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Showing Original Post only (View all)Sarah Hershberger comes home to die [View all]
http://scienceblogs.com/insolence/2013/12/23/sarah-hershberger-comes-home-to-die/?utm_source=widgetsIt was a couple of weeks ago that I last provided an update on the case of Sarah Hershberger, the 11-year-old Amish girl from Medina County, Ohio with lymphoblastic lymphoma whose parents decided to stop her chemotherapy because of how sick it was making her. As I explained early on and on multiple occasions afterward, Sarah had about an 85% chance of long term survival with the chemotherapy regimen she was undergoing but a close to zero percent chance of surviving without it. In other words, her parents, Andy and Anna Hershberger, are committing gross medical neglect of their child. I realize that they love their daughter and are doing what they think is right for her. I realize that they dont think theyre abusing their daughter. Unfortunately, they are. Their decision is almost certain to lead to the unnecessary and unpleasant death of their daughter sooner rather than later.
Because of this, the hospital, Akron Childrens Hospital, went to court to try to have a medical guardian appointed for Sarah, someone who would make sure that she received effective science-based treatment for her cancer. After a couple of rulings went against it, the hospital eventually won, and a medical guardian was appointed. Unfortunately, the parents fled. Where they fled is not exactly clear, but flee they did, apparently out of the country, while health freedom advocates and friends of the family claimed that Sarah was doing very well and cancer free, thanks to natural treatments being administered by unspecified practitioners. The quacks piled on, spinning the story as an evil, profit-crazed hospital trying to poison a poor innocent girl for fun and, above all, profit. Meanwhile, as I described last week, we learned that the Hershbergers are subjecting their daughter to the most useless and nonsensical forms of quackery, including including high dose vitamin C and B17 (the fake vitamin name given to the quackery known as laetrile), oxygen therapy, detoxification methods, as well as the IV chelation.
Most recently, a Libertarian-leaning 1851 Center for Constitutional Law, which is basically a group consisting mainly of Maurice Thompson, a got involved raising money for the Hershbergs on the basis of health freedom. He tries to promote health care freedom, private property rights, taxpayer rights, school choice, political speech, commercial speech, ballot access, and voter integrity. In this case, he has stepped in to make sure that a little girl does not get the treatment she needs to survive, if successful thus virtually guaranteeing her death. Sadly, the attacks from quacks and their supporters like Thompson have taken their toll, even on a hospital so dedicated to making sure that Hershberger gets potentially life-saving treatment that it went to court to see that it would happen. Two weeks ago, the hospital apparently gave up, and the woman appointed as the medical guardian for Sarah Hershberger resigned, at which point I lamented that Sarah Hershberger is probably doomed.
Now she has apparently finally come home with her family to die:
Because of this, the hospital, Akron Childrens Hospital, went to court to try to have a medical guardian appointed for Sarah, someone who would make sure that she received effective science-based treatment for her cancer. After a couple of rulings went against it, the hospital eventually won, and a medical guardian was appointed. Unfortunately, the parents fled. Where they fled is not exactly clear, but flee they did, apparently out of the country, while health freedom advocates and friends of the family claimed that Sarah was doing very well and cancer free, thanks to natural treatments being administered by unspecified practitioners. The quacks piled on, spinning the story as an evil, profit-crazed hospital trying to poison a poor innocent girl for fun and, above all, profit. Meanwhile, as I described last week, we learned that the Hershbergers are subjecting their daughter to the most useless and nonsensical forms of quackery, including including high dose vitamin C and B17 (the fake vitamin name given to the quackery known as laetrile), oxygen therapy, detoxification methods, as well as the IV chelation.
Most recently, a Libertarian-leaning 1851 Center for Constitutional Law, which is basically a group consisting mainly of Maurice Thompson, a got involved raising money for the Hershbergs on the basis of health freedom. He tries to promote health care freedom, private property rights, taxpayer rights, school choice, political speech, commercial speech, ballot access, and voter integrity. In this case, he has stepped in to make sure that a little girl does not get the treatment she needs to survive, if successful thus virtually guaranteeing her death. Sadly, the attacks from quacks and their supporters like Thompson have taken their toll, even on a hospital so dedicated to making sure that Hershberger gets potentially life-saving treatment that it went to court to see that it would happen. Two weeks ago, the hospital apparently gave up, and the woman appointed as the medical guardian for Sarah Hershberger resigned, at which point I lamented that Sarah Hershberger is probably doomed.
Now she has apparently finally come home with her family to die:
Previous DU threads here:
http://www.democraticunderground.com/1014579812
http://www.democraticunderground.com/10024102236
http://www.democraticunderground.com/1014665763
Dumbass parents.
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You are so correct that the issue is that Sarah wanted to stop the treatment.
Big Blue Marble
Dec 2013
#42
At this time, there is no evidence, only speculation on the part of the author
Big Blue Marble
Dec 2013
#11
I have no idea and neither does the author as to how this child is doing.
Big Blue Marble
Dec 2013
#19
What?? Are we supposed to go back to the days where we drilled holes in skulls?????
kcr
Dec 2013
#38
Sounds to me like the little girl is the one that convinced the parents to let her quit treatment.
loudsue
Dec 2013
#46
That's too bad for the little girl. It's a shame her parents abdicated their responsibility.
kcr
Dec 2013
#52
So you would force a 17 year old to have a treatment he or she would not want?
Big Blue Marble
Dec 2013
#91
We are in total agreement that parents are responsible for their children's welfare.
Big Blue Marble
Dec 2013
#97
I don't know why the cops can't grab the kid and put her in treatment.
Hassin Bin Sober
Dec 2013
#24
There IS a reason.....she chose it! She would rather die HER way than YOUR way.
loudsue
Dec 2013
#60
I guess strictly speaking then, a good chunk of what we talk about on DU is speculation.
kcr
Dec 2013
#40
But why criticize these parents when we don't know about her particular risks? n/t
pnwmom
Dec 2013
#70
Because the court oppointed guardian said so. Because her doctors said so.
Hassin Bin Sober
Dec 2013
#23
No, her doctors, medical guardian and the court said the treatment is right,
Hassin Bin Sober
Dec 2013
#50
And Steve Jobs would be alive today if he didn't subscribe to goofy new age BS that you tout.
Hassin Bin Sober
Dec 2013
#43
LOL. I'm gonna let this one hang out there a while for YOUR ignorance flaps in the breeze.
Hassin Bin Sober
Dec 2013
#53
LOL. You just heard of this like 10 minutes ago and now you are a google expert. LOL
Hassin Bin Sober
Dec 2013
#87
There were people in the PNET community that were none too thrilled with Jobs.
Hassin Bin Sober
Dec 2013
#85
I will say that once things are...over, the parents need to be charged with manslaughter...
Humanist_Activist
Dec 2013
#27