Court makes teen have cancer treatment

"NORFOLK, Va. - A judge ruled Friday that a 16-year-old boy fighting to use alternative treatment for his cancer must report to a hospital by Tuesday and accept treatment that doctors deem necessary, the family’s attorney said."

entire url:http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/13977403/?GT1=8307

I first heard about this on coast to coast friday night, but read about it now.

I think this is a violation of the families rights, if they want to take alternative medicine, good for them! For all the courts know it might work, it has happened before. Sure as hell is better then kimo...

Imagine if the court said "well, you martial artists don't have the protection we deem necessary, you must quit your school, and buy a gun, we like it better this way."

what do you guys think, violation of rights, or nessesary medical procedure?

I think we should all be free to pursue our own form of medical treatment.

The kid is a minor, let his parents decide what to do with him, the kid agrees with the alternative medicine idea anyway. Screw the courts.

Maybe I am wrong, but if I was the kid. I would feel so screwed by the system.

At 18 if the kid wants to be stupid and use alternative medicine instead of chemotherapy, then that is just stupid and natural natural selection in action.

At 16 with stupid parents that want alternative medicine instead of chemotherapy, well that is child abuse.

Either way the result will, undoubtedly, be the same.

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If the 16 year old is making the choice of his own volition, and not being denied mainstream medicine by the actions of his family, then I say it should be completely up to him. In Britain, he is legally deemed able to get married, have children, and go to war. I think by these standards, he is more than able to choose his medical strategy.

what i would insist, if I were the judge, would be to sit down with him, and a medical doctor, for a discussion on the pro's and cons as seen from both sides. If the 'young man' showed a good understanding of both sides of the argument, and argued his corner with conviction, then i would leave control of his fate in his hands. If he was clearly ignorant of the whole situation, then stepping in is more justifiable as a responsible course of action.

I am a big believer in euthanasia, I am pro choice, and I respect an individuals right to make life altering decisions for themselves.

It's a shame the kid and his parents has to be forced to save his own life. People put too much faith in alternative medicines that haven't been proven to do anything but give unrealistic hope.

Chemotherapy treatments aren't a fun thing,but it's got to be better than being eaten to death by cancerous tumors.