I don't think a pacemaker is especially strange, given the amount of pacemakers, ICDs, DBS, SCS, VPS and different pumps people have these days so the TSA would probably see a few a day at any major airport (even if most of them won't be in children - that's pretty rare).
The screening with a metal detector was unacceptable to the parent, and he was offered another screening. I don't see him being turned away, I don't see them denying him access to the airport or actually I don't even see the "TSA denies screening" at any point.
They refused to do exactly what she said, but they aren't required to.
Europe has always had more sane security checks than the US, that is hardly news for anyone and couldn't come as a surprise for someone who asks for the usual at a TSA checkpoint. The point of the TSA checkpoint is to do the searches they require.
No pacemaker manufacturer recommends it?
But you also have people who've done studies on it, like
http://content.onlinejacc.org/articl...icleid=1132369
There is currently a lawsuit in Pennsylvania regarding the issue. There is one incident reported where a pacemaker stopped working after going through a metal detector - and there was never any follow up to determine if the pacemaker was malfunctioning or not.
I don't believe her son said what she says are verbatim quotes. Following that, I'm assuming she might've lied about the rest, too.