make the right decision based on their knowledge of vaccines," Bredow said.
She has until Oct. 11 to have the vaccinations completed. If she does not follow the judge's order, she could go to jail for contempt for violating the court's ruling. WXYZ reports that the court would decide how long Bredow would sit behind bars, if it comes to that.
"I feel angry. I feel backed into a corner. I feel my rights as a parent have been taken away," she said.
"Yes, every parent has a choice but we also have a right to have our voices heard. So why automatically side with the father that wants the vaccines," Bredow continued. "What about my choice as the mother who's the primary caretaker, who solely takes care of my son."
Bredow said she does not want to go to jail, and will continuing fighting it out in court.
