| What do you suppose the first thought a person just | | | | Initially, the teen did undergo chemotherapy when |
| diagnosed with cancer has? Do they think about | | | | the cancer was first discovered. He was weakened |
| death? Do they think about chemotherapy and other | | | | so badly, and in so much pain, that when his |
| medical treatments? What would you think of first if | | | | oncologist ordered a second round of more agressive |
| you found out you had cancer? | | | | chemo and radiation when the cancer returned, he |
| For me, I've already decided that if I ever do get | | | | refused and sought out an alternative cancer |
| cancer, I will not seek out the conventional medical | | | | treatment called the Hoxsy method. |
| cancer interventions and treatments that are the | | | | It is important to note that this natural, herbal |
| society standard today. I've decided I will seek a | | | | method of cancer treatment, which is paired with a |
| natural route, one that does not involve | | | | sugar free diet, has been banned by the FDA in the |
| chemotherapy and the destruction of my healthy | | | | US, and he had to travel to Mexico in order to |
| cells as well as cancer cells. I've decided I will seek a | | | | receive the daily herbs he had to take as well as |
| treatment that does not weaken me physically, but | | | | intructions on how the treatment worked. |
| rather helps to empower and strengthen my body. | | | | His parents advised the teen's oncologist of their |
| This decision has come to me over my lifetime, and | | | | intentions for further alternative treatment, but said |
| personally seeing relatives suffer through this type of | | | | they'd like his continued medical monitoring. The |
| treatment, only to quickly deteriorate, and in my | | | | oncologist felt this was neglect, and reported his |
| opinion, die a faster, more painful death than if they'd | | | | parents to the authorities for investigation of medical |
| had not treatment at all. Dramatic statement, I know, | | | | neglect. |
| but nonetheless, this is my opinion. | | | | The case is now in court, and so far the judge has |
| I do not know what natural therapy or lifestyle | | | | ordered the teen to undergo the chemotherapy |
| changes I would actually choose if I were in that | | | | treatments that he has so adamantly refused. I ask, |
| position, but I do know this is how I would choose to | | | | how can you force someone who is obviously so |
| fight my battle, and I would hope that with some | | | | against a certain medical treatment, to receive that |
| prompted research, the natural choice would make | | | | treatment, regardless whether they are an "adult" as |
| itself apparent. This is my personal choice, and no | | | | defined by today's standards? |
| one could change my mind. | | | | I can guarantee this teen has been forced to |
| Now, consider this. What if I were only 16 years old, | | | | become much more mature than his biological years |
| and I had come to this same conclusion, with the | | | | already through this ordeal, and is more than capable |
| added caveat that I had actually had chemotherapy | | | | of making his own choices in his method of cancer |
| and been severely debilitated by it once already? | | | | treatment. Is this morally and ethically right? Or is it |
| Does the government or a judge have the right to | | | | morally and ethically right to give him chemo, which |
| intervene and order medical treatment, which I do | | | | many believe may actually save him while the |
| not believe in, and in fact, which I believe will actually | | | | alternative methods cannot possibly work? |
| kill me, if not dramatically jeopardize my quality of | | | | I suppose it depends on your point of view, whether |
| life? | | | | you are a believer in the pharmaceutical and medical |
| That's exactly what is transpiring right now for a 16 | | | | industry or not. I for one have lost a lot of faith in |
| year old Virginia man (I say man, because this | | | | the medical industry, and I believe that this choice |
| particular teen carries himself like an adult), with 2nd | | | | should be left to the person it affects most. And |
| stage Hodgkins disease, a form of cancer that is | | | | that is, the one who has the cancer, the one who's |
| very treatable the first time around, but upon | | | | life has been so dramatically changed and nearly |
| recurrence, is less treatable and more deadly, | | | | ruined by chemotherapy. Is it not up to the individual, |
| requiring more drastic traditional chemotherapy and | | | | or is this just a case of "the establishment" having |
| radiation. | | | | their way? |