The fate of a 10-year-old who has tumors in her neck, chest and kidneys, appears uncertain as her parents and the hospital where she was undergoing treatment have locked horns in a legal battle.
The child was brought to Akron Children’s Hospital in April this year when she complained of fatigue and a mass was seen near her collarbone.
She was diagnosed with T-Cell Lymphoblastic Lymphoma; a serious form of leukemia that would have required five chemotherapy treatments.
Horrible and terrible aftereffects
The family did not consent to the subsequent rounds of chemotherapy after the child was administered the first round.
The Akron Children’s Hospital moved court and sought limited guardianship of the child. The Probate and Juvenile Judge John J. Lohn, however denied the hospital’s application stating that the parents of the child are fit.
“The court cannot deprive these parents of their right to make medical decisions for their daughter because there is not a scintilla of evidence showing the parents are unfit. There was no basis in law and no basis in fact to file this action,” Lohn wrote in the ruling last month.
The hospital now intends to file an appeal against the ruling.
Meanwhile, the parents claim that they did not consent to further rounds of chemotherapy because of its ‘horrible’ and ‘terrible’ aftereffects. The child is in considerable pain and has requested them to “stop” the treatment, claim the parents.
Little chances of survival
The parents have also expressed concern over “infertility and damage to her other organs” in the court documents. The parents have consulted their kith and kin and other well-wishers before deciding to opt for natural treatments.
Ironically, the child has only 85 percent chances of survival even after medical treatment. Without that, the chances are minimal, state the doctors.
“I feel obligated to offer what we can for this family to move forward and hopefully what will be an appropriate therapy for her,” said Dr. McGregor, chief medical officer at Akron Children’s Hospital.
