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You may have heard about this case–a 13-year-old boy, Daniel Hauser, was diagnosed with Hodgkin’s lymphoma and started chemo, but then his parents stopped treatment for religious reasons and said they’d be taking care of it naturally.
Well, a judge ordered the boy to get an x-ray and do chemo if his tumor had grown; he and his mom didn’t show up for court yesterday to hear the verdict–that Daniel’s cancer has worsened. His dad said he didn’t know where they were. Today there’s a nationwide warrant for their arrest.
One news article said that with chemo and radiation Daniel has a 90 percent survival rate; without it, 5 percent. The family practices Nemenhah Band, a religious group that takes some of its practicies from American Indians. The methods include supplements, diet changes, and sweat lodges to detoxify.
If they do find them authorities say Daniel will be placed in a foster home due to “medical neglect.” It all is obviosuly sad and crazy. Personally, I did chemo for my cancer despite my extreme misgivings about allopathic drugs. And I’m glad. But plenty of people eschew doctors’ orders for alternative care. Many are successful. Many are not. It’s their choice and I may not always “agree,” but I respect it. But they all have one thing in common–they’re grown-ups.
The news articles about this are fascinating to me, most denigrating the decision by putting “natural” in quotation marks and almost all acting as if Daniel is an adult who has made a decision. I wonder: How much of this on the parents’ part is genuine religious devotion and a true belief in alternative medicine, and how much is a terrified reaction at seeing what chemo does to their son? Is it just a unique way to be in denial, keeping their son from the temporary harm of chemo while putting him at great risk?
No doubt they love their kid. But I’m with the judge on this. The kid needs chemo. But foster care? If they do get him into treatment, that just seems punitive and unnecessary.
What do you think about this case and natural cancer treatment in general?
posted May 20, 2009 at 10:48 pm
I believe that as a grown up it is my right to make a decision about my body.Incase of the minor, he should be given counseling about the pros and cons of the treatment and then allowed to make his choice.As Valerie has rightly said that natural therapies have cured many as well as not helped in many cases but the judgment is usually against alternative therapies quoted with as not enough evidence to prove its effectiveness.But can allopathic treatment give 100% assurance that it will work-Statistics are often misleading and if it does not work that you are put into the ineffective category.
I also endorse Valerie’s views whether is it justified to put the child under foster care when he is battling is battle for life and needs the warmth and care of his own parents.It is imperative during any recovery for the mind to feel empathized and cared for and that only the natural parents can give the right kind of emotional support.
posted June 6, 2009 at 6:33 am
What has the story of the baby got to do with it? That was cruel, an really made me look crazy.