Texas Girl With Cancer Taken From Parents

[TXlib]

CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas -- Child welfare officials seized a 12-year-old cancer patient from her parents, saying they were blocking radiation treatment that doctors say she needs.

During a court hearing Wednesday, Michele and Edward Wernecke asked juvenile court Judge Carl Lewis to bar doctors from providing radiation therapy for daughter Katie, who is now in a Houston hospital, until a hearing next week to determine whether she will stay in state custody.


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I think this is wrong.

If well-respected doctors are unanimously in agreement about what treatment needs to be done, and parents refuse treatment to their child, then the state should be able to intervene on the child's behalf.

But if there is legitimate difference of opinion, if well-respected doctors in the relevant field differ on course (or necessity) of treatment, then I believe the decision should rest solely with the parents.

[LynzM]

1. I'm torn on this...

I can see where the law exists, because children being allowed to die of treatable diseases like diabetes (a la Christian scientists) makes me quite upset. But I don't think the government needs to be stepping in in *every* case... tough call, in my opinion.

[supernova]

2. Except that radiation is pretty much

accepted standard cancer care right now.

I don't understand what the parents are thinking here. :wtf:

Unless she's dying, which it doesn't appear so, I don't understand why you would refuse treament. Or just say "no thanks, I'll go try homeopthy or somehting." Doesn't make sense.

[MADem]

7. The kid does not want the radiation

I just saw a tape of her on TV. She feels fine, her hair is growing back, thus all MUST be well. She and her parents are singing from the same sheet of music, apparently.

Of course, she could be sick as a dog in a year and on her way out the door if she doesn't get the treatment.

[supernova]

10. Exactly

Of course, she could be sick as a dog in a year and on her way out the door if she doesn't get the treatment.

This tells me they don't know enough about her disease

[roguevalley]

17. with underaged kids, the state has an abiding interest to protect them.

if the child were adult and said no, then fine. She has no say that is informed over whether she lives or dies. I have no problem with this. It amazes me, after thirty years of teaching, how dimwitted some parents can be. I would hate to think she has parents who are dimwitted. Do the treatment. If she lives, bravo. If she dies, she had a chance larger than her own parents wanted to give her. I err on the side of hope.

[xultar]

3. So, if a 13 yr old girl was raped and got preggers and the parents want

her to get an abortion but the fuckers in TX want her to have it because they think it is safer then they can take her a way from her parents?

I don't think fuckin so.

[Modem Butterfly]

4. If she were an African American infant without insurance...

...well, we all know what would happen then, don't we?

[xultar]

5. I believe they'd be ordering flowers for the funeral right now

[SaveElmer]

8. No applicable...

That is not a health decision...nor a matter of life and death!!!

[MADem]

6. CHURCH OF GOD members

They aren't real fans of medicine on a good day. Not as bad as some, but not as enthused as your average individual either.

I don't think the state particularly wanted this case, but they got it because a doctor (or doctors) complained.

I think that is the issue--the parents don't want the radiation or chemo therapy, and the doctors are disagreeing.

The judge isn't going off the hook, though--he's getting a third opinion before anything is done. I think they are doing a scan of the kid to see what is what before they proceed.

[Bridget Burke]

9. None of the doctors mentioned disagree on the course of treatment.

The doctors "at home" recommended radiation therapy. The doctors at M D Anderson are still reviewing her case & will recommend the same if they think it's needed.

Hodgkin's Disease is one of the most treatable malignancies. But it DOES need to be treated correctly.

[Pithlet]

11. I don't know enough about this particular case

to form an opinion, but I do think the state has the right to step in if parents refuse life saving medical treatment for their children. If it is clear that this girl needs the treatment to survive, and the parents refuse it, then the state should step in and force the issue.

[progressoid]

12. OK, no offense but how come all this weird shit seems to happen in

Texas and Florida?

[supernova]

13. It looks like the med staff just can't communicate w/ the parents

and the child's health is a bargaining chip.

Further down in the article:

... But the couple's attorney, Daniel Horne, said religion wasn't at issue in the fight over cancer treatment.

Rather, they believe doctors haven't been upfront about Katie's care and have not answered all their questions about the side effects of the radiation.

"This issue is about parental rights, not about religious rights," Horne said. "They just want to be informed of her treatment. They want to be involved in this."

[johnnie]

14. I side with the parents

It's their daughter, their family and their decision. A lot of "medical professionals" have fucked up. I don't trust medicine either, and that is my decision.

[TheDebbieDee]

15. It think it's a quality of life issue......

The child can receive life-extending treatments that will require her to stay in the hospital, treatments that may make her feel deathly ill for several hours or days afterward.......

Or the child can go home with Mom and Dad and enjoy what time they have left being a family and spending quality time together.

I think everyone will be faced with this predicament at least once, eventually.

[Bridget Burke]

16. Hodgkin's Disease is highly treatable.

Quite often, it is NOT fatal. We aren't talking about an 89 year old with metastatic melanoma.

[MadHound]

18. This isn't about extending her life, this is about saving it

Hodgkins Disease is quite treatable, but you have to hit it early and hard. A chemo/rad treatment plan is pretty damn standard, and while that 1-2 punch is hard on a person, but it can be survived. And once you are done, you are good to go for life.

If you don't jump on this now though, there is a very good chance that you will die. I come down on the side of the state on this one.

[Schema Thing]

19. Save the child, execute the parents.

:shrug: Hey, what can I say? I'm from Texas AND I was raised in cult that similarly tried to kill children, I'm a bit edgy about this sort of stuff, but when in doubt, execute somebody!