Daniel Hauser is at the center of a heated controversy that pits his parents against the state of Minnesota in a question of life, death and freedom. Hauser, a 13 year old boy from Sleepy Eye, Minn. was diagnosed with Hodgkin’s lymphoma, a form of cancer, this past January. His parents, Anthony and Colleen Hauser, decided to stop chemotherapy and radiation after one session, explaining that these treatments go against their religious beliefs. After being reported for medical neglect by Hauser’s doctors, his parents started a long legal battle to be allowed to stop chemotherapy and instead pursue alternative care, including herbs and vitamins.
The state concluded that Hauser should instead continue to receive chemotherapy, and a court agreed. But when Hauser and his mother failed to appear in court, a judge held Colleen Hauser in contempt and authorities issued a search warrant for both the mother and son, who may have gone to Mexico.
Doctors estimated that Hauser has a 90% chance of survival with chemotherapy, and a very high likelihood that without it he will die within five years.
Despite these statistics, if Hauser were an adult and chose to stop chemotherapy his freedom of choice would trump any medical opinion and he would be free to pursue alternative treatments.
But he isn’t an adult. He’s a minor whose parents follow the Nemenhah Band, a religion inspired by Native American practices. They explained that the boy himself has refused chemotherapy and that he’s aware of the pros and cons of pursuing alternative medicine.
Columnist Jon Tevlin of the Minnesota’s Star Tribune, pointed out that Hauser could neither read “nor understand the affidavit he signed saying he preferred ‘native’ treatments over chemotherapy for his Hodgkin’s lymphoma” adding that when Daniel, who is homeschooled, was tested for entrance into a charter school, he couldn’t identify the word “the.”
Most parents would do anything to save their children and I believe the Hauser’s are doing what they believe is best for their child, even if this decision may stem from incomplete information or beliefs not grounded on scientific evidence.
At the same time, can the state allow parents to make a choice that will almost surely lead to a child’s death?
I truly feel for the Hauser’s, for their distress, their decisions and the fact that they are caught in a media frenzy. But I also cringe at the thought that the state can decide what’s best for its citizens, because that’s a slippery slope. I realize that at some point the wellbeing of the child has to be preserved, but it’s complicated when the state intervenes, even if the intrusion is warranted.
In this case the parents’ rights will be violated. The state’s interest in the well being of Daniel Hauser, in preserving his life, trumps the parents’ freedom of choice.
When the state is forced to act as a parent, nobody wins and our liberties suffer. But sometimes, it’s the only choice.
I only hope that even in a case like this, we remember to tread lightly and with regret whenever we take someone’s freedom away.
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You can read more about Hodgkin’s and why treating Daniel is so important here:
http://bit.ly/PtgV3
You know, the strange thing about this incident is that it made me realize how quickly I jump to judge, and how long it takes me to think things through later.
My initial reaction was that of course the state should have the right to interfere and what were his parents thinking and how could they and blah blah blah blah blah. But as time has passed, I’ve come to this point where I realize that while I disagree with their choice to refuse treatment (although I think that they have now changed their minds? I read something about it earlier today), it isn’t my choice to make. It’s theirs. Two parents and one child and that’s that. I wonder if I would want anybody to judge my parenting choices when I was making decisions I honestly felt to be in the best interest of my child.
And then again, I wonder at what point in time this becomes a bigger issue. You start with a little dictation, a little interference, from the state. And then what? Will there someday be more interferences and regulations from the state regarding how we raise our children? Or how we make medical decisions for ourselves and our families? Etc.
Essiac is touted as an herbal remedy good for treating cancer, and it won’t send you running for payday loans with no faxing for it. Essiac is an herbal tea (that’s right, fighting cancer with tea) that has ingredients known to be good for one’s health, such as red clover. Essiac is touted by some people as a cure for cancer, including one Billy Best, who has proclaimed its efficacy. Daniel Hauser decided not to undergo chemotherapy for his Hodgkins lymphoma. His mother, Colleen Hauser, took him to Mexico to avoid conventional treatments. Billy claims that he cured himself of his Hodgkins without low interest loans for chemo and thorough the use of Essiac.
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