Endless Summer Nights

Minn. Boy Refuses Life-Saving Treatment

I find myself in a really difficult state on this story. First, for those of you that don't know, let me fill you in on it. He has hodgkin's lymphoma, which is treatable and over 90% of those who receive chemo survive to live long healthy lives. He received one chemo treatment, which cancer patients will tell you is the worst because you're not used to how it will effect your body, and his parents pulled him out of the hospital and are seeking out "other" medical treatment. They said that there is like a 98% chance that this boy will die without the chemo.

But more about this is coming out. Apparently, the parents were trying to get him into a special school and for the entrance to the school he was given a test and at the age of 13 he can't read the worth "the". He'd been homeschooled by his parents. So, he really is sheltered beyond all belief.

So, when his parents pulled him out of the chemo treatments, the doctors saw this as medical neglect of the child and filed a court order to order them to allow the child to undergo a chest x-ray to see if it's spread to the point where they can't do anything by chemo or to check and see if they can. If they can, then the judge ordered that the boy should undergo chemotherapy to save his life, because at the age of 13 they don't believe he has a true handle on what it means to die. I'm 27 and I'm not sure I have a handle on it. I just realize that it's permanent.

The boy has said that he will hit or kick anyone that tries to come at him with a needle. Anyway, the x-ray came in yesterday only for the mom and boy to have skipped out of town. The x-ray shows that it is treatable and they are going to charge this woman for evading a court order.

ETA: The family is seeking treatment, but the way they're doing it is their using Native American methods from this guy who has been arrested for fraud.

Now, here's where my problem comes in. If a person has made their peace, then they shouldn't be ordered to undergo treatment they don't want. However, I know my parents would have done anything to help me live and would have made me take the treatments. There's some sick sort of cult understanding going on here and it's incredibly confusing. I just can't understand how these parents can be so willing to see their child die.