The story of the Hauser family from Sleepy Eye, Minn. is one that has infected my heart over the last week. Thirteen-year-old Daniel was diagnosed with Hodgkin’s lymphoma. He tried one chemo treatment, got gravely sick and made the decision to get a second opinion and try alternative care. Now, his parents are being sued by the state. The ruling just came out that he is to be forced to take chemo.
I’ve tracked with the story on Minnesota Public Radio. What’s so sad is that this kid is reported to be doing better! Believe it or not, while this isn’t a common situation, this kind of thing happens more often you would think!
I’m going to be tracking with this story closely. I understand that there is a huge success rate with the chemo treatment for this type of cancer, but that’s if the chemo doesn’t kill him first. Many more people would live from cancer if chemo didn’t kill them . . . I’d love to see some statistics on that. I’ll let you know if I find them.
What is so sad is chemo-advocates don’t take into account how much the chemo ravages your body . . . damaging your immune system for the rest of your life and possibly causing another cancer. That’s the very reason why so many people are looking to other means of healing . . . and they are out there. This is a really difficult decision, because the chemo treatment for this cancer has shown to be so effective. But, this comes down to a family getting the freedom to choose their path to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness . . . which is a right.
The world really believes allopathic doctors have all the answers (because the petrochemical and pharmaceutical industries have so handsomely supported them). More research comes out everyday about the effectiveness of natural treatments and these alternatives methods, it’s just so slow because the financial support for its research is just starting to grow. But, the time is right, in time, we will see more non-chemo options that boys like Daniel can use to heal, without the state coming after the parents.
Any thoughts about this?
santa said,
May 19, 2009 @ 5:56 pm
There is a not-so-old adage that goes something like this: “Know what they call alternative medicine that works? Medicine.”.
Of course chemo-advocates take into account how chemo ravages the body. Great strides have been made in chemo therapy over the years. Are there risks? Sure. Problems and discomfort? Of course. But the regimen the doctors prescribed is far, far safer and more likely to result in a long life than unproven alternative folk remedies.
It does NOT come down to a family getting to choose their path in life. Where they buy a house is a path in life they get to choose. Choosing to use unproven, ineffective non-medicinal folk remedies that will almost certainly result in the death of a child when a proven, likely-to-succeed medical treatment is available is NOT a “right” of a parent.
Go to any school during presidential elections and listen to children espouse how much they support this or that candidate. They all have strong opinions and they are all parroting their parents or friends. This boy does not and cannot have a reasoned, mature, adult perspective on his disease or what should be done to help him. If children could make such decisions we should lower the voting and drinking and driving age to 10. If his parents were arguing with the state about one reasonable treatment vs another, then I’d side with the parents, but they are arguing from a position that is untenable. The decision to not move forward with chemo as proscribed by medical professionals is highly likely to result in the death of the child and no parent should be allowed to let their child die when there is a very good chance of saving the child with medical treatment.
This isn’t a difficult decision for anyone with half a brain.
vitalviews said,
August 5, 2009 @ 3:18 am
Hi santa,
Thanks for your comments (minus the character bashing). Sorry it took so long for me to get back to my blog . . . it’s been a crazy summer. I hope yours has been good. I have had a lot to think through on this issue as I investigate it further – yes, I had to swallow my “alternative healing-pride”. You’ve got a major point . . . there is a difference between what the US culture calls “medicine” and what the REST of the world calls “healing.”
I don’t feel good about the state messing with family decisions, I don’t take life for death decisions lightly by any means. There are many people who want the State to be wrong and aren’t interested in getting well. I’m not one of them. I’m open to dialogue. I didn’t explore the family’s options they were considering for treatment. In the end, they came back to Minnesota and his chemo treatment is going very well as of today. So, you can’t deny that the chemo treatments are coming along with better results and we are also learning to deal with its effects. I’d have to admit, if there was an herbal treatment that worked and it had major side effects, I’d probably be more ok with it (just being honest).
What I have a problem with is that our justice system and most of the US think that medical MDs on American soil are God. That’s outlandish. Alternative treatments have been proven effective for centuries, just now are there companies coming about that are cultivating funds to develop research efforts that uncover the effectiveness of such options. One must admit that the multi-billion drug industry is suppressing such efforts. Yet, it will prevail . . . maybe not quickly. I share new insights with my family doctor every time I see her, teaching her of nutrition and natural remedies that deal with the same things she sends me home with a prescription for. I will admit, I’m not sent home with a cancer diagnosis either, but it exemplifies my point. Doctors do drugs, they have much to learn about healing.
We need to stop treating medical doctors like God and start opening the dialogue of our medical community to the greater, holistic healers in of world – that includes yourself, what you know and what you know about your body. That’s a great responsibility though, to learn and take responsibility for your body – right now few in the US are willing to take that on although more grow every year. Then, we will really learn why Americans are sick, fat and stupid (or one could say “physically ill, over weight, and are mentally ill). . . ya know? Maybe then our health care costs will start to be reasonable.
Thanks so much for your dialogue. Please continue to share your thoughts! I wish for the very best and appreciate the thought provoking discussion.