Big Brother At It Again...
Judge orders teen to cancer treatment
Straight from the Associated Press:
By SONJA BARISIC, Associated Press Writer Fri Jul 21, 6:43 PM ET
A Long Battle within a Long Battle
NORFOLK, Va. - A judge ruled Friday that a 16-year-old boy fighting to use alternative treatment for his cancer must report to a hospital by Tuesday and accept treatment that doctors deem necessary, the family's attorney said.
The judge also found Starchild Abraham Cherrix's parents were neglectful for allowing him to pursue alternative treatment of a sugar-free, organic diet and herbal supplements supervised by a clinic in Mexico, lawyer John Stepanovich said.
Jay and Rose Cherrix of Chincoteague on Virginia's Eastern Shore must continue to share custody of their son with the Accomack County Department of Social Services, as the judge had previously ordered, Stepanovich said.
The parents were devastated by the new order and planned to appeal, the lawyer said.
COMMON SENSE: Our bodies, our choice!
posted by Manuka Mom @ 4:54 PM
3 comments
3 Comments:
...I was glad to see that this story is not over yet:
Judge lifts order for cancer treatment
By SONJA BARISIC, Associated Press Writer
Tue Jul 25, 6:59 PM ET
ACCOMAC, Va. - A judge ruled Tuesday that a 16-year-old cancer patient who has refused conventional medical treatment does not have to report to a hospital as previously ordered and scheduled a trial to settle the dispute.
Starchild Abraham Cherrix, who is battling Hodgkin's disease, a cancer of the lymphatic system, refused a second round of chemotherapy when he learned early this year that the cancer had returned.
Abraham chose to instead go on a sugar-free, organic diet and take herbal supplements under the supervision of a clinic in Mexico.
A social worker asked a juvenile court judge to require the teen to continue conventional treatment, and the judge on Friday ordered Abraham to report to a hospital Tuesday. But Accomack County Circuit Court Judge Glen A. Tyler suspended the judge's order.
"I feel free today. I was let off the leash," Abraham said after Tyler agreed to a stay and set a trial date of Aug. 16.
Tyler also ended joint custody of Abraham between his parents and social services officials.
Carl Bundick, an attorney for the department, told the judge the department would not object, provided a new trial takes place quickly.
"What the department is interested in is this young man being cured of cancer," Bundick said.
In a similar case last year, the parents of 13-year-old Hodgkin's disease patient Katie Wernecke won the right in November to make all her medical decisions after a court fight with Texas child welfare officials. Doctors had recommended chemotherapy and radiation; her father favored a program of intravenous vitamin C.
Still following this case:
Va. teen in court over cancer treatment
By SONJA BARISIC, Associated Press Writer
August 16, 2006
NORFOLK, Va. - A Virginia teenager will be back in court Wednesday when a judge considers whether his parents should be required to make him resume chemotherapy for cancer.
Starchild Abraham Cherrix, 16, was diagnosed last summer with Hodgkin's disease, a cancer of the lymphatic system considered very treatable in its early stages. But Abraham was so debilitated by three months of chemotherapy that he declined a second, more intensive round that doctors recommended early this year. Instead, he has been using an alternative herbal treatment called the Hoxsey method.
"He's tired of dealing with this (in court). As a mother, I can see," Rose Cherrix said Tuesday about her son. "He wants this out of his life."
After Abraham chose to go on a sugar-free, organic diet and take liquid herbal supplements under the supervision of a Mexican clinic, a social worker asked a juvenile court judge to intervene to protect the teen's health. Last month, the judge found Abraham's parents neglectful and ordered Abraham to report to a hospital for treatment as doctors deem necessary.
Lawyers for the family appealed, and an Accomack County Circuit Court judge suspended that order and scheduled a new trial to settle the dispute. The judge scheduled the trial for two days but has indicated he would like to finish in one, said John Stepanovich, a lawyer for the parents.
Abraham is still on the Hoxsey method, banned in the United States in 1960, but Stepanovich stressed that the family hasn't ruled out other possible treatments, such as immunotherapy or radiation treatment in small doses.
According to the American Cancer Society, there is no scientific evidence that Hoxsey is effective in treating cancer in people. The herbal treatment is illegal in the United States but can be obtained through clinics in Mexico, and some U.S. naturopathic practitioners use adapted versions of the formula.
COMMON SENSE: Read When Healing Becomes a Crime by Kenny Ausubel and you'll get the true history of the politics of the AMA. The bottom line is that the AMA and its offshoots are political organizations which, in my opinion, are designed with the all-mighty dollar representing all the votes. And what about protecting our health? Well, sure they keep statistics for cure rates (fairly grim, remission then recurrence) using chemo, radiation, and surgery. (But surprisingly very few statistics for the ensuing pain...) Anyway, I'd rather take my chances with the Hoxsey treatment that works with the body instead of against it. Why doesn't the AMA want to do a full clinical trial on alternative treatments? If Hoxsey is such a "hoax," then why has it been around since the 1960's? Oh yeah, the pharmaceutical companies wouldn't get their cut of the expensive chemo drugs. I forgot myself for a moment....
Court Pact Says Va. Teen Can Forgo Chemo
By SONJA BARISIC
Associated Press Writer
Aug 16, 11:17 PM EDT
A Minor Sort of Victory
ACCOMAC, Va. (AP) -- A 16-year-old cancer patient's legal fight ended in victory Wednesday when his family's attorneys and social services officials reached an agreement that would allow him to forgo chemotherapy.
At the start of what was scheduled to be a two-day hearing, Accomack County Circuit Judge Glen A. Tyler announced that both sides had reached a consent decree, which Tyler approved.
Under the decree, Starchild Abraham Cherrix, who is battling Hodgkin's disease, will be treated by an oncologist of his choice who is board-certified in radiation therapy and interested in alternative treatments. The family must provide the court updates on Abraham's treatment and condition every three months until he is cured or turns 18.
"It's all over. It's everything we fought for, everything we wanted to ever have, we've won. We got our freedom back," Abraham said outside the courthouse after the hearing.
Tyler emphasized that the decree states that the parents weren't medically neglectful.
Abraham said that he saw the doctor last week, and the doctor assured him that his cancer is curable. The teen said he will continue following an alternative herbal treatment called the Hoxsey method, as well as his doctor's treatment plan. The regimen won't include chemotherapy, but radiation is a possibility, he said.
After the short hearing, the judge looked at Abraham and said, "God bless you, Mr. Cherrix."
Last summer, the teen was found to have Hodgkin's disease, a cancer of the lymphatic system considered very treatable in its early stages. He was so debilitated by three months of chemotherapy that he declined a second, more intensive round that doctors recommended early this year.
He since has been using the Hoxsey method, the sale of which was banned in the United States in 1960.
After Abraham chose to go on the sugar-free, organic diet and take liquid herbal supplements under the supervision of a Mexican clinic, a social worker asked a juvenile court judge to intervene to protect the teen's health. Last month, the judge found Abraham's parents neglectful and ordered Abraham to report to a hospital for treatment as doctors deem necessary.
Lawyers for the family appealed, and an Accomack County Circuit Court judge suspended that order and scheduled a new trial to settle the dispute. The judge scheduled the trial for two days but has indicated he would like to finish in one, said John Stepanovich, a lawyer for the parents.
Carl H. Bundick, attorney for the Accomack County Department of Social Services, told the judge the department considers the agreement to be in Abraham's best interest.
Abraham is still on the Hoxsey method, but Stepanovich stressed that the family hasn't ruled out other possible treatments, such as immunotherapy or radiation treatment in small doses.
According to the American Cancer Society, there is no scientific evidence that Hoxsey is effective in treating cancer in people. The herbal treatment is illegal in the United States but can be obtained through clinics in Mexico, and some U.S. naturopathic practitioners use adapted versions of the formula.
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On the Net:
Abraham Cherrix: http://www.abrahamsjourney.com
American Cancer Society information about Hoxsey method: http://www.cancer.org/docroot/ETO/content/ETO-5-3X-Hoxsey-Herbal-Treatment.a
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