Response to news article
“Ohio Amish girl ordered to resume chemotherapy despite pleas of parents”
Akron Children’s hospital can now force a child who is Amish and only ten years old to resume chemo after her parents decided to stop the treatment. The court wrote in its ruling, “Parental rights, even if based upon firm and honest convictions can be limited in order to protect the ‘best interests’ of the child.” This decision came from an appeals court after two previous judges ruled in favor of the parent’s decision and not the hospital.
The hospital asked the judge to appoint a medical guardian for the girl after the parents stopped treatment. Lawyer and former nurse Maria Schimer is being appointed this child’s medical guardian.
I do not agree with the parent’s decision to take this child off of chemotherapy. However, this is their choice not the doctors, hospitals, or the governments. This should be a decision made only by this child’s family and child. So long as the parents are in their right state of mind (Ex: not mentally unstable, hooked on drugs, etc.). This family has worked with the hospital the last two years and they feel the child has endured enough. These parents want to try “natural medicines” after the child’s first dose of chemotherapy. Why are the parents not allowed to try this?
This is just another example of how our rights are being slowly taken away from the people who reside in the United States. The government is stepping in where they have no business. This is not a case of unfit parents, this is a case of religious beliefs and rights. This is an Amish family who obviously cares about their daughter or they wouldn’t have taken her to the hospital in the first place. I think that hospital has taken this too far no matter what they think.
Why is the government stepping in? Why now does this child have three people telling her what is best for her? The person who is now is appointed guardian is not only a lawyer, but is a former nurse;
Akron Children’s hospital can now force a child who is Amish and only ten years old to resume chemo after her parents decided to stop the treatment. The court wrote in its ruling, “Parental rights, even if based upon firm and honest convictions can be limited in order to protect the ‘best interests’ of the child.” This decision came from an appeals court after two previous judges ruled in favor of the parent’s decision and not the hospital.
The hospital asked the judge to appoint a medical guardian for the girl after the parents stopped treatment. Lawyer and former nurse Maria Schimer is being appointed this child’s medical guardian.
I do not agree with the parent’s decision to take this child off of chemotherapy. However, this is their choice not the doctors, hospitals, or the governments. This should be a decision made only by this child’s family and child. So long as the parents are in their right state of mind (Ex: not mentally unstable, hooked on drugs, etc.). This family has worked with the hospital the last two years and they feel the child has endured enough. These parents want to try “natural medicines” after the child’s first dose of chemotherapy. Why are the parents not allowed to try this?
This is just another example of how our rights are being slowly taken away from the people who reside in the United States. The government is stepping in where they have no business. This is not a case of unfit parents, this is a case of religious beliefs and rights. This is an Amish family who obviously cares about their daughter or they wouldn’t have taken her to the hospital in the first place. I think that hospital has taken this too far no matter what they think.
Why is the government stepping in? Why now does this child have three people telling her what is best for her? The person who is now is appointed guardian is not only a lawyer, but is a former nurse;