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Out of Curiousity.............


RandyW

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What is everyone's thoughts on this 13 year old boys case going on with Chemo treatments???? I am curious to see what everyone thinks about this?

Brown County District Judge John Rodenberg ruled that Daniel Hauser, a 13 year-old boy suffering from nodular sclerosing Hodgkin's Lymphoma, a derivation of cancer common among young adults and adolescents, must go to trial to determine the necessity of chemotherapy. Daniel and his parents are currently refusing treatment due to religious beliefs, but being a minor, Brown County Family Services are charging his parents with medical negligence due to the alternative methods of treatment they have selected.

Despite the advice of four doctors, Tony and Colleen Hausen refused to take their son to chemotherapy, saying that its drastic effects killed their aunt, taking her from a cancer patient to a shadow of a being. In so, they religiously believe that this treatment should not be forced upon anyone, "because it is self-destructive and poisonous" and medical care should be left as a personal decision. At the pre-trial hearing held on Friday morning, their attorney, Calvin Johnson of Mankato, told the court that the state's actions violated spiritual law and Danny had chosen to refuse chemo by his "religious beliefs and his freedom of conscience." Through his own attorney, Phil Elbert of New Ulm, Daniel also submitted an affidavit to court Friday, painting himself as a religious man, standing alongside his parents wishes in the banishment of chemotherapy.

This child protection pre-trial was held in open court due to the massive public interest, instead of Rodenberg's chambers like most pre-trial hearings. Rodenberg denied the motion to dismiss charges against Daniel's parents, ruling that there were multiple issues left to resolve within the case, including whether or not Brown County can demonstrate a "compelling state interest in intervening in the decisions regarding medical care." Pointing at the current treatment Daniel receives, Rodenberg states that it is not enough, his ruling setting the family up for a trial later in the year.

In his case, Elbert explains that Daniel agrees with his parents' religious beliefs to deny chemotherapy, and he argues that while most child protection petitions stop the harm being caused to or by a child, little will be accomplished here if treatment is forced upon Daniel. He pled for the judge to understand that Daniel's religious beliefs should not be tainted in his last days just because he didn't agree or identify with his ways. He vividly said that if the judge chose to enforce chemotherapy, Daniel would be dead long before he left the Earth, kept alive by a treatment which drained his energy and mocked his beliefs.

Author: Jillian Holden

Thanks for responding !!!

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I agree with Katie also. I dont know where they get off on saying it is a religous decision. I read where they are Catholic and I know for a fact that the church has no problems with chemo or cancer treatment. Im a Catholic and no way would I turn down treatment for myself or my children.

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They also subscribe to the teachings of the Nemenhah Band, a Missouri-based religious group that believes in natural healing methods advocated by some American Indians.

In Jewish Law, 13 is old enough to be a man. But there seem to be extenuating circumstances here related to the boy's ability to make this decision.

Also, to bring up his aunt as an example is so wrong. All cancer isn't the same cancer, as we know. His parents are doing him a disservice. But it is a difficult case to prosecute in the full range of personal rights.

I guess what we do is hope (pray) that they be helped to what is most right.

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This has been on our local news for a while. If they believe for "religious" reasons that he should not have chemo, how come he already had chemo?

I guess he got sick and said he didn't want any more. Why not treat the symtoms better that he got?

Also his Dad and siblings are worried and have pleaded that she bring him home and go to court as was agreed to last week. The authorities have said if she brings him home she will not go to jail.

Donna G

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I can only base this on what I would want for my child. I would want the court to make my kid have chemo. I can understand how horrified they and the boy were. They made their decision based on fear and ignorance. Yes the child will suffer for months, since he doesn't seem to take to chemo to well, so I feel for him. But then he will have the whole rest of his life to get over it! I don't know if the parents are "criminal", I just think they are uneducated and stupid!

Dana

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Not going to sugar coat this one, the parents are incompetent...the boy would be better off if he had been raised by a pack of wild dogs.

This in my mind is equivaelent to child abuse and the kid should be taken away and given the treatments.

If you starved your child, they would take him away...this is 99% equal to withholding food.

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I'm going to offer a respectfully dissenting opinion here, but I think the government is vastly overstepping its boundaries here. If they can compell this boy to have treatment then they can also mandate that someone not be allowed to receive treatment. This is none of the government's business.

That said, if this were my son I would make sure he had the chemo. If I were this boy's doctors I would be doing more to educate the family on the chemo and be doing more to make sure he had as few side effects as possible. If this were my son, I would be fighting like h**l to make sure here got the chemo--especially with the cure rate for this type of cancer. That's a luxury so many of us don't have on this board.

But he is not my son, and I just don't think the government should be making medical decisions for people.

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Hi Fillise.

I appreciate your position -- but what would you say if their 'religion' dictated that they should withhold food from their child? Or break his bones? Or kill him? (Like Abraham was allegedly ready to do with Isaac.) Is there ANY situation in which you think society (i.e. the govt) should intervene between a parent and child? Just curious.

Ellen

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I grudgingly agree with the courts, but have mixed feelings about this. We know the odds of the chemo working, but it's likely the alternative treatments have never been scientifically tested. If it's not a treatment that will make cubic dollars for a drug company, it doesn't get tested. So we reject the untested treatment and require the awful chemo.

I understand the fact that we're pretty sure the chemo will work, and have no idea about an alternative treatment, so with a kid's life on the line, requiring the chemo is the only sensible thing to do.

But I still don't like it.

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The parents obviously have strong beliefs....right or wrong. Quite obviously wrong but what they believe none the less. But that is what the court system is there for isn't it...to protect all, particularly young people like in this case. I hope they make the right decision and set a good precedent.

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This whole thing has angered me. The child could be CURED!!!!! Not a lot of us have that option. And his parents have brain-washed him into believing that medicine is bad!!!!

I'm sorry - I don';t hold much to any parent OR religion that believes in hurting children!!!

Hugs - Patti B.

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Ellen and all,

Actually, I think this is very different from situations in which parents withold food from a child or beat a child. They ARE seeking treatment, it's just not the treatment that you or I would seek.

And I'm angry that they are likely throwing away a chance to cure their son. But I am very uncomfortable with the government making this decision for the parents. It would be one thing if the boy had expressed a desire to be treated and his parents were hindering him. It might even be different if the boy were an infant or toddler. But we have tried 13 year-olds as adults for crimes, so he probably ought to have a say in his treatment.

I think the boy and his mother are absolutely wrong. I think the doctors and others should be doing everything they can to persuade them to get chemo, but I don't think the government has the right to force treatment. If they have the right to make medical desicions for him, how long will it be before the government tried to make our medical decisions?

Susan

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Now the most recent I have heard through the news is that the Medical Doctor of the tribe Nemenhah? has cured himself of a cancer using same treatment. Not defending him keep in mind.... Mom could be brought up on obstruction of Justice and Negligence at very least if anything does happen to the boy. Not trying to rile anyone or start arguments in this post just get some healthy opinions so please don't be mad at anyone.....

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Oh for cripe's sake, Randy, you can't stir the pot and then play innocent when the fireworks start!

The government feels it can state when life begins, and in most states, that ending life by medical means is wrong.

As Donna stated, the boy already had one chemo treatment, so the "against our religion" excuse doesn't work. Had he ONLY had the medicine of the tribe, that would be a different kettle of fish.

Many cures have come from the natural world, Native Americans used willow bark for headaches - we call this "aspirin." I don't think that the tribe should be seen as primitive or stupid in the matter, if it is true that some of their cures have worked in the past.

I do, however, feel that if DAD wants the kid to have chemo and MOM doesn't, than DAD needs to present his case to the government and get that kid treated. Doctors are required to report child abuse and neglect, in the doctor's opinion, withholding chemo is neglect.

It is a very sticky situation, with a lot of variables. Obviously, the parents do not agree, either. If Mom brings the boy back and he has chemo, he can always appeal while he is surviving. Court cases move slowly once they get started...lots of different phases to work through.

Good luck to them all, I am so glad this dilemma is not one in my life!

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"UneasyRider1"] but it's likely the alternative treatments have never been scientifically tested. .

Right, but courts infact did allow them to try the alternative treatment and after the scans showed growth while on this treatment is when they ordered the chemo, according to what I have read.

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My take - the Mother is making a decision for her son, not for herself. I believe that every person who has reached the age of reason can make their own medical decisions.

If the boy is 13 and this is HIS decision, then so be it. But if it is his Mother's then the court is totally right in its decision. Based on the fact that this young man has already had some chemo, I am suspect of the Mother's reasons.

Hope they find him in time.

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no my original intention was and is just to get every ones views out in the open. If the end result is not good then everyone will be better off at handling it ! I remember the Elian Gonzalez case and when the federales (US Officials) stormed the house I was so mad I put my fist through the coffee table glass and shattered it!! Just trying to air some healthy opinions and stimulate some good conversation !!!! :wink:

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