A young boy’s parents are in a legal battle with doctors over the right to make medical decisions for their son.
Jacob’s cancer was gone but the doctors still wanted to administer more chemotherapy or have Jacob taken away from his parents. Dr. Michael Farris of HSLDA has taken on the case to defend the parents and Jacob. The following are excerpts from an article by Dr. Farris:
“Jacob’s parents did extensive study of the side effects of the five different chemotherapy drugs that the doctor wanted to administer. And they believed that the risk of the drugs was far greater than the risk of recurrent cancer, since Jacob had a clean PET scan. They said no to the doctors. No more chemotherapy treatment for now.”
“But the doctors would not take no for an answer. They called child protective services in Jacob’s county and asked the agency to file charges against the family for medical neglect.”
“A jury trial is scheduled for early January to determine if the doctors will be given the authority to take over the medical decision-making for Jacob.”
“This is a case where there must be a judgment call—a balancing of risks. Who makes that call?”
“The doctor told me during the deposition that she thinks that she should make the call—for every child in this situation. And same answer every time, rather than making an individual judgment.”
“I can’t imagine a more clear case of the need for parental rights. This is a decision that requires the wisdom of God.”
To read the full article, and learn how you can help, please visit: http://www.hslda.org/hs/state/mi/201111290.asp