It's My Body and I Can Cry if I Want To

A 16 year old Virginia boy with Hodgkin's Disease was ordered by a state judge to get chemo therapy.
See, the kid had it once. He claims it made him so sick for 3months and actually did more harm than good.

Chemo tends to do that sometimes.

This kid saw some doctors in Mexico that suggested a holistic approach rather than suffer another round of chemo.

Apparently the kid's doctors called CPS I guess, when he didn't show up for his next round. I heard the kid was actually taken from the care of his parents, Jay and Rose Cherrix, and was (or still is) in foster care for a while.

The parents were ruled as being neglectful and must continue shared custody with County Social Services.


This is a 16 year old boy who has researched his options carefully and came to a structured decision about his health. And yes, I understand the state has a right to intervene when parents are neglectful to their children's health.

But, is this really abuse or neglect? My parents let me make decisions when I was 16 and I'm all the better for it. The boy in this story is not being beaten or starved--he is given the right to choose by his parents, but not the state!


Arguement 1: Religion prohibits use of medications or blood transfusions.

Alright, I say, if the child's life is in immediate danger and he or she is too young to make a well-informed decision for him/herself, then the state ought to intervene. Call me a hypocrite if you will, but I believe God gave us doctors. He gave doctors the smarts to come up with medications and procedures to make life easier. Popping a Midol now and then doesn't mean I've lost my faith. It's provided to me just like food and water.

Arguement 2: My Body, My Coice

While I do believe that every person of sound mind has a right to do to his or body as one pleases, I don't believe that gives you the right to purposely harm another living creature that has no choices. (cockroaches not included) In what instance does the unborn, underdeveloped baby have the chance to say, "It's my body, it's my right to life"??

With that said, our beloved government allows women to say, "Oh, it's my body, my choice," but not for a young man making decisions about treatment for his own personal illness.

Well, at least the goverment is consistent.