Elmhurst Doctor Says Her Wording Was 'Extreme'

ELMHURST, IL — An Elmhurst doctor who blasted Dr. Anthony Fauci last week on a heavily trafficked local Facebook page says her wording was "extreme" and that she could admit when she was wrong.

"I admit that my choice of wording was extreme, and I'm sorry if I ignited any negativity that was not necessary," Dr. Shirley Stilson said in a post on the "Reopen D205" Facebook page over the weekend. "I can admit when I'm wrong."

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In last week's post, Stilson said she was "beyond furious" that Fauci had waited months to say that children should be in school.

"As a doctor, I'm ashamed of him," she said.

Stilson, who specializes in internal medicine, said her reaction was fueled by emotion because of the plight of children. She said she regularly hears stories of suicide, attempts or children with thoughts of suicide.

Stilson said she was "hearing what our special needs kids were faced with or that so many kids around the country are not even logging onto school and many are failing. They are losing learning time, experience and much needed social interaction. This is toxic stress, which will bring years of repercussions."

Stilson said responsibility in the pandemic does not rest on one person's shoulders. She referred to local decision makers whom she said were not transparent with taxpayers and parents.

She also said every child is different and that not all are suffering from depression. Plenty of parents, she said, may be wondering why others are upset when their children are doing just fine.

"What I don't understand is why they are attacking us? What affects another child will affect us all," Stilson said. "My children are doing just fine, but I'm fighting for the children of our community: small and broad. It would be really easy to sit back and let other people fight this fight. This was my first reaction when I was asked to get involved. I certainly don't want publicity and definitely don't want to be attacked for advocating for what I know is right."

Stilson said 99.5 percent of all people infected recover, but she said she would not discount the many who have suffered and died. As a hospitalist, she said she has worked in COVID-19 units since March and seen the fear in people's eyes who are sick with the illness.

"I have cried with family members who have lost loved ones," Stilson said. "I have also seen so many more leave the hospital and recover."

She also questioned the actions of Elmhurst School District 205.

"So now that even Dr. Fauci has said that kids should be in school, what is holding our Board, Teachers Union and Superintendent back? Are they out for the best interest of our children and families? We would all like that answered," Stilson said.

At the beginning of her post, Stilson wrote that her words were published without her permission, referring to last week's story in Patch.

In response, many members of the Reopen D205 page showed support for Stilson, with some taking Patch to task for posting a story about Stilson's original comments.

"The reporter has some nerve," one woman said, without elaborating. "I see our group is now private."

Responded another woman, "We couldn't risk another reporter writing an article like what was written earlier in the week. We had to make some changes... the idea of being fully transparent was taken advantage of."

The page has about 1,300 members and until a few days ago, it could be viewed by anyone on Facebook. It was made private after Patch's story.

Members of the Reopen D205 page are pushing for in-person learning in District 205, which has been remote since October. Except for special needs students, the district's campuses are set to be closed through the rest of the semester.