Parental Rights being erroded in Texas

[Clio]

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20050609/ap_on_re_us/

cancer_care_battle;_ylt=AiGM6L89M5ub6JgClHHtFVys0NUE;_ylu=X3oDMTA2bXJyZDI0BHNlYwNobA--

CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas - Child welfare officials seized a 12-year-old cancer patient from her parents, saying they were blocking radiation treatment that doctors say she needs.

During a court hearing Wednesday, Michele and Edward Wernecke asked juvenile court Judge

Carl Lewis to bar doctors from providing radiation therapy for daughter Katie, who is now in a Houston hospital, until a hearing next week to determine whether she will stay in state custody.

They say their daughter´s cancer is in remission and they object to her getting the radiation treatment after undergoing a round of chemotherapy.

The judge said he would rule on the request Friday.

Last week, authorities issued an Amber Alert to gain temporary custody of Katie after receiving an anonymous tip about possible neglect. She was found with her mother at a family ranch, about 80 miles west of Corpus Christi near Freer, on Saturday.

She remains at the University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, where she is undergoing tests, officials said. State Child Protective Services says her life could be in danger without further cancer treatment.

Michele Wernecke was arrested on charges of interfering with child custody and was released Monday after posting $50,000 bond.

The Werneckes´ three sons were placed in a foster home.

Speaking Thursday on NBC´s "Today" show, Michele Wernecke said her daughter´s illness is unique and should be treated as such.

"I think they should treat her for what her body calls for and not standard protocol. Nobody will look at that," she said. "Not every cancer is the same. Nobody understands that. Her body is not standard, and her cancer is not standard."

The couple, members of the Church of God, have said they oppose blood transfusions unless they were from Katie´s mother. But the couple´s attorney, Daniel Horne, said religion wasn´t at issue in the fight over cancer treatment.

Rather, they believe doctors haven´t been upfront about Katie´s care and have not answered all their questions about the side effects of the radiation.

"This issue is about parental rights, not about religious rights," Horne said. "They just want to be informed of her treatment. They want to be involved in this."

Katie was diagnosed with cancer in January. In a videotaped statement recorded by her parents, Katie said she´s feeling better.

"I don´t need radiation treatment. And nobody asked me what I wanted. It´s my body," she said.

Officials on Wednesday reached an agreement to let Edward Wernecke and the couple´s sons visit Katie on Friday, the day before her 13th birthday.

[Barbara]

That is outragous. What are they going to start taking kids away for next.

[Nicodema]

It figures it would be TEXAS. 'nuff said.

[Clio]

True... but it's spreading. The middle school my daughter would have attending this past school year had we not decided to homeschool her held a para-military training exercise for the school, the army, homeland security, and the emergency first responders. All of those organizations had representatives at the drill.

This was written up in our local paper... which is why I thought... Hey! Great... they're paying attention.

... until it came out in the discussions with neighborhood friends of my daughter that they were drilled in loading onto buses to be taken to a secure location on one of the military bases. Kids that asked if they would be allowed to call their parents were put in a specific room, locked in, with armed "emergency responders" and were all placed together on a "special" bus.

Granted for the purpose of the drill the buses didn't actually go anywhere, but this was highly disturbing to me.

Also, it turns out that the school is not obligated to tell the parents where their children have been taken or how long they will be kept there.

Granted also that this is not medical in nature... but it surely is an abrogation of parental rights.

Clio

[Nicodema]

Yes, and it's all in the name of "security" -- presumably to keep us "safe".

Of course, you're talking to someone here who half believes 9/11 was staged ...

[Clio]

Quote:

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Nicodema said:

Yes, and it's all in the name of "security" -- presumably to keep us "safe".

Of course, you're talking to someone here who half believes 9/11 was staged ...

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No argument here.....

clio

[Nicodema]

[Dr. Shane]

You know the child does have cancer. It is not in remission and the parents have now changed their mind and admitted they were wrong.

[Clio]

That's not the point. The point is that the state took action assuming the parents were not capable of making health decisions for their child.

The parents wanted additional information, according to what I heard the mother say. The mother was on the Today show, and in the interview she said, she (the daughter) just came off chemo. We have asked and asked about side-effects, we'd like a straight answer from her doctors so we can make an informed decision. We never said we would outright deny her care. We just wanted them to slow down, and not start radiation therapy until we could get our questions answered and decide if there were alternatives we wanted to look into.

Yes... let's all focus on this little girl, who has cancer, and her parents won't let the doctors treat her. Let's ignore the rights of the parents, nay... the duty of the parents to investigate on behalf of their minor child, to understand what is really being proposed, to ask about side effects, to find out if there are other options they are not being told about, and THEN make a decision.

I've been down this path recently with the medical profession, for life-threatening illnesses... believe me... you don't want to take the doc's word for it... you want to do some digging on your own, do some research, get your questions answered and then make your decision.

clio

<------------ that's my anti nwo-medical profession soapbox...having spent over 180 hours in doctor's offices over the last 18 months.