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First Nations girl chooses traditional medicine over chemo
CBC News ^ | May 16, 2014 | Connie Walker

Posted on 05/16/2014 11:11:20 AM PDT by rickmichaels

Makayla Sault is only 10 years old, but has already had to make life and death decisions.

She and her parents, Ken and Sonya Sault, have decided to forgo chemotherapy and instead use traditional medicine to fight leukemia.

“I am writing this letter to tell you that this chemo is killing my body and I cannot take it anymore,” she wrote to her doctors at the McMaster Children’s Hospital in Hamilton.

Makayla was diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukemia in January. Her doctors told her family that she would have a 75 per cent chance of survival if she continued treatment. If not, they warned that her situation could become dire.

“They basically said she would have 100 per cent relapse and she would die if we discontinued chemotherapy. And that going the route of traditional medicine has zero per cent success rate,” said Sonya Sault.

The hospital has referred Makayla’s case to the Children’s Aid Society, sparking fears that she may be apprehended and forced back into treatment.

“We just felt so scared that they could actually come in and remove our children from a home where we are loving them and caring for them and we want what’s best for them,” said Sonya Sault.

The Saults are from the New Credit First Nation near Caledonia, Ont. Their chief and council are supporting the family’s decision.

“We’re not going to allow any other agency to come in and apprehend our children. We went through that in the '40s and '50s and we’re not going to allow that again,” said Chief Bryan Laforme.

The Saults said their community has also created a group called the "Makayla defence force," a group of hundreds of community members ready to act if Children's Aid attempts to apprehend her.

“If someone does try to take Makayla away we are assured 100 per cent that people will be there to stop apprehension," said Sonya Sault. "People know the consequences and they’re willing to stand in and protect her at all costs.… If that’s what it comes down to, they need to be physical. We’re going to do what it takes to make sure that our daughter is protected.”

The Children’s Aid Society says it has a good working relationship with the New Credit First Nation and hopes to find a compromise. However, if a child is deemed to be in imminent danger, the society can act to remove a child.

“Obviously, we try to bring kids into care with the knowledge and consent of the chief and council. But there are situations when we are allowed to do what we need to do to save a child’s life.” said Andrew Koster, executive director of the Children’s Aid Society of Brant.

During the 11 weeks of chemotherapy, Makayla experienced severe side-effects that landed her in the intensive care unit.

“It's a mother's worst nightmare.… I remember I would just watch her, and listening to her pray, ‘Oh, God. Come and get me, come and take me from here.’ She said, ‘Mom,

[it’s] not the leukemia but it is the chemo that is going to kill me.'”

After Makayla said she had a spiritual encounter in her hospital room, she begged her parents not to make her return.

“I know that what I have can kill me but … Jesus came into my room and told me not to be afraid, so if I live or if I die, I am not afraid.”

The Saults won’t elaborate on the exact medicine Makayla is using but they feel it is already working.

“There are people in our community who have been on traditional medicines and are well today and are thriving. We know that our traditional medicines work. We know that our daughter is going to be OK.” says Sonya Sault.

The Children’s Aid Society is hoping to schedule a meeting with the family next week to discuss a possible compromise.

In 2008, a Hamilton boy was taken into care after he and his family refused chemotherapy for leukemia.


TOPICS: Health/Medicine
KEYWORDS: canada; childrensaidsociety; makaylasault
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To: rickmichaels

ALL is the most common form of childhood leukemia. It has a 90%+ cure rate with best practices at the top children’s cancer centers.


21 posted on 05/16/2014 11:29:08 AM PDT by rmh47 (Go Kats! - Got eight? NRA Life Member])
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To: dalereed

I hope you had a surgeon remove the tumor.


22 posted on 05/16/2014 11:30:16 AM PDT by dangerdoc
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To: dalereed

I’m not questioning your decision at all, but as a matter of interest, my mother was diagnosed with small-cell lung cancer at the age of 79. She had started smoking at age 17 and was a two-pack-a-day smoker all her life. She quit when she was diagnosed and went through months of chemo and radiation. Although it took its effects on her (she lost about 70 lbs. due to the treatment), it saved her life. I’m happy to say that at age 83, she’s alive and kicking. She absolutely loved the orchid I got her for Mother’s Day!!!


23 posted on 05/16/2014 11:30:57 AM PDT by rickmichaels
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To: rickmichaels

Umm, hate to break it to ya, but when fighting cancer, chemo IS traditional medicine.


24 posted on 05/16/2014 11:32:15 AM PDT by Boogieman
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To: dalereed

That’s good. I’d hate to have you die having never eaten a Twinkie...


25 posted on 05/16/2014 11:32:18 AM PDT by null and void (When was the last time you heard anyone say: "It's a free country"?)
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To: Bulwyf
Just read the entire article, it does sound like she met Jesus, in which case she’s trusting God, and that’s always the best medicine for anything. He’s in control.

"I sent you two boats and a helicopter."

26 posted on 05/16/2014 11:32:50 AM PDT by rmh47 (Go Kats! - Got eight? NRA Life Member])
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To: dangerdoc

“I hope you had a surgeon remove the tumor.”

Hell no!


27 posted on 05/16/2014 11:35:04 AM PDT by dalereed
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To: rickmichaels

Shouldn’t her parents and doctors be making these decisions and not a 10-year old girl?


28 posted on 05/16/2014 11:35:18 AM PDT by GeronL (Vote for Conservatives not for Republicans!)
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To: null and void

If I live another 20 years i’ll still die without eating a twinkie!!!


29 posted on 05/16/2014 11:36:53 AM PDT by dalereed
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To: alexander_busek

depends on the type of cancer.


30 posted on 05/16/2014 11:39:09 AM PDT by Bulwyf
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To: Boogieman
You are part way there. Native medicine is a lot more than throwing stuff in the fire and rattling rattles (someone got the African variety in there somewhere). There is a long history of herbal lore passed down among healers.

Mrs. Joe's Grandmother had a tumor on her neck, and was told it was inoperable. The Medicine man was called in, and took a small, freshly killed bird, skinned and gutted it, and stuffed the body cavity with herbs he had brought with him. The bird was used as a poultice over the spot where the tumor was. When it was removed some hours later, the bird's carcass was full of tiny worms, and the tumor was gone. Gramma lived another decade, to finally die at a ripe old age. The doctor who had diagnosed the tumor could not explain it.

BTW, naturally occurring substances cannot be patented, but are often the source for pharmaceuticals which can be. While the main active ingredients may have been isolated and synthesized, it may be that other ingredients in the natural version enhance good effects and mitigate bad ones.

Until we get over the white coat dogma and the pure profit motive, we'll never know.

31 posted on 05/16/2014 11:44:43 AM PDT by Smokin' Joe (How often God must weep at humans' folly. Stand fast. God knows what He is doing.)
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To: rickmichaels
"Her doctors told her family that she would have a 75 per cent chance of survival if she continued treatment."

out of the eight years they go to college, part of that time must be taking courses on how to lie and sell chemotherapy and radiation.

32 posted on 05/16/2014 11:45:55 AM PDT by The_Republic_Of_Maine (Be kept informed on Maine's secession, sign up at freemaine@hushmail.com)
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To: rickmichaels

Tough call and Makayla’s clearly a tough little girl. I hope she lives. Prayers for her survival.

In her situation, God forbid, I might make the same choice.


33 posted on 05/16/2014 11:46:10 AM PDT by Veto! (OpInions freely dispensed as advice)
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To: null and void

“Spontaneous remission” of cancer frequently follows an episode of high fever.


Yup. In the early 1900s there was a significant amount of success with giving people diseases which caused high fevers for a few days. As the poor circulatory systems and rapid metabolism of many cancers allow toxins to build up more strongly in cancerous tissues, killing them first, the same general principle applies with heat.


34 posted on 05/16/2014 11:46:36 AM PDT by lepton ("It is useless to attempt to reason a man out of a thing he was never reasoned into"--Jonathan Swift)
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To: Smokin' Joe

those “tiny worms” were probably maggots.


35 posted on 05/16/2014 11:48:10 AM PDT by GeronL (Vote for Conservatives not for Republicans!)
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To: GeronL

In a freshly skinned bird, in just a few hours? It takes a lot of fly eggs to make maggots and it takes time. That just wasn’t there.


36 posted on 05/16/2014 11:50:39 AM PDT by Smokin' Joe (How often God must weep at humans' folly. Stand fast. God knows what He is doing.)
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To: Bulwyf
there are other good methods, some quite a bit better

Like what?

37 posted on 05/16/2014 11:51:50 AM PDT by from occupied ga (Your government is your most dangerous enemy)
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To: lepton
Yep. These days it's measles...
38 posted on 05/16/2014 11:52:05 AM PDT by null and void (When was the last time you heard anyone say: "It's a free country"?)
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To: Smokin' Joe

Very interesting, Smokin’Joe.

I once had an M.D. who would never prescribe meds, used acupuncture instead. Worked for me for every ailment. Point is, modern medicine is “alternative” medicine; other healing systems have been working for millennia.

And yet, it’s a tough call when chemo and radiation have such a good record in cases like this — someone mentioned 90% cure rate.


39 posted on 05/16/2014 11:54:21 AM PDT by Veto! (OpInions freely dispensed as advice)
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To: dalereed

So what happened??? What did you do instead of the chemo and radiation, if anything? Are you okay now? How long ago was this?


40 posted on 05/16/2014 11:55:57 AM PDT by Nea Wood (When people get used to preferential treatment, equal treatment seems like discrimination.-Sowell)
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