拒绝化疗的美国霍奇金女孩

橙色雨丝

大家还记得几个月前因为拒绝化疗，而成为全世界热聊话题的那个美国女孩吗？在这个论坛上大家也讨论过。十七岁的她在去年九月被确诊为霍奇金淋巴瘤，在接受了两个疗程的化疗后，因为觉得反应太大，特别是掉了头发因而不再漂亮后在她的母亲的带领下逃离医院，准备采用“自然疗法”来治病。这件事后来闹到了康涅狄格州的最高法院，她母亲请了律师，以她是“已成熟的未成年人”为由，申辩她有权拒绝接受治疗。幸好该州是美国少数几个法律规定政府可以强制未成年人接受治疗的州，法官裁定州政府的儿童和家庭部可以短暂获得监护权，强迫女孩接受不少于六个月的治疗。最新传来的消息是，这个女孩已经完成了化疗，目前处于缓解中，虽然谈彻底治愈还为时过早，但是据她的医生讲她这种类型的淋巴瘤治愈率高达85%，而如果当初停止治疗的话生存期只有两年。直到现在，仍有很多美国人反对州政府强迫她接受治疗，特别是一些宗教信仰较深的人认为她的生命掌握在上帝而不是医生手中，州政府剥夺了她与生具来的”人权”。

对于这个女孩来讲，也许十年后再回顾这件事会觉得自己曾经很傻。而她的母亲，可能一辈子都会有人在背后指指点点：“看，这就是差点害死自己亲生女儿的傻X！”

MILFORD, Ct, March 8 (Reuters) - A Connecticut teenager who was ordered by a state court to undergo chemotherapy against her wishes is in remission after several months of treatment, the state's Department of Children and Families said on Sunday.

The department gained temporary custody of the 17-year-old, identified as "Cassandra C" in court documents, after she and her mother, Jackie Fortin, fought for her right to discontinue treatment despite her risk of dying.

The state department indicated in a statement on Sunday that the treatment has worked even faster than anticipated.

"We are very pleased with Cassandra's progress toward a complete recovery," said Joette Katz, Commissioner of the state's Department of Children and Families (DCF).

"We have had full confidence throughout that the medical professionals involved in her treatment would be successful in saving her life."

The girl was diagnosed with Hodgkin's lymphoma in September. After surgery failed to rid her of the cancer, she underwent two rounds of chemotherapy before asking that treatments be stopped, then ran away from home to avoid further treatment.

DCF took custody of the case and continued treatments which doctors said were essential for her survival. Treatments were ordered for at least six months, which doctors said gave her an 85 percent chance of survival, versus a "near certainty of death within two years" without chemotherapy.

Attorneys for the girl and her mother said she should be treated as a "mature minor," with the legal right to reject medical care she did not want, an approach recognized in some states but not in Connecticut.

The state's top court rejected her bid, with state Assistant Attorney General John Tucker saying that halting treatment "would almost certainly result in her death."

Neither Fortin's attorney Michael Taylor nor Cassandra's court-appointed public defender Joshua Michtom could be reached for comment on Sunday. (Editing by Chris Michaud)

lemoncr

要相信科学

飞眉

政府强制要求国民治病，估计也只有“帝国主义”做得到吧

冰人欣欣

这个怎么看呢，之前有报道说有个德国小女孩先天性心脏病，因为害怕在治疗期间在身体里插管子受苦最后和妈妈一起回家等死，社区派人去劝准备强制治疗，居然被她们说服了，说生命要掌握在自己手里。这是不是也是帝国主义优越性。

拥抱明天的太阳

可恶的帝国主义

橙色雨丝

既然说到美帝，就不能不提到一个多月前发生的类似的一件事情。美国安大略省的一个患了急性白血病的11岁的女孩，因为拒绝化疗死了。她的家庭将她的死亡怪罪于她曾经接受过12周的化疗。McMaster儿童医院的医生认为她的病有80%的机会可以治愈，但是女孩的家人将她中途带回家用土著草药和替代疗法治疗。医院向法院申请强制女孩接受治疗，可是法官驳回了申请。

Girl, 11, who refused chemo dies

JANUARY 19, 2015

BRANTFORD, Ont. - An 11-year-old New Credit First Nation girl, who refused chemotherapy to treat her leukemia, has died.

In a statement released to Six Nations newspaper Two Row Times, the family says Makayla Sault suffered a stroke Sunday morning and died Monday afternoon.

"Makayla was on her way to wellness, bravely fighting toward holistic well-being after the harsh side effects that 12 weeks of chemotherapy inflicted on her body," the family said.

"Chemotherapy did irreversible damage to her heart and major organs. This was the cause of the stroke. We continue to support Makayla's choice to leave chemotherapy. At this time we request privacy from the media while we mourn this tragic loss."

Makayla was the first of two First Nations children to refuse chemotherapy for treatment for acute lymphoblastic leukemia at McMaster Children's Hospital in Hamilton, Ont.

Instead, the Sault family pursued Indigenous medicine and other alternative therapies to care for their daughter.

The family of another First Nations girl, who also rejected chemotherapy, released a statement to the Two Row Times.

"Condolences to her mother, father, brothers and the families on each side. We mourn your loss. I offer you strength to endure through your dark time. That one day you can adjust to the loss in your family circle."

The girl cannot be named due to a court-imposed publication ban.

Last November, a Brantford, Ont., judge ruled that he would not interfere with a Six Nations mother's decision to seek traditional healing rather than chemotherapy for her 11-year-old daughter.

In what was called a landmark and precedent-setting case, Ontario Court Justice Gethin Edward dismissed an application by McMaster Children's Hospital to force the child into care to receive chemotherapy.

大漠勇者

帝国主义好啊，我想治疗还没钱呢！我放弃政府来强迫就好了。

踏雪寻梅@

橙色雨丝帮忙分析我孩子的病情

小晰

我曾经把这个故事讲给我女儿，把她逗得哈哈大笑。