Things like this bother me
Teen Cancer Patient on the Run?On the surface, it seems like a good thing, right? The doctors think that he needs chemotherapy, and they're willing to go out of their way to make sure he gets it
( Read more... )
There was a kid in my town whose parents are either Jehovah Witnesses or Christian Scientists. The kid was homeschooled, so he didn't have to get all the immunizations that come with public schooling. He came down with dyptheria. (not sure of the spelling, sorry.) Because his parents didn't believe in medicine, they refused any treatment, even though they'd brought him to a doctor to be diagnosed. He died about three weeks later. He was six years old. The parents waited for an hour before calling the fire department, because they knew then he would be really dead, and the ambulance crew couldn't resussitate him.
I couldn't help but think that someone should have gotten involved and saved this kid. There's been medicine available for dyptheria for almost one hundred years. He had no underlying medical conditions, his parents just believed that if he was worthy, God would save him. It wasn't like this was a family who hid out and didn't participate in town activities...they came to the library, went to rec programs, played with the neighbors--they did kind of hibernate to pray once the boy got sick. It was very sad--no one in town could understand why. They did move afterwards...people didn't actively shun them or anything, but no one knew what to say to them.
I guess there just aren't any easy answers. Maybe it should tie into age and ability to understand, as well as possibility of sustaining quality of life. At thirteen, I do think a kid can make that judgment. It's really hard.
Reply
Leave a comment