Boy who refuses cancer treatment flees with mother
A 13-year-old boy who has refused treatment for cancer because of religious objections was on the run with his mother on Wednesday after a US judge ordered his parents to take him to a doctor. Judge John Rodenberg issued an arrest warrant for the boy's mother after they failed to appear in a Minnesota court on Tuesday.
He also ordered that the boy, Daniel Hauser, be placed in foster care and evaluated by an oncologist as soon as he was found. Daniel was diagnosed with Hodgkin's lymphoma in January and received just one round of chemotherapy and radiation therapy before his parents put him on an alternative treatment that included herbs and vitamins.
The boy's doctor called child welfare authorities when Daniel did not return for treatment in February. The boy's mother, Colleen Hauser, testified at a May 8 hearing that the family considered chemotherapy to be a potentially fatal poison and said that its use violated their religious beliefs.
The boy's father, Anthony Hauser, testified on Tuesday that he last spoke to his wife about 4pm on Monday while he was milking cows on the family's farm. She told him she was going to leave and "that's all you need to know", Mr Hauser testified.
The boy's doctors have testified that he will probably die within five years without treatment. Chemotherapy and radiation would increase his chance of survival to 80 to 95 per cent.
A court-ordered chest X-ray showed that, while the first round of treatment helped destroy some of the cancer, it had now grown back to its original size. A medical report noted a "significant worsening" of the tumour in the past week.
Minnesota law requires parents to provide their children with medically necessary care.
Source: AFP
We need the laws changed on this and welcome your comments!
He also ordered that the boy, Daniel Hauser, be placed in foster care and evaluated by an oncologist as soon as he was found. Daniel was diagnosed with Hodgkin's lymphoma in January and received just one round of chemotherapy and radiation therapy before his parents put him on an alternative treatment that included herbs and vitamins.
The boy's doctor called child welfare authorities when Daniel did not return for treatment in February. The boy's mother, Colleen Hauser, testified at a May 8 hearing that the family considered chemotherapy to be a potentially fatal poison and said that its use violated their religious beliefs.
The boy's father, Anthony Hauser, testified on Tuesday that he last spoke to his wife about 4pm on Monday while he was milking cows on the family's farm. She told him she was going to leave and "that's all you need to know", Mr Hauser testified.
The boy's doctors have testified that he will probably die within five years without treatment. Chemotherapy and radiation would increase his chance of survival to 80 to 95 per cent.
A court-ordered chest X-ray showed that, while the first round of treatment helped destroy some of the cancer, it had now grown back to its original size. A medical report noted a "significant worsening" of the tumour in the past week.
Minnesota law requires parents to provide their children with medically necessary care.
Source: AFP
We need the laws changed on this and welcome your comments!
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