Judge Rules Family Can't Refuse Chemo for Child With Cancer

[MCDRAW]

The point being, is it better to have a very short time on earth and eventually die in pain from Cancer or endure treatment like say, like Farrah Fawcett and live a lot longer then anyone thought was possible and do everything possible to live.

I can tell you right now, homopatic(sp) herbs and such is not going to treat or cure cancer or put into remission. Cancer has been proven to respond to Chemo and radiation.

Ask her family how they feel about her being "alive" walking, talking and being part of life because of treatment for her cancer.

A friend of a friend who knew someone for many years, saw the person literally "waste" away because he had cancer that could not be treated, he lasted till the end, about 6 months. That is 6.5 years less then without treatment for ovarian cancer.

So unfortunately, there is short term cancer, and long term cancer treatment. This boy is differently the later and has a chance to live, unlike others.

Again, I agree with the Judge, I would have made the same decision, because honestly, if I ruled differently, I don't know how I could live with myself knowing that I literally sentenced this child to "sure" death. Even now it may be too late for the boy to benefit from treatment anyways. Why you ask, because he should have started treatment a a lot sooner then a court decision.

I need to look in the mirror now and then........and I could not live with my decision let alone look in the mirror if I ruled for this boys death.

I watched my Dad die of Colon cancer. He had about 10 surgeries and endured chemo for a year. Those treatments prolonged his life but they didn't make his life better. The majority of the six years he fought cancer, he was either in the hospital or in the bed sick. I think each family should have the right to decide for themselves what is best.

 

[southcitymom]

Trino, thanks for all the great links you have provided on this thread. I hope you will keep us updated as the case unfolds.

 

[TxBecca]

I can understand where this boy is coming from. In January 2006 I was diagnosed with Hodgkins Lymphoma. I was diagnosed when I went to the doctor because of a swollen lymph node.

I was never in any pain and I wasn't sick before I started the chemo. I often wondered why I was putting myself through the hell of chemo and radiation when I didn't feel sick. I think that's what this boy thinks about. I wanted to stop after the first treatment, too. While I was 21 and not 13 like him, I think our thoughts are similar.

Looking back now, I am glad I went through all of it. While he may not feel sick now, I'm sure eventually he will. I'll take a couple months of being sick with treatment rather than no treatment and eventually getting really sick and dying...

 

[southcitymom]

I can understand where this boy is coming from. In January 2006 I was diagnosed with Hodgkins Lymphoma. I was diagnosed when I went to the doctor because of a swollen lymph node.

I was never in any pain and I wasn't sick before I started the chemo. I often wondered why I was putting myself through the hell of chemo and radiation when I didn't feel sick. I think that's what this boy thinks about. I wanted to stop after the first treatment, too. While I was 21 and not 13 like him, I think our thoughts are similar.

Looking back now, I am glad I went through all of it. While he may not feel sick now, I'm sure eventually he will. I'll take a couple months of being sick with treatment rather than no treatment and eventually getting really sick and dying...

Welcome, TxBecca. Thank you for sharing your experience. I am glad the treatment worked out well for you.

 

[CyberLaw]

God forbid, if I went to the Doctors and he told me I had cancer, I would fight tooth and nail for every second on this earth to be with my family and friends. I would do what ever it took, go where ever, pay any amount of money.

I would fight for my life anything less would be a huge disservice to my family. Even if the quality of my life was not great, they could still see me, talk to me, tell me they love me and I them. I would fight like heck.......live and hope and pray for a miracle so I can see my children though their future.

 

[Texana]

God forbid, if I went to the Doctors and he told me I had cancer, I would fight tooth and nail for every second on this earth to be with my family and friends. I would do what ever it took, go where ever, pay any amount of money.

I would fight for my life anything less would be a huge disservice to my family. Even if the quality of my life was not great, they could still see me, talk to me, tell me they love me and I them. I would fight like heck.......live and hope and pray for a miracle so I can see my children though their future.

I agree. I watched another parent pass away from cancer because she refused the traditional treatments. By the time she wanted the traditional methods, it was too late. It is so heartbreaking to see her child today without a mother.

In this case, this boy does not even read, according to what I read. How can this be possible? I hope someone here can give more accurate information about that!

There is no way a 13 year old knows what is best for them nor do parents always make rational decisions. The law is there to protect the child, period.

 

[southcitymom]

God forbid, if I went to the Doctors and he told me I had cancer, I would fight tooth and nail for every second on this earth to be with my family and friends. I would do what ever it took, go where ever, pay any amount of money.

I would fight for my life anything less would be a huge disservice to my family. Even if the quality of my life was not great, they could still see me, talk to me, tell me they love me and I them. I would fight like heck.......live and hope and pray for a miracle so I can see my children though their future.

I have no idea what I would do!

 

[CyberLaw]

I don't know about you southcityMOM, but I value my family, my kids, my life and I would fight because of the very fact that I AM A MOM.

My kids would not expect anything less then me fighting with everything I had and they knew that I fought to be with them. That I fought to stay alive and would not give up, because if I gave up upon myself, then I give up on life and my kids and family.

I don't think so. Most people would fight for their life and the majority do.

The child has been "brainwashed" by his parents, he does not know what it in his best interest and he "blindly" follows what his parents say. Heck, I do think an investigation should be done as to "educational" neglect as this child is a teenager and cannot read.

I really don't think(and hope)that any child in a public school system would be caught well before being a teenager. The teachers should notice when the child cannot read and then do something about it.

Did the parents "teach" the kid to read. Obviously not and if there are "special" needs then find the help the child requires. It seems these parents have a child that may be 13, but cannot read to enlighten his mind on different opinions, research, stats, etc. He cannot help himself. Neither it seems can his parents.

 

[txsvicki]

http://www.startribune.com/local/45...kD8EQDUoaEyqyP4O:DW3ckUiD3aPc:_Yyc:aUycaEacyU

NOTE: When tested by his teacher, Daniel could not identify the word "THE." Daniel cannot read. While there are many students with IEP's for different reasons, Daniel's IEP must indicate he's much more in need of help than most students with IEP's. How can he make an intelligent decision about life if he cannot read or understand a document he signed?

Why does Daniel think he's a medicine man? His mother told him so...

Also, note: The man who runs the Nemenhah Band, to which the Hausers became members by paying a fee, has been convicted of grand theft and theft by deception at least twice. Another member of the group used a state loophole that allows for Native Americans to sell peyote.

Is Daniel even part Nemenhah or Indian? I figured there was something phony about a child being a medicine man at such a convenient time. I hope Daniel gets help, beats this cancer, then gets more help and learns how to read. Surely it's not even hopeless for anyone with severe dyslexia to learn to read. Daniel has no life experiences, can't read, been told he's a medicine man, and that he doesn't need cancer treatment. Poor Daniel. The family seems to be very oppositional.

 

[angelmom]

Is Daniel even part Nemenhah or Indian? I figured there was something phony about a child being a medicine man at such a convenient time. I hope Daniel gets help, beats this cancer, then gets more help and learns how to read. Surely it's not even hopeless for anyone with severe dyslexia to learn to read. Daniel has no life experiences, can't read, been told he's a medicine man, and that he doesn't need cancer treatment. Poor Daniel. The family seems to be very oppositional.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/ap_on_he_me/us_med_forced_chemo

"Nemenhah was founded in the 1990s by Philip Cloudpiler Landis, who said Thursday he once served four months in prison in Idaho for fraud related to advocating natural remedies."

Don't be misled by the name. It is not a tribe of Native Americans, but a made up group, created and led by a convicted felon.

And yes, it is possible for even the severely dyslexic to learn to read. One of my close friends has a son whose dyslexia is, apparently, not the "normal" kind and they have worked for years trying to find the best teaching methods and schools and doctors for him. Although he struggles mightily, recognizing the word "THE" has been within his reach since at least 1st or 2nd grade, before a lot of these things took place. Now, at 11, he still reads significantly below grade level, even with all of this intervention.

So I would think that even if Daniel is dyslexic and only getting moderate intervention, he would recognize the word "THE" by 13 with an IEP. Many people have failed this boy on an epic level.


I totally agree with your assessment. Poor Daniel doesn't know anything except what he's been told by this con man and his parents, who may well be just as misinformed as he is. Can they read?

 

[angelmom]

http://www.zimbio.com/Philip+Cloudpiler+Landis/articles/2/Philip+Cloudpiler+Landis


As to the Nemenhah Band themselves, they are new organization that hold beliefs similar to that of local Native Americans as well as the Mormon Church — although neither group recognizes the Nemenhah Band as a part of them. Their leader, Philip “Cloudpiler” Landis has a criminal past and spent a few months in jail several years ago for charges of fraud. After leaving jail he started the group which he allows others to join for a small fee of $250. To top it off, whenever members of the Nemenhah Band get sick they also have to pay Landis for the natural medicines too.

 

[southcitymom]

I don't know about you southcityMOM, but I value my family, my kids, my life and I would fight because of the very fact that I AM A MOM.

My kids would not expect anything less then me fighting with everything I had and they knew that I fought to be with them. That I fought to stay alive and would not give up, because if I gave up upon myself, then I give up on life and my kids and family.

I don't think so. Most people would fight for their life and the majority do.

The child has been "brainwashed" by his parents, he does not know what it in his best interest and he "blindly" follows what his parents say. Heck, I do think an investigation should be done as to "educational" neglect as this child is a teenager and cannot read.

I really don't think(and hope)that any child in a public school system would be caught well before being a teenager. The teachers should notice when the child cannot read and then do something about it.

Did the parents "teach" the kid to read. Obviously not and if there are "special" needs then find the help the child requires. It seems these parents have a child that may be 13, but cannot read to enlighten his mind on different opinions, research, stats, etc. He cannot help himself. Neither it seems can his parents.

I respect your thoughts on what you would do. I just cannot honestly say what I would do - it would depend on so many different factors and certainly my kids would be one of those factors. I understand that the will to live is very strong, but I would never in a million years characterize the decision to treat cancer in non-Western medicine approved ways or even to not treat it formally at all "giving up on life."

I respect this family and think they are a good loving family. As I have said before, many home-schooled children do not read on a timetable that the rest of us consider normal. That said, these parents obviously are concerned about their son's reading status as they have gotten him at IEP and enrolled him in a charter school.

All parents pass on their beliefs to their children. I guess if we don't like the beliefs they are teaching, we might call it brainwashing and if we do like the beliefs they are teaching, we might call it good parenting.

I understand why the Court got involved in this case and made the decisions it did, but I respect everything I know about this family and I respect the choices they have made for themselves and their children - even though those choices are probably different than the ones I would make.

 

[MissieMt]

This bothers me, and it's not because I feel this kid is too young to make his own decisions or anything like that.
It bothers me because everyday I go to a website for people who are fighting cancer. I read their daily journals. The pain is palpable. They fight so hard, and want to live so much. They are desperate for a cure. Everyday they are begging for prayer. Some make it, many do not.
And then there is this kid, and his family. A 90% chance to live!!! There are thousands of kids on caring bridge who would be ecstatic over those odds. And a thousand more Moms and Dads questioning why their little one couldn't have been so lucky. I'm sure many of them are heartbroken over this story because they would do just about anything to have their child back.
So, maybe it should be their decision, maybe it shouldn't. I'm not here to argue that. I just want to say that to take life for granted like that, and to be given odds that so many beg God for everyday and then to just throw it away...it kills me inside.

 

[JBean]

13-year-old Minn. boy resisting chemotherapy, mother miss court hearing on boy's welfare


NEW ULM, Minn. (Associated Press) -- A Minnesota judge has issued an arrest warrant for the mother of a 13-year-old boy resisting chemotherapy after the pair missed a court hearing on his welfare

http://tucson.cox.net/cci/newsnatio...=article&id=D989GTHO0&_action=validatearticle

 

[Trino]

13-year-old Minn. boy resisting chemotherapy, mother miss court hearing on boy's welfare


NEW ULM, Minn. (Associated Press) -- A Minnesota judge has issued an arrest warrant for the mother of a 13-year-old boy resisting chemotherapy after the pair missed a court hearing on his welfare

http://tucson.cox.net/cci/newsnatio...=article&id=D989GTHO0&_action=validatearticle

IMO the State of MN will indict her on murder if he dies.

 

[CyberLaw]

Brown County District Judge John Rodenberg also ordered that Daniel Hauser be placed in protective custody so he can get proper medical treatment for Hodgkin's lymphoma.

I remember from a previous post of mine, which started with the state has every right to take the child away his parents if he does not receive treatment.

Then somebody posted that "he has very good and loving" parents", well considering the "new" events, I will not change my position that his parents have not nor will they, act in the best interest of the child and he should have been and has been removed from the custody of "his good and loving" parents.

Please......kids are a product of their parents views, attitudes, likes and dislikes. They are the blank canvas at birth. The parents teach and tend to the child as they are raising an adult, not only a child. So low and behold the mother "thinks" that Daniel is not sick, that he can be cured by vitamins and sunshine and rainbows and low and behold the child thinks so too.

Go figure what some parents teach their kids when they find nothing wrong with what they believe in. That is why when parents have weird and warped beliefs that defy logic, the state sometimes moves in to protect said child from their parents.

As we all know there are some parents that are weird, but are not hurting anyone and there are some parents that are just off the scale in what they believe and the harm that comes to their kids in their "beliefs and teachings".

Lets take the "Hitler" parents, they could not believe that their kids would be taken from their home. They don't have a problem in what they teach their kids, but apparently their beliefs are not in the best interest of the children and the state removed them from further harm. Obviously the parents have no problem in their "beliefs" and views and were teaching their kids the very same "beliefs" as Hitler.

Our oldest had swimming all though school up to grade 8. Well I am not in any way shape or form, fond of swimming. I told him when he was young, that I disliked swimming very much. Guess what happened. At school he flatly refused to go swimming as he did not like it anymore. I got a call. Guess who had to "suddenly" love swimming and made sure the youngest knew this. Then low and behold he loved swimming again. Just one thought expressed by Mom and the child "followed" in my footsteps. That taught me a very, very valuable lesson.

 

[southcitymom]

13-year-old Minn. boy resisting chemotherapy, mother miss court hearing on boy's welfare


NEW ULM, Minn. (Associated Press) -- A Minnesota judge has issued an arrest warrant for the mother of a 13-year-old boy resisting chemotherapy after the pair missed a court hearing on his welfare

http://tucson.cox.net/cci/newsnatio...=article&id=D989GTHO0&_action=validatearticle

Wow. Thanks, JBean. THis is so sad.

 

[southcitymom]

Brown County District Judge John Rodenberg also ordered that Daniel Hauser be placed in protective custody so he can get proper medical treatment for Hodgkin's lymphoma.

I remember from a previous post of mine, that the state has every right to take the child away his parents if he does not receive treatment.

Then somebody posted that "he has very good and loving" parents", well condisering the "new" events, I will not change my position that his parents have not nor will they, act in the best interest of the child and he should and has been removed from the custody of "his good and loving" parents.

Please......

I have always agreed that the state has the right to take the child and "force" him to receive the treatment they want him to have.

I still believe and agree with the Judge's position that he has good and loving parents.

I would love to know more. In his entire interview with the Court, the most firm statement Daniel had to say about anything was that he would not undergo chemo - that he would fight it. It is obvious that Daniel and his Mother feel strongly about this.

Did Daniel threaten to run away to avoid treatment? As his Mother, do you let him run alone or go with him? The mother must know her actions force an arrest warrant and, depending on the outcome of all of this, her actions could wind up in a murder charge. What a desperate position to be in.

My continued prayers for this family.

 

[CyberLaw]

Nothing desperate about it. Guess who will make the news, and then have the story played out again in the press, and low and behold who will portray themselves as the victims. The Mom and boy. As simple as that....

BTW, the best thing for this child is to be taken away from the "so called" parents. He will receive treatment, he may even learn to read and who know "what other" issues the child may have that might only surface when the proper people evaluate him.

Due to the parents "beliefs" they have put their child in a life threatening situation.

You know in some African states, weird and warped beliefs prevail also. Like witch doctors, herbs to treat HIV, the blood of Albinos are good luck, killing the "devil" will ensure crops.

What this mother believes is akin to the Western world adopting the beliefs of African nations in treating diseases. But the unfortunate part, the people in African have no access to the life saving drugs, the western world does.

 

[southcitymom]

I asked before, but no one answered and maybe you know, Cyber -

What happens if he fights treatment? Let's say they find him and they take him away from his family and order treatment and he resists physically....what happens? All of the doctors who the Judge talked to said they weren't willing to fight, restrain or otherwise incapacitate this child in order to give him chemo.