This seems completely not right.

[novapsyche]

Judge rules family can't refuse chemo for boy

A Minnesota judge ruled Friday that a 13-year-old cancer patient must be evaluated by a doctor to determine if the boy would benefit from restarting chemotherapy over his parents' objections.

In a 58-page ruling, Brown County District Judge John Rodenberg found that Daniel Hauser has been "medically neglected" by his parents, Colleen and Anthony Hauser, and was in need of child protection services.

Comments

[laureth.livejournal.com]

Not right, in which way? The family should be compelled to care for the boy, or that the family is being forced to care for the boy?

[novapsyche.livejournal.com]

Being forced to. It flies in the face of all other previous jurisprudence, as far as I can tell. This opens the door for all sorts of interference in families' lives by the government.

[pstscrpt.livejournal.com]

I absolutely agree that the parents shouldn't get to refuse treatment. I'm torn on whether the boy can really speak for himself here without just parroting his parents.

[simianpower.livejournal.com]

This totally opens the door for any number of "mandatory treatments" by government fiat. And with health care being so spotty and unreliable, it essentially makes it illegal for people to refuse to pay on the grounds that they can't afford it. This ruling is complete bullshit, and should be overturned by the supreme court.