Tough Choices

In Virginia there lives a child actor named Abraham Cherrix. He was diagnosed with Hodgkin's Disease which is a type of cancer that invades the lymph nodes. Last year he underwent a round of chemotherapy and radiation treatments that left him debilitated physically. He became so weak that his father literally had to carry the boy in and out of the car to receive his treatments at the hospital. Hodgkin's has about an 80 percent survival rate after the first series of treatments. At first young Abraham remained cancer free following his standard medical treatments, but the cancer has unfortunately returned. Now his odds of remaining cancer free have dropped considerably. Studies indicate that if a person has to undergo a second round of chemo/radiation treatments, the chances of beating the disease drop to 30% -50%. Not the greatest odds.

Both the teen and his parents do not want a second round of conventional treatments. They say he lost too much weight and he hurt so much that even the soles of his feet ached making walking impossible. So now they are trying an unconventional treatment plan of diet control and herbs as prescribed by a Mexican clinic. One of the standard items is the questionable use of large doses of licorice.

The Virginia Courts have said that his parents are guilty of neglect and have ordered Abraham placed in social services' protective custody . A judge declared that he must continue his chemotherapy treatments.

Frankly, I am torn about this decision. Ordinarily, I would side completely with the courts if the parents had never tried standard medical chemo radiation treatments. But this situation is different because the family tried the standard treatment and it was not successful. Furthermore, the side effects were so bad, that the teen adamantly refuses to go that route again. At the same time, I view the quasi medical Mexican clinics with great skepticism. They are allowed free reign because the Mexican government doesn't regulate medicine with the strictness that most western countries do.

Abraham's parents became convinced that the herbal/diet route was the right choice after visiting the Mexican clinic. The clinic reports 400 persons cured of cancer through their regimen. Of course, they cannot document this in a medically acceptable manner. They have provided the family contact with some individuals who claim they were cured through the program. Again, my sympathies are with the parents who are probably willing to grasp at any straw thrown in their direction. However, it is a well known "secret" that such clinics can and do often pay individuals for their "testimonies." They are probably as authentic as the tooth fairy or the Easter bunny.

As I recall, Jim Jones used to plant healthy people in wheelchairs at his meetings. They would "miraculously" rise out of their wheelchairs and walk to the podium to the amazement of an undiscerning audience. He would also pluck "tumors" from "cancer victims" at his "healing" services. Those closest to Jones knew that the masses he seemingly removed were nothing more than globs of hamburger meat. For those of you who are too young to know about Jim Jones, he was the spiritual leader of a group of idealistic people in California. He convinced his people to move to the South American country of Guyana. Jones' behavior became increasingly bizarre and paranoid. He finally convinced his followers to commit mass suicide by drinking cyanide laced koolaid. A few of his followers escaped to the jungle and lived to tell some real horror stories about the sordid conditions of the camp.

But I digress. Abraham Cherrix will have to undergo the hated chemo treatments. However, since he is 6'1" tall, the orderlies and nurses may have to strap him down. He does not want the treatments. Is the hospital likely to go to that extreme to force this treatment on Abraham? Only time will tell.