Judge to decide if family can refuse chemo for boy

[Ernst]

By Patrick Condon, AP

MINNEAPOLIS — A Minnesota judge is expected to decide whether a family can refuse chemotherapy for a 13-year-boy's cancer and treat him with natural medicine, even though doctors say it's effectively a death sentence.

With chemotherapy, Daniel Hauser has a 90 percent chance of surviving his Hodgkin's lymphoma, according to his cancer doctor. And without it?

"It is almost certain that he will die," said Dr. Bruce Bostrom, a pediatric oncologist at Children's Hospital and Clinics of Minnesota. Bostrom, who diagnosed the disease, is an ally of the legal effort in southwestern Minnesota's Brown County to make Hauser submit to chemotherapy even though he and his parents believe it's potentially more harmful than the cancer itself.

District Judge John Rodenberg was expected to rule Friday on Brown County's motion.

Bostrom said Daniel's chance of survival without chemotherapy is about 5 percent. Nevertheless, parents Colleen and Anthony Hauser are supporting what they say is their son's decision to instead treat the disease with nutritional supplements and other alternative treatments favored by the Nemenhah Band. The Missouri-based religious group believes in natural healing methods advocated by some American Indians.

"This is about the right of a 13-year-old young man to be free from acts of assault on his body," said the family's attorney, Calvin Johnson. The Hausers did not return several phone messages left at their home Thursday.

Bostrom diagnosed Daniel Hauser with Hodgkin's lymphoma in January, and recommended he undergo chemotherapy treatments once a month for six months, followed by radiation. Daniel became gravely ill about a week later and was taken to an emergency room, Bostrom said, and the family consented to the first chemotherapy treatment.

After that, Bostrom said, the family said they wanted a second opinion. They later informed him that Daniel would not undergo any more chemotherapy. Bostrom said Daniel's tumor shrunk after the first chemotherapy session.

Two other doctors who examined Daniel backed up Bostrom's assessment at a court hearing last Friday. At that hearing, Colleen Hauser testified her son became sick and depressed after the first treatment, and said the family only would consent to traditional treatments in the case of a life-threatening illness.

"My son is not in any medical danger at this point," Colleen Hauser testified. She also testified that Daniel was a medicine man and elder in the Nemenhah Band.

The mother said her son made the decision himself to refuse chemotherapy: "I think he understands he has the right to choose healthier forms of dealing with this cancer."

Brown County disagrees, and pressed the case after Bostrom notified child protection authorities.

Daniel Hauser "does not have a complete understanding of what it means to be a medicine man or an elder," Brown County Attorney James Olson wrote in a legal filing.

The Hausers, who are Roman Catholic, have eight children. Colleen Hauser told the New Ulm Journal newspaper that the family's Catholicism and adherence to the Nemenhah Band are not in conflict, and said she has treated illness with natural remedies her entire life.

Nemenhah was founded in the 1990s by Philip Cloudpiler Landis, who said Thursday that he was one-fourth American Indian. Nemenhah adherents are asked to pay $250 to be members. "We're non-dogmatic, a very universal faith," Landis said.

Landis said he founded the faith after facing his diagnosis of a cancer similar to Daniel Hauser. He said he treated it with diet choices, visits to a sweat lodge and other natural remedies. Landis also once served four months in prison in Idaho for fraud related to advocating natural remedies.

"The issue is Danny's right to decide how he wants to live his life," Landis said. "What if they make him take chemotherapy and he dies from that? The band will mourn with the family if that's the case, but we'll rejoice that Danny had the opportunity to test the law of the land."

[CHAP]

At the age of 13 that boy should be able to make this decision. It very well could be the only one he will get to make in his life

[vpchill]

Thats a Tuff one. If the Family feels other forms of medicine will work then they have to live with that. Im sure they have the kids best interest in Mind.

[CHAP]

This could get to be a heated debate on here the way things seem to have been going round here latly

[vpchill]

Yea, I bow out of this one!

[spywizard]

wussie..

[spywizard]

the right of the state vs. the right of the parent in control and treatment of the child..

what if the parents do not want the child to be taught certain things because it goes against their faith??

These are questions that must be asked and decided on, Christians may lay down and allow themselves to be walked on, but Muslims are instructed by their faith leaders to take up arms with anyone that doesn't agree with them..

THis is not to make this a religious thing, however this country was founded on freedom from government intervention in people's right to practice religion as they see fit..

They give babies back to Crack whores that can't put down the glass pipe, but they (meaning the state) feel they have the right to take a child from it's parents (meaning they can do it to you and your child) whenever the government decides you do not agree, nor will you allow your child to be molded in the Gov image vs your own choosing.

[vpchill]

wussie..

LMAOO. I was waiting for you Bro. Good point tho ^^^

[vpchill]

I couldnt even fathom this. I would want the best treatment for my kids. I would take every avenue to insure they are able to get healthy.

[Kratos]

As long as the parents pass a psych evaluation and they aren't crazy and their IQ is above retard, I'm fine with it. Let them watch their kid die if that's what they want.

If the kid is so brainwashed at 13 he can't figure this one out on his own, they're doing us all a favor anyway.

[Flagg]

As long as the parents pass a psych evaluation and they aren't crazy and their IQ is above retard, I'm fine with it. Let them watch their kid die if that's what they want.

If the kid is so brainwashed at 13 he can't figure this one out on his own, they're doing us all a favor anyway.

Agreed.

[CHAP]

At 13 he should be able to know that medical treatment will probably work better than herbs.

[Kratos]

At 13 he should be able to know that medical treatment will probably work better than herbs.

Idk, at 15 I started to think herbs worked pretty good

[spywizard]

^^ Bogart^^

[j4ever41]

chemo ordered.

[Kratos]

http://www.news8.net/news/stories/0608/526231.html

[spywizard]

and another taxpayer enters the workforce...

Issue i think is still the intrusion of the Gov into our personal lives..

Hey.. they are having great sales deals on Jeeps today..

[MuscleScience]

"This is about the right of a 13-year-old young man to be free from acts of assault on his body," said the family's attorney, Calvin Johnson.

Im sorry but at 13 I was no were near a man. It wasnt until I was 15 that a senior cheerleader with huge boobs made me a man.

[BgMc31]

Man, definitely a tough one. If parents can't make the best decision for the welfare of their child, someone should step in, IMO!!!!

[dece870717]

http://www.doctoryourself.com/hoffer_cancer_2.html

[Tock]

The gov't sets the age when minors become able to marry, vote, etc.
And, the gov't doesn't allow parents to offer their kids up as human sacrifices, regardless of which religion is involved.

So, it seems to me reasonable that minors should be protected from their parent's religious excesses, especially in life-and-death matters.

If the mother had cancer and opted for faith-healing instead of modern medical science, she'd be old enough to know better. Tough luck if she didn't.
But the 13 year old shouldn't be exected to know which treatment has the better probable outcome, and shouldn't be expected to have to challenge his outspoken parents on this religious issue where it's his neck, and not the decision maker's necks, on the line.

[MuscleScience]

The problem is people are not educated enough to understand the science or even how the body works. It would be like a person saying they are going blood let to cure their hemophilia. Now I can understand if the patient in this case is an adult. Not a child, when it comes to matters of life and death the educated must take over when ignorance and flat out stupidity are what is the determining factor. Also to be fair if this was a case were the treatment would not have a likely chance of success then I can understand the right to not choose that method. But there was a ninety percent chance of full recover. And absolute certain death without it.

[RA]

Kid is not old enough to make the decision and the parents are retards.

[Tigershark]

I work with disabled kids and quite a few have siezure disorders. I have watched the parents want to try natural remedies to treat their child's seizure disorder and every time I have seen it fail and the kid only suffered. I am not a huge fan of natural remedies when it comes to serious conditions but this is just my opinion.

[Kratos]

It looks like now they're on the lam

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/30824587

[spywizard]

good for her....