8/29 Udate:Appeals Court Sides with the Hospital –http://www.newsnet5.com/dpp/news/local_news/oh_medina/Sarah-Hershberger-Amish-girl-chemotherapy-Appeals-court-sides-with-Akron-Childrens-Hospital. I am glad the girl will get the right care, but saddened that the parents rights are denied. Quite the argument when both sides are right in different ways.
Akron Children’s Hospital is seeking a limited guardianship of a 10 year old Amish girl with leukemia. In a court ruling, Akron Children’s Hospital’s request was blocked. They are appealing the ruling.
Akron Children’s Hospital states that the 10 year old Amish girl has an 85% chance of surviving a rare form of leukema with chemotherapy. Without chemotherapy, she may only have months to live.
The Amish girl started chemotherapy but requested to stop to her parents because of the horrible side effects. The parents stopped chemotherapy and are now treating her naturally with vitamins and herbs at home.
This is an awful situation for everyone involved. Everyone is looking out for the best interest of the 10 year old girl. The bottom line is that parents have a constitutional right to make decisions for their children. Perhaps the parents could investigate other forms of chemotherapy, measures to help ease the side effects, or maybe a doctor needs to sit down to fully discuss the side effects and long term success of chemotherapy. I don’t know. I hate to see a child go untreated, or be in pain while being treated…
My hope and prayer is for the 10 year old Amish girl who is suffering with cancer. Cancer is a horrible disease….No child should have to be going through what she is going through. Nor should parents have the added pressure of their legal parental rights being challenged during such a time in their lives.
I reviewed a book called Never Fear Cancer Again in May. In the book, Dr. Raymond Francis discusses how you can prevent cancer and even reverse cancer with your diet. For instance, avoid processed foods. Eat an organic, plant-based diet. Avoid sugar, wheat, dairy, alcohol, coffee, foods with mold like peanuts, corn, and dried fruits. There are people that believe in the kinds of measures that the Amish parents are using to treat their daughter. I’m not sure if they are giving her a full natural type of treatment or not, the stories don’t state.
What do you think?
Should the hospital have the right to force treatment? Do the parents have the right to make decisions for their daughter?
