Bothered

Judge lifts order for cancer treatment

I'm deeply bothered by this news story, not the first one of its kind either. Why should anyone be forced into treatment of any kind, for any illness, unless they are a danger to others? Is his refusing to undergo chemo harming anyone but himself? At 16, is he not old enough to understand the consequences of treatment vs no treatment? Does he not have the support of his parents in his decision to forego chemo for a more holistic approach? Why the hell did the caseworker and the courts feel the need to jump in and try to force this young man to undergo such a toxic therapy?

This guy is obviously aware that he needs treatment for his illness, he isn't rejecting that. He's just refusing to be subjected to a treatment that I believe is more harmful to healthy tissue and cells than it is to the cancers it is meant to eradicate. A course of action he's already been through once, and therefore has the knowledge of what it will do and not do for him.

Leave the kid and his family alone. Let them decide what treatments to pursue, they're obviously educated enough to make that decision themselves.