I agree with you. Guy can't decide what cancer treatment he'll get but girls can have abortions and kill babies at 14 and not have to notify anyone before they do it. I watched an interview with this kid and his parents. The guy seems very intelligent and should be able to make up his own mind if his parents agree. He already took a round of chemo, didn't like it, whatever......now he wants to try something else. To me, if his parents agree, that's the end of it. They made a decision as a family and that's the bottomline. So again, all you hypocrites........it's OK for the court to override a family decision in this case......but in end of life situations you are all the opposite. Who is the legal guardian of this kid......who has the say so here? The parents! They agree so that's the end of story. I wouldn't make the same decision but that's not for me or any damned court to decide.
His parents don't have full legal custody. They were found neglectful & the kid was partially put in the care of the state, although he still lives at home. Thus, the parents do not have the say so here.
A court decided they were not fit because they decided as a family that he wouldn't take more chemo. It wasn't as if the parents were unfit prior to them deciding he wouldn't take chemo. He wasn't starved to death.........like say, Schiavo. The court ruled that they were unfit to get the ultimate decision they wanted.....to make him take chemo.
There is more to this story. Our government shouldn't have the right to tell people what to do with their lives, but children are a different matter. It appears the courts must look at for the kid's best interest because the parents are not.
And the courts know our best interests because they are....what like Oz? They know what's best for us? Keep hoping for that to pan out. We're not talking about a sick infant with parents who refuse to give the kid Motrin for fever. That's what you make it seem like. This guy is 16 years old......he knows full well what this means for him. And so do his parents. No court should be deciding this.
A fool could see that their idea of "alternative treatment" is horse$h*t. Subjective or not, 18 makes an adult & until that time this kid cannot make his own decision on this matter.
I said I may not choose this course of action for myself, but this family decided and parents and a 16 year old should have the right to choose whatever course they want. You're right....he can't legally make that decision. But his parents should be allowed to.....and they could, until the courts took that ability away from the them because the state didn't like their choice. What is the state trying to say here? Chemo will cure him?
That is probably true and I understand what everyone is saying about him being a child still but I still don't think the courts should force this guy to undergo chemo. http://www.usatoday.com/news/health/2006-07-11-herbal-remedy_x.htm
Under ordinary circumstances, I'd be inclined to agree with you. We don't know enough about the situation though. Atleast it stands a chance.
I'm just going off a segment on Hannity where he interviewed the guy and his parents. I guess I'm so anti-court system that it's blinding me here.
