Judge Won't Force Teen To Chemotherapy

Judge Won't Force Teen To Chemotherapy
Custody No Longer Shared With State

POSTED: 5:28 pm EDT July 25, 2006

ACCOMAC, Va. -- A judge ruled Tuesday that a 16-year-old cancer patient who has refused conventional medical treatment does not have to report to a hospital as previously ordered and scheduled a trial to settle the dispute.

Starchild Abraham Cherrix, who is battling Hodgkin's disease, a cancer of the lymphatic system, refused a second round of chemotherapy when he learned early this year that the cancer had returned.

Abraham chose to instead go on a sugar-free, organic diet and take herbal supplements under the supervision of a clinic in Mexico.

A social worker asked a juvenile court judge to require the teen to continue conventional treatment, and the judge on Friday ordered Abraham to report to a hospital Tuesday. Accomack County Circuit Court Judge Glen A. Taylor set aside that order.

"I feel free today. I was let off the leash," Abraham said after Taylor agreed to a stay and set a trial date of Aug. 16.

Taylor also ended joint custody of Abraham between his parents and social services officials.

Carl Bundick, an attorney for the department, told the judge the department would not object, provided a new trial takes place quickly.

"What the department is interested in is this young man being cured of cancer," Bundick said.

In a similar case last year, the parents of 13-year-old Hodgkin's disease patient Katie Wernecke won the right in November to make all her medical decisions after a court fight with Texas child welfare officials. Doctors had recommended chemotherapy and radiation; her father favored a program of intravenous vitamin C.
Copyright 2006 by The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.


http://www.wral.com/health/9574028/deta ... 52006&ts=H

My question is, how did Social Services get involved in this case in the first place?Also, it wasn't just chemo they were trying to force on this young man but, chemo and radiation therapy.He said on Hannity and Colmbs show, he only had chemo the first time and many times he laid on the floor after taking a dose and throwing up his socks he just wanted to die, adding radiation to the chemo and the lad might very well have ended his life hisself! Thank god that sensible judge intervened on his and his family's behalf. I am not advocating that people not take these drugs, what I am saying is this should be a family decision and the state should not interfere, esp with this young man being 16 and very well informed on his cancer and its therapy.

The SS got involved because the doctor didnt think it was right that the family chose another method of treatment. So it was the doctor who contacted the SS.

jp_48504
I have to laugh reading your post the part about the SS getting involved, for a minute It made me think of the German SS lol in this case though I don't see much difference from our Social Services and the methods of the German SS! This doctor was way out of bounds in this case, he was trying to "Play God" if I were the family involved, I would sue his arse!