A Family's Fight Against Chemo. Who Decides?

A family in Minnesota is fighting for the right to allow their son to choose to NOT receive chemo as a treatment for his cancer. So far they are losing. The courts have ordered them to get new x-rays to determine if the cancer has grown/spread, and will issue a court order for him to begin treatment if it has. They will go so far as to put this child into the foster care system in order to do so. The boy has said that if they force him to get the treatment, that he will kick and fight. Doctors from several children's hospitals have testified during this case. They all talk of therapies that help the kids get through treatments. But all are unsure if they could or would 'force' a kid to receive the treatment.

There are a lot of issues surrounding this story, not all is as it seems. The family isn't perfect, not like any are. It is reported that the 13 year old is 'learning disabled' and can't read, which are some of the reasons that the judge decided that the boy would not have much of a say in his treatment decisions. But they boy also doesn't believe he is even sick, and the family seems to be in denial themselves.

I pray this story has a good outcome. But it really gets you thinking about your own circumstances. As a parent, you want what is best for your kids. What would you do if you were in this situation? Our children do not have a full understanding of time, of life and death, or who they are, let alone medicine. It's pretty obvious that we would want to do whatever it takes to get them healthy. And love them through all the pain and agony of any treatments they may have to endure. But at what age do we allow them to start having a say in their medical decisions? And how much do we fight to allow them the choice to not suffer through a treatment if that is what they choose?

An even bigger question is, "Are we ok with government coming in and making choices for us and our families?" Personally, that's a hard one. It is definitely important to protect the kids whose parents are truly neglecting them, but when it's a family who really does have the best interest of the child in mind... parents who are educated in the realities of their child's disease and the choices of treatments, is it right to interfere? Just because some parents may want to choose alternative medical treatments, treatments that may not be the popular choice of doctors and medical associations, it does not mean that they are neglecting proper treatment for their child.

Just some things to think about.

[Update: After I posted this article, MSNBC reported that the courts have now issued a warrant for the boy's mother after she 'fled' with him before their court hearing today.]