The parents support his decision and risk losing custody:
Three months of chemotherapy last year made him extremely weak. So when he learned in February that his cancer was active again, he turned _ against doctors’ advice _ to a sugar-free organic diet, herbs and visits to a clinic in Mexico.A social worker asked a judge to require the teen to continue conventional treatment.
In May, the judge issued a temporary order finding Jay and Rose Cherrix neglectful for supporting their son’s choice to pursue alternatives. Judge Jesse E. Demps also ordered the parents to share custody of Abraham with the Accomack County Department of Social Services.
Abraham’s parents face losing custody completely.
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{ 6 comments }
Tough one. The kid certainly has to have some say in their health care. After all, a full grown adult size person would be extremely difficult to forcibly treat for months with chemotherapy. What would be largely simple outpatient care would wind up using continuous inpatient care, possibly in the prison or incarceration wing of the hospital.
Whacky ideas such as this family has about health care will tend to become less prevalent in a population if we allow the natural consequences to play out.
So … The courts are able to weigh the ‘Quality of Life’ ramifications of a debilitating treatment as opposed to a debilitating illness? I’d have thought that would remain fundamentally a personal choice?
In some states’ constitutions, minors are effectively the wards of the state. So as long as he’s 18, the state makes his personal choices.
CJD
It seems like it’s wrong. 16 is almost 18 – surely old enough to make his decision, crazy as it may be. If he had been 10 or 12.
What if instead of “trying alternative therapy” he’d say “I prefer to feel as well as I can during a few months I have left to debilitating treatment”? Most would agree an adult has a right to make this choice. Surely, 16-year old can do that? Kind of reminds me of this old movie – “Six weeks” – with ballerina Katherine Healy playing a 12-year old dying from leukemia? She had a 2nd relapse and she decided to forgo treatment because she wants to feel good until the end. I bet most people who watched the movie wouldn’t thought that in real life she could be forced to go on with treatment against her wishes.
I am just curious. Given his history, what is his life expectancy (and future quality of life) with chemotherapy? Is it normal lifespan, some large number of years or just a few years? I don’t know, which is why I am asking. I mean if he has a chance of a normal lifespan with reasonable quality of life it is one thing, but forcing someone to go through chemotherapy against his will to gain a couple of years doesn’t strike very ethical to me. Even if it is a minor.
Diora -
Hodgkins disease is highly curable. I do know of people who have died from HD, including my 20-year-old cousin. Overall, however, the survival rate is very good.
Anon at 10:43 — thanks for the info. I didn’t know. My grandma was dying from cancer for 7 years which is why I am a bit sensitive to these issues. But this situation is different.
In this case, I can understand the judge’s decision better. It’s tough. On the one hand, this decision may save the child’s life, on the other hand the child is almost an adult and his wishes are ignored.
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