We ask you, urgently: don’t scroll past this
Dear readers, Catholic Online was de-platformed by Shopify for our pro-life beliefs. They shut down our Catholic Online, Catholic Online School, Prayer Candles, and Catholic Online Learning Resources—essential faith tools serving over 1.4 million students and millions of families worldwide. Our founders, now in their 70's, just gave their entire life savings to protect this mission. But fewer than 2% of readers donate. If everyone gave just $5, the cost of a coffee, we could rebuild stronger and keep Catholic education free for all. Stand with us in faith. Thank you.Help Now >
'It not only kills cancer, it kills everything in your body.' Teenage cancer patient refuses chemotherapy and gets put in state custody.
FREE Catholic Classes
A Connecticut teenager refused to receive chemotherapy after being diagnosed with Hodgkin's Lymphoma. As a result, 17-year-old "Cassandra C." has been taken into temporary custody by Connecticut's Department of Children and Families (DCF).
Highlights
Catholic Online (https://www.catholic.org)
1/6/2015 (9 years ago)
Published in Health
Keywords: cancer, chemo, chemotherapy, Connecticut, teenager
LOS ANGELES, CA (Catholic Online) - Cassandra was diagnosed with the cancer in September 2014. With her mother's support, Cassandra refused the recommended treatment.
"She knows the long-term effects of having chemo, what it does to your organs, what it does to your body. She may not be able to have children after this because it affects everything in your body." said Jackie Fortin, Cassandra's mother, in a video on the Hartford Courant website. "It not only kills cancer, it kills everything in your body."
Save a life today: Give medicine
According to Fortin, Cassandra has always been against chemotherapy, and would have always chosen to opt out.
Cassandra believes the chemo will cause as much damage as the cancer itself, if not more. As Cassandra's cancer progresses, it takes away the body's ability to fight infection.
The DCF decided that Cassandra was not allowed to make this decision, regardless of her mother's support. She was taken into custody in November, and "her mother was ordered to cooperate with medical care administered under the agency's supervision," according to Fox News.
"This is her decision, and she's very intelligent enough to make this decision on her own," Fortin said. "She does not want poisons in her body, and she does not want to be forced through the state or the government to force her to do such a thing. And right now, at this moment, she is being forced chemo upon her against her wish."
Chemotherapy has horrible side effects including nausea, hair loss, fatigue, diarrhea and vomiting. The person's whole body changes as it fights the cancer, according to the National Cancer Institute.
After being forced to go through two chemotherapy treatments, Cassandra ran away.
Once she returned, she once again refused treatment. This time her doctors testified at a court hearing, and Cassandra was removed from her home and put back in DCF custody. DCF gained the control of her medical decisions.
Cassandra and her mother filed an appeal and their case will be heard by the Connecticut Supreme Court in Hartford. "It's a question of fundamental constitutional rights-- the right to have a say over what happens to your body-- and the right to say to the government 'you can't control what happens to my body,'" Cassandra's mother's attorney, Michael S. Taylor, told Fox CT.
Take the time to live healthy this month with our Health Month celebration collection
According to Connecticut's common law and public policy, DCF cannot force Cassandra to "receive medical treatment over her and her mother's knowing and informed objection."
There has never been a ruling on this type of issue to date, according to Taylor. This case will be significant for not only Cassandra and her family, but for the law as a whole.
---
'Help Give every Student and Teacher FREE resources for a world-class Moral Catholic Education'
Copyright 2021 - Distributed by Catholic Online
Join the Movement
When you sign up below, you don't just join an email list - you're joining an entire movement for Free world class Catholic education.
-
Mysteries of the Rosary
-
St. Faustina Kowalska
-
Litany of the Blessed Virgin Mary
-
Saint of the Day for Wednesday, Oct 4th, 2023
-
Popular Saints
-
St. Francis of Assisi
-
Bible
-
Female / Women Saints
-
7 Morning Prayers you need to get your day started with God
-
Litany of the Blessed Virgin Mary
Daily Catholic
- Daily Readings for Monday, December 23, 2024
- St. John of Kanty: Saint of the Day for Monday, December 23, 2024
- Christmas Prayer: Prayer of the Day for Monday, December 23, 2024
- Daily Readings for Sunday, December 22, 2024
- St. Chaeromon: Saint of the Day for Sunday, December 22, 2024
- Advent Prayer #2: Prayer of the Day for Sunday, December 22, 2024
Copyright 2024 Catholic Online. All materials contained on this site, whether written, audible or visual are the exclusive property of Catholic Online and are protected under U.S. and International copyright laws, © Copyright 2024 Catholic Online. Any unauthorized use, without prior written consent of Catholic Online is strictly forbidden and prohibited.
Catholic Online is a Project of Your Catholic Voice Foundation, a Not-for-Profit Corporation. Your Catholic Voice Foundation has been granted a recognition of tax exemption under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code. Federal Tax Identification Number: 81-0596847. Your gift is tax-deductible as allowed by law.