Judge hears 11 hours of testimony in case of Va. teen fighting to treat his cancer his way

Daily Press ^ | July 11, 2006 | DENA POTTER

[bkepley]

Beats me what business this is of a judge.

[bkepley]

Beats me what business this is of a judge.

[marsh_of_mists]

Or the social worker.

It seems to me that if both the teenaged kid and the parents are crazy enough to pursue "alternative" treatments, it's their business. But, as usual, Nanny State knows best.

[Tax-chick]

"I told him my story... so he could understand where I was coming from and live through me," 16-year-old Starchild Abraham Cherrix said ...

[LIConFem]

From the article: "A social worker asked a judge to require the teen to continue conventional treatment. "

The real question is, what business is this of the social worker?

[Xenalyte]

One of my friends has a cat named Starchild.

[Xenalyte]

A girl cat, I might add.

[theBuckwheat]

If this was the case of a 16 year old girl refusing to have an abortion, the State's position would be entirely different.

[marsh_of_mists]

Their kooky hippies alright, but I far prefer kooky hippies minding their own business to busybody social workers and lawyers who want to mind everyone else's. The rest of the article also said the "social services" people now have joint custody of the kid with parents and the parents face losing custody. Right, because a posse of nameless social workers could do so much being, you know, experts. I'd rather be raised by hippies then have those power-mad people in charge of me any day of the week.

[VRWCtaz]

I would think it would be hard to find a medical professional willing to administer the chemotherapy to anyone of sound mind who is saying they do not want the treatment. Will the teen be restrained for the IV run?

[george wythe]

This issue should be decided between the parents and the teen.

Chemo is torture. Chemo does not cure this illness. As a matter of fact, a cousin of mine died despite all the chemo torture sessions he endured.

Since the teen is gonna die anyway, he should be allowed the dignity to decide which treatment options to pursue.

Prayers for his miraculous healing, or at least, for a non-painful death. My $0.02

[Tax-chick]

Xenalyte and I ping one another to unusual names without prejudice regarding the article content.

As to the rest of your post, I agree. The young man is 16, not 6, and should be competent to decide for himself what cancer treatment he wishes to pursue. He's old enough to know what's at stake.

[DJ MacWoW]

The poor kid! The left harps about "dying with dignity", how about they let this kid live with dignity?

[jocon307]

"I'd rather be raised by hippies then have those power-mad people in charge of me any day of the week."

Amen to that!

I wish this fellow a quick recovery from his illness. He may never recover from the good intentions of the state.

[AntiGuv]

The young man is 16, not 6, and should be competent to decide for himself what cancer treatment he wishes to pursue.

Really? So is that kind of like saying he should be competent enough to drink liquor, to vote, and to drive a tractor trailer?

[CDHart]

"Or the social worker."

Child endangerment basis, probably. That's what they use against Christian Science parents who don't want conventional medicine used on their kids.

Carolyn

[metmom]

It is really alarming that the government can step in and make major, life changing decisions for people against their will. From forcing this kid to undergo something he doesn't want to the withdrawal of food and water for a patient who wants it. And then threatening legal action against those who don't wish to comply.

Who made them God? There is no way a judge should have that kind of power to inflict his or her will on others. This is what we get when there is a liberal elite who thinks they know better than the rest of us poor, ignorant, unwashed masses what is best for us.

[spectre]

Well, I can understand why a 16 year old wouldn't want to go thru Chemo again. And if they force Chemo on him, and he dies in an emaciated condition, what would they have accomplished? Nothing.

The alternative method he is choosing isn't easy either. Cancer needs sugar to survive..He's on the right track.

Best of luck to him and his family..

[mtbopfuyn]

Since everyone seems to be jumping in head first, I was a CPS worker and let me tell you it's takes a lot more than a whim to get Child Protective into court arguing this sort of thing. We know nothing about these parents or if they're getting their son much more than dandelion weed and calling it alternative treatment. Sure, chemo doesn't work for some but does work for others. And no, it's not a day at the park. But why can't the boy do both? I will however say they don't have much, imo, going on upstairs if they named their son Starchild.