foodconsumer.org: Medical treatment vs medical freedom

Medical treatment vs medical freedom
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admin on 05/22/2009 12:21:00
 
Friday May 22, 2009 (foodconsumer.org) -- Daniel Hauser, a 13-year-old boy with
cancer who has vowed to punch or kick anyone who forces him to take
chemotherapy, has missed a court-ordered hearing on his welfare.
A Minnesota judge issued an arrest warrant on Tuesday for Colleen Hauser, mother
of Daniel, after she and her son missed the scheduled hearing in New Ulm,
Minnesota. Daniel Hauser, who has been diagnosed with Hodgkin’s lymphoma, has
repeatedly stated he preferred alternative medicines for his cancer, citing
religious beliefs.
Brown County District Judge John Rodenberg also ordered that Daniel Hauser be
placed in a foster home and be sent to a pediatric oncologist for cancer
treatments, according to Associated Press reports.
“The court’s priority at this point is to try to get Daniel Hauser and get
him the care he needs,” said Rodenberg in the AP news release.
Hodgkin’s lymphoma, a cancer which attacks the lymph nodes, is considered
highly curable with chemotherapy and radiation. When Daniel Hauser quit the
chemo after one session, opting for alternative treatments, authorities stepped
in to seek custody.
The Hauser family, of Sleepy Eye, Minnesota, was to appear in court to report
the results of a chest X-ray. The boy’s father, Anthony Hauser, appeared in
court alone Tuesday, telling authorities his wife had taken Daniel.
He testified that he last saw his wife on Monday morning when she said she was
leaving with Daniel. Anthony said she then added, “That’s all you need to
know,” according to the AP story.
Judge Rodenberg ruled last week that the parents, Colleen and Anthony, were
medically neglecting their child. If chemotherapy was ordered and the family
refused, Daniel would be placed in protective custody.
The medical battle between parents of sick children and the courts is not new.
In January of 2005, then 12-year-old Katie Wernecke was also diagnosed with
Hodgkin’s disease. When she and her family refused chemotherapy she was
removed from her parents’ custody in June of that year. After four months in
state custody, Katie was returned to her parents.
In a June 2006 letter on foodconsumer.org, Katie Wernecke’s father wrote,
“The battle has been about medical freedom for our children.” The blog entry
stated that although Katie was doing well at that time, she still was not cancer
free. The family chose to treat the cancer with high doses of vitamin C, along
with other treatments.
Edward Wernecke wrote that the family, from Agua Dulce, Texas, faced more than
$90,000 in legal bills in addition to required medical costs.
A year later, in June 2007, the Caller-Times newspaper reported the family filed
a civil suit in federal court against the Texas Department of Family and
Protective Services. Filed May 31, the suit alleges violations of the 4th and
14th amendments, which protect against unlawful search and seizure and the right
to family privacy, according to the Caller-Times article.
The suit seeks unspecified nominal, punitive and actual damages, as well as
attorney fees.
(By Sheilah Downey, and edited by Heather Kelley)