Posted on 06/10/2005 4:17:36 PM PDT by freepatriot32
CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas Medical tests today showed that cancer has returned to a 12-year-old girl whose parents were in court to fight radiation treatment because they believed her illness was in remission.
The new tests were revealed by state attorneys during a hearing that was supposed to determine whether treatment for Katie Wernecke was necessary in the days leading up to a custody hearing next Wednesday.
Texas Child Protective Services removed the girl and her siblings from the home of Michele and Edward Wernecke last week after doctors said discontinued treatment could be life-threatening.
Katie was diagnosed with Hodgkin's Disease in January, when her parents brought her to the hospital for pneumonia treatment.
The parents had insisted the four rounds of chemotherapy Katie received killed the cancer and that the recommended radiation therapy would only harm a healthy girl.
But Friday's results, "changes everything," said Daniel Horne, an attorney for the parents.
The judge decided that the girl, who was not present for the hearing, would remain in state custody.
He recommended that the girl's treatment begin tomorrow, her 13th birthday. The judge did not immediately address how involved he would let the parents be.
Coffee enema is the treatment of choice for so terribly many things.
The girl was part of a study program, and the medical profession didn't want their results skewed by over zealous parents.
Well, it's pretty plain that this wasn't the complete truth, or the cancer would not have recurred so soon.
It's always amazed me how some folks are so distrustful of doctors. Yet when they are ill, they are first in line at the doctor's office, wanting as much to be done as possible for them. Individuals who want to impugn every motive of every health professional should rather see a voodoo priestess when they are ill.
Children are wards, not property.
My worry here is that the government steps into medical care constantly to kill people--I mean, let them die in a euphoric manner. I have a real fear about letting the government decide anything about medicine.
Having said that--I am relieved that the child is being treated. That doesn't mean we shouldn't be trying to control what the govt. controls about us.
Whoops. Make that "Some tests are more sensitive than others." Specificity and sensitivity are totally different. My bad for not proofreading.
The problem with "US" is we do need to be kept an eye on.
Some think it is normal to be taking recreational illegal drugs in the name of the contstitution.
Others might think it's OK to kill the neighbor's pets and to BBQ them for dinner.
I'm sorry to say there are some wierdos among us, plus many are not blessed with the gift of common sense.
So, for those lacking, lots of laws exist.
In the case of kids, they are protected over the parents if they are shown to be in danger by the parents.
If a guardian is home getting drunk while kids are in the house and children's services finds out, you are going to lose the kids unless there is a sober parent there the same time to protect the kids.
There is a balance and I think what we all want is to not have the balance turn into the government dictating to us how to live in general, which is reasonable.
Having said that--I am relieved that the child is being treated. That doesn't mean we shouldn't be trying to control what the govt. controls about us.
The cases where Government steps in are usually:
1. When a child is involved.
2. When the "right choice" for the child is pretty clear cut.
As noted in my other post, treating a child with appendicitis with acupuncture would be such a case.
Adults, on the other hand, are given free reign to commit suicide if they so desire.
I have seen it many times in my own radiology practice in this West Coast community filled with New Agers that believe in crystals and karma.
The real tragedies are not the ones that die believing they will be cured by their "alternative therapies". The real tragedies are those that had potentially curable cancers, drop out of their oncology treatments to go to Mexico or some New Age commune in California to get herbs and spices infused up their rectums and then return several months later with an incurable tumor the size of a football realizing that they have committed suicide.
Government allows adults to do such things to themselves.
Government does not allows adults to do such things to their children.
Uh, yeah, I'd say some of US do need to be kept an eye on.
"Short girls are a problem for some people."
Short people got no reason...
Wish someone would post a picture so I could see if their teeth are falling out from peyote use yet.
It's possible they are in the first stages of breaking with their church, and the Elders who prefer to lay hands on you than to let you see a doctor.
The religious undercurrents to this story have played a bigger factor in the controversry than it should have.
The girl needs treatment and it looks like she'll get it.
The problem is some would practice anarchy if left to their own choices in life.
You're right. That's why the government should take care of all of us, everyone, all the time, for everything we do, and think, and say....
The system worked and *hopefully* the girl will recover.
Either you're on the side of protecting LIFE or you're on the side of abortionists, euthanasia advocates and other squads in the culture of death.
Sigh. I have said that I was relieved that the child got treatment. I said I don't want the government involved in medical matters.
Apparently that makes me a euthanasia and abortion advocate. Ok. Whatever.
As humans, when emotions run high in decision making situations, it's usually very difficult to make a rational decision. Having seen many situations such as this (professionally), the way I would approach it would be that the spine not growing is secondary to killing off the cancer cells. If you die, your spine won't grow any more; if you get the radiation and live, your spine will still grow, but maybe not as much as under normal circumstances. Sure, easy for me to say as I sit here at my computer, but I am confident that I would say the same thing if I were in the same situation (hopefully I will never be in that situation).
For the sake of argument, what would you say if a child with Leukemia was prevented from getting blood transfusions due to the parents' religious convictions; should the "state" step in and order the child to receive transfusions? chemo?
Since radiation is probably part of the protocol for her type of cancer, I think it would be reasonable to expect that it would be helpful to her disease. However, there is NO WAY we could say for sure, either way.
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