Libertarian ping.To be added or removed from my ping list freepmail me or post a message here
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.
Libertarian ping.To be added or removed from my ping list freepmail me or post a message here
This is one of those no-win situations. At first I was angry at the parents, but God, what they must be going through.
Ping-a-roo. Remember the thread a couple of days ago about the child whose parents were trying to withold treatment they said she didn't need?
I guess the parents have to admit now that they didn't know more than the doctors.
At first I was angry at the parents, but God, what they must be going through.
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Angry at the parents? When the government steals their children from them in order to impose what they believe is the right treatment. You cannot get any closer to Tyranny than that!
SHE NEEDS HER MOM ALL THE MORE!!!!!!!!!!!
She'd already been diagnosed with cancer, fortunately of a well understood variety, with a prescribed course of treatment with a good success record.
No doctor had said she was free of cancer when this happened.
Children have a right to not be killed by their parents, Roe v. Wade to the contrary.
It really bothers me a lot when people refer to other human beings as merely property, or part of their own bodies.
This morning on the news the father said with the radiation treatments it would do damage to her spine's ability to grow and therefore his daughter "would stay short". It seemed like he was saying this was a factor in why they didn't want her to have more treatments. No doubt, having a sick child is the worst. It's an enormous strain on a family.
Short girls are a problem for some people.
It's tougher decision that what you see, IMHO.
I would want the decision on whether to do chemo and radiation myself. These are not guaranteed cures, often they prolong life with great suffering in ever shortening intervals.
My mother got off this train; and after watching her go through it, if I have the choice, I will likely get off sooner than she.
Court ordered medical treatment - particularly for cancer - is offensive on its surface. There are some obvious exceptions, but I'd be careful to limit these.
Ummmm.....It was the right treatment.
Even the parent's lawyer now admits that:
"But Friday's results, "changes everything," said Daniel Horne, an attorney for the parents."
With treatment, Hodgkin's Disease has a very high cure rate of over 90% in the early stages and even has a 70% to 80% cure rate in Stage III disease.
Without treatment, the death rate is 100%.
The parents originally claimed that the child was completely disease free without any data to back up that claim. As it is, even the parents and their lawyer now admit that the parents were wrong.
If the State had not intervened, that child would be a "dead kid walking" right now.
These folks also cite the same Bible verses the Apostolic Charismatic Church of the First Born cites to justify shamanism and use of peyote.
I never, ever trust these guys to do anything but let their kids die and then bury them in secret graves.
Sure, but better short and healthy.
My hometown has enough dwarves that if you stand in one place out front of the Walmart for under an hour you will see at least 3 of them.
The local Autozone sells pedal extenders!
I think it was my Great Uncle who settled a bunch of people in his circus in this area.
"Short girls are a problem for some people."
Oh, so wrong. We're practically perfect and not a problem for anyone.
We had a Texan father who wanted a "tall girl", not a "short girl", and he was prepared to deny her life preserving radiation treatment to get that condition.
Yet this child should receive the radiation treatment. Lymphoma has a high cure rate if they would follow accepted treatment plans.
What is fundamentally wrong with the government directing people to the correct medical treatment?
Better 5'1'' than six feet under.
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