Comments on: Abraham Cherrix: NBC Today Show

By: Russel

Russel — Wed, 01 Aug 2007 11:14:58 +0000

Russel…

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By: Jenna

Jenna — Tue, 30 Nov 1999 00:00:00 +0000

This case has got to be incredibly difficult for any judge to decide. On one hand, parents should be allowed to decide treatment for their children, etc. At the same time — what do you do when a parent is truly being neglectful: when certain religious groups won’t give their children blood transfusions, or when parents refuse all medical treatment? What is the line between “parental decision” and true harm — perhaps even death?

With it being proven that the cancer has spread under the mexican cancer treatment, I would tend to agree with the judge that the parents should be charged for neglect. I find it difficult to read Abraham say something like “they wanted to bring me to the brink of death, and then bring me back.” when he seems to be bringing himself to the brink of death — and through its doors.

Whether or not the court should be involved, I am praying for Abraham’s recovery. May God be glorified through whatever outcome occurs.

By: Spunky

Spunky — Tue, 30 Nov 1999 00:00:00 +0000

In a free society we give the parents the deference. NO mistake has been made. Hindsight is 20/20. A medical decision is one of th liberties we give to a parent, that’s why doctors have parents sign a permission form in order to administer treatment.

The assumption in this case is that the chemo is a “sure thing” or at least much less of a risk and the Hoxsey’s is the risk. Chemo carries it’s own risks that this family has now decided are not worth taking. That’s a right that they have and should be allowed to make.

By: Nathan Straub

Nathan Straub — Tue, 30 Nov 1999 00:00:00 +0000

Remember that the Cherrix case is local. The court is a county juvenile court, and the opinion is solely that of one judge and the county social services personnel who testified before him.

Other than influence on other courts, social workers, and the public at large, this case will affect only the parties involved (unless an appeal is made and accepted).

I don’t see much chance of the U.S. Supreme Court getting involved … for that to happen, the case would have to be appealed through the entire state court system, including Virginia’s Supreme Court. As for a federal question, there isn’t much here. And what there is has been decided before.

1. The order forbidding Abraham from leaving Virginia and traveling to Mexico would be an interesting application of the right to travel (substantive due process). However, it might be a moot question by now. I think some child custody decrees following divorce invoke jurisdiction-skipping laws. This is almost the situation we have here if the court has ordered Mr. and Mrs. Cherrix to share custody with the Department of Social Services.

2. The custody-sharing arrangement is the reason the DSS can take Abraham and make medical decisions. It simply sounds outrageous. See summaries of parental rights cases at HSLDA.
Again, it would be a substantive due process case.

By: Brittany

Brittany — Tue, 30 Nov 1999 00:00:00 +0000

Does it have something to do with him going to Mexico? It sounds like the government is just being proud and cocky because another country may have a better alternative. So they really don’t care about his health they just care about their universal reputation.

By: Jo

Jo — Tue, 30 Nov 1999 00:00:00 +0000

The fact that the government has gone so far as to demand that this young man go through chemo again is very disturbing.

That his parents are being accused of neglect when it was the son’s decision, and that he is not free to seek an alternative to chemo is also disturbing. And also that even though it is not neglect to pursue a different treatment it is being portrayed as so. Has the government so far taken away our freedom, that we are not allowed to decide for ourselves anymore?