[rogercobb]

About ten years ago my uncle was diagnosed with colon cancer while in his late 30's. He started the chemotherapy treatments for a few months and his condition worsened. He ended up coming down to Florida for a week for vacation and started feeling better. Back home, more chemo treatments and my uncle's condition went downhill fast (Big surprise). All his organs started failing and thank God my mother was by his side. She is a Hospice nurse and stayed with him until he passed on.
Frankly I do not give a crap if someone discounts the story but the effing chemo sped up his death much quicker than if he had done NOTHING and he was in much more pain as a result. Isn't it amazing how some oncologists think harming the patients with battery acid will ultimately heal them. Such a moronic way of thinking. And we all still miss my Uncle Dave. God bless him.

[DMattinCT]

As a parent, I would go to the ends of the earth to help my daughter survive. The scary thing is her mother. She seems so nonchalant about her daughters eventual early death. When she buries her daughter, maybe she will have second thoughts. By then it will be too late....

[6.7traveler]

Originally Posted by suzy_q2010

The mother is incompetent. I watched a video of her defending her support of her daughter's decision and every other word was "poison". She even included a statement that Cassandra did not want chemo because it would make her infertile (which does not always happen).

Cassandra is immature and not capable of making the decision for herself.

Would those of you who object to her being restrained for treatment feel the same if she was restrained for surgery after she had appendicitis and decided she did not want an appendectomy because it would leave scars on her abdomen?

Both of them are in Denial because the girl does not feel sick.

As has been pointed out, we are talking about a disease which is fatal and for which the outcome with treatment is excellent. If she had a condition which was much less likely to respond to medication, then a decision to withhold treatment would be met with a lot less resistance.

I contrast Cassandra's attitude with that of my son, who was diagnosed with leukemia when he was thirteen. His first reaction was "my friends will worry about me." All through his treatment he soldiered on despite the side effects of the chemo. When he had to take medication by mouth, he took charge of it himself, though DH and I of course monitored it.

His chemo took three years. Twenty six years later, he is healthy and a father.

The court is right to insist that this child not kill herself because her mother is too stupid to insist she be treated.

I have to admit I watched the video just now and the mom is an idiot. If she could of even semi coherently explained any alternative treatment methods besides repeating poison 100 times it may have worked out differently. I still think the situation is horrible anyway you slice it but have to put my foot slightly in my mouth after watching the mother.

[AnonChick]

I'd take the totally callous and cruel route, and invoke Darwin's theory on mother and daughter.

1. Let moronic-mommy and dolt-daughter have her way.
2. Make sure both of them know:
2a) if daughter dies as a result of intentionally untreated cancer, mommy will be charged with first-degree murder.
2b) the insurance company will not be held responsible for medical bills, life insurance policy, death benefits, and health insurance will not be held responsible for therapy for the mom, should she need it. NO ONE but mommy should have to pay for ANY of the expenses incurred by her decision to reject standard treatment for a treatable condition.

As long as mommy and daughter are both cool with that, leave them both alone. As long as society, our tax dollars, or the medical community doesn't have to pay for it.

[kidyankee764]

Originally Posted by JayCT

Her mother is totally behind her daughter's decision but the state stepped in. Are you saying the mother should have forced her daughter to do it? Jay

Yes. That's what I'm saying.

[Tilt11]

She's young. Imo, too young to really understand and completely grasp the reality of it all. Even if she were 18, 19.
Sadly, when she hits 18, her thinking wont change and shell choose to die, missing out on life. Its sad.

[Dennis Brown]

Originally Posted by 6.7traveler

The problem here isn't whether chemo is successful or not, the problem is being forcibly strapped to a table against your wishes and being injected with something because of a state mandate. It doesn't matter the age, or whether it's chemo or a simple vaccine. This is government overreach saying 17 year olds don't own their own body (unless they want an abortion), it belongs to the state and they can and will strap you down to a table and forcibly inject you with whatever they see fit. When we can't say NO to something being injected into our bodies what rights and freedoms do we really have? Very scary that a lot of people actually support this kind of insanity, IMO. Anyways, hopefully the girl survives, I think the effects of chemo will be minimal compared to the extreme emotional problems she will face from this. She is months away from 18, I could see a difference if she was like 11 or something.

The exact same tactics will be used to force people to comply with vaccinations someday soon. If you don't want your kid to get vaccinated with all government mandated vaccines, they will also be taken into state custody and forcibly vaccinated. It doesn't matter what you think, your kid does not belong to you, he or she now officially belongs to the state. Don't forget that.

Someone actually gets it. This is kidnapping, torture and enslavement end of story

[suzy_q2010]

Originally Posted by Dennis Brown

Someone actually gets it. This is kidnapping, torture and enslavement end of story

Someone else who does not have a clue about how serious this child's diagnosis is.

[Stratford, Ct. Resident]

Originally Posted by Dennis Brown

Someone actually gets it. This is kidnapping, torture and enslavement end of story

Originally Posted by suzy_q2010

Someone else who does not have a clue about how serious this child's diagnosis is.

Don't let it bother you suzy. The court made the right decision, and the ignorants can't do anything about it, except whine.

[Beeker2211]

Originally Posted by 6.7traveler

The exact same tactics will be used to force people to comply with vaccinations someday soon. If you don't want your kid to get vaccinated with all government mandated vaccines, they will also be taken into state custody and forcibly vaccinated. It doesn't matter what you think, your kid does not belong to you, he or she now officially belongs to the state. Don't forget that.

Your kid DOES NOT belong to you. That's sick thinking at the apex. Especially when it comes to vaccinations, because not only does it put your children in danger they can't and don't understand but it also increases the vector points to infect those that are physically unable to get vaccinations. So the State protecting kids from their own idiot parents as well as the idiot parents of their mates on the playground? I'd say the State has an interest that trumps your idea of "freedom" (which by the way is not a constitutional right). Whooping cough, mumps, polio, among others are making a comeback after almost a century of not seeing these incredibly destructive diseases. Now I'm not all gung ho about overusing tools against disease (the overuse of antibotics is equally abhorrent) vaccines are a proven effective and SAFE method of preventing communicable diseases.



On the topic:

Wow. The State has a general duty to ensure the safety of its' citizens. Yes this does sometimes mean if they are a danger to themselves or others. If you are insane and might commit suicide nearly every state/province/developed country reserves the right to err on the side of caution and may commit you. If you are an extremely bad alcoholic the State reserves the right to declare you indigent, assign you as a Ward, and force, yes force, you to treatment.

If she had a loaded gun to her own head the state would step in, and this is different because it's months away?? Give me a break. This type of cancer has a light at the end of the tunnel, and if she does get better the treatment ends and she can go on with her life. If she remains bitter about that is up to her.

If this was a situation of which even with treatment there's a 90% fatality rate with extreme discomfort and side effects from the treatment I'd be on the other side and I honestly think the courts would be as well. But that's not the case.

Seems like what some are saying here is that the government should respect self-destructive behaviour, based on the feelings of the person self harming at that exact second, and that the possibility of a change of heart is impossible. It's disgusting.