Minn. court intervenes when family refuses daughter's chemo
The parents of Sarah Parisian, 8, wanted to treat their daughter's cancer with alternative medicine. / WCCO
(CBS News) MINNETONKA, Minn. - A Minnesota family fought for the right to help decide how doctors treat their daughter's cancer.
CBS News affiliate WCCO reported that child protective services got involved when Karen Parisian refused to let her 8-year-old daughter go undergo chemotherapy, opting for alternative medicine instead.
Parisian said Sarah, who recently underwent surgery and had 90 percent of a bran tumor removed, was suffering from nausea, sore throat, hair and weight loss from chemotherapy.
"The week that we were to start chemo she was sleeping 22 hours a day," said Parisian.
"She is very sick from the standard treatment so we wanted to explore and option of modifying the treatment so that it would be more appropriate for Sarah," she said.
Doctors, who wanted Sarah to go under one year of chemotherapy, felt the girl's survival was compromised each day she went without treatment.
The Minnetonka family was ordered to court and was told if they did not work with them on a treatment plan, they would lose custody of Sarah.
Dr. Kevin Conners, an integrative cancer specialist, said he believed there was a way to give both sides what they wanted.
"Do what's best for the patient," said Conners. "Let's take her case as an individual case and not try to fit her into what is standard protocol and look at her as an individual what she can tolerate what other therapies added to a traditional approach is going to be best for her."
The court and Parisian family eventually reached an agreement on a treatment plan which includes some chemotherapy, but "it's going to include a dose that is not going to send her tipping over the edge," Connors said.
The Hennepin County Attorney's Office says it respects the right of parents to make decisions for their children, but said it had strong evidence that the parents weren't doing what was best for Sarah.
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Footnote. The doctors sent her home with a higher dose of the new medicine; however, upon learning she was correct about the drug interation problem, she chose NOT to take the drug. Doing fine so far.
My assessment of this Court's action will remain neutral till the girl finishes the chemo. Certainly wish the best for her recovery!
It is simply a big waste of big money, incredible and inhumane misery with false hope, and actually, in another arena would probably be criminal.
The cost of treating symptoms instead of actually healing people is part of the huge money problem the medical care in this country is. If everyone actually got well instead of being strung along with ridiculous prescriptions how much more cost effective would that be? However, it would not necessarily line the pockets of Big Pharma.
I am really sick of this. As a voter I am looking to see which legislator does not understand my rights to choose the type of medical care that is best for me. I do not want Big Pharma to line their pockets on my behalf. Moreover, I have had serious illness and healed without the help of Big Pharma.
And NOBODT is talking where the Obama healthcare laws stand on this.
Shame on the judicial system in Minnesota. They are as socialistic - not democratic - as the new laws in Germany forbidding parents to circumcise their newborn baby boys. The prosecutors, attorneys, and judges involved in this should, very simply, be removed from public office.
As a teacher I must admit I look at doctors with their prescription pads and think much less of them as professionals. They should be held to the same scrutiny and effectiveness as I am in my work, even much more so - not treat symptoms.
If the doctors can 100% guarantee that what they are suggesting will work, then I would consider what they have to say. If they cannot, then I would do what makes the child happiest, even if that means the possibility that she may not live as long. As far as the parents not looking out for the best interests of the child, are these doctors really any better? Is it better to live a short happy life than a long miserable life? That is ultimately the question each of us should be able to decide for ourselves... or our family help us with rather than some doctors who are not interested in out quality of life but rather the fact that we are a statistical number that they can use for their own agenda. I would trust my family over a doctor any day. When some bureaucrat or other person that is not involved in my life is making decisions for me, the world is in the worst shape it can be in... and will almost never be in MY best interest but rather in the interests of the person making the decision!
If not treating your child with chemo (last I checked, was radioactive) is neglect; then, if your child is overweight, that should be treated the way makeinu suggested as well.