Connecticut Supreme Court decided Cassandra must continue to receive forced chemotherapy. Photo courtesy Fox News Connecticut.

Health Impact News Editor Comments

Unsurprisingly, the Connecticut State Supreme court upheld the medical kidnapping case of Cassandra and left her in State custody where doctors are free to force chemotherapy on her against her desire, and the desire of her mother.

It should be noted that in the report below by Beau Berman of Fox News Connecticut, the same reporter who broke the Justina Pelletier medical kidnap story last year, he is reporting that attorney Michael Taylor who represented the family at this hearing is a public defender assigned to the case.

Since we have started publishing these medical kidnapping stories, we have received many emails and comments from people who have been involved in the legal process. One of them was the wife of a CPS employee who wanted us to share what she tells as many people as she can who have experienced losing their children to CPS:

I would highly recommend that you include the following information on your pages that talk about the abuse that CPS does to families by taking children away needlessly. It will help the parents tremendously if they will hire a private lawyer. Not the court-appointed lawyer, but a private lawyer, one who knows CPS.

My husband, who works for CPS, and also recently got his master’s in Social Work, said that there are virtually no children from middle and upper class families in CPS, and that the workers tremble and make sure they are careful what they do when they see a family has a private lawyer. Also, the judge is more likely to view the family favorably if he sees a private lawyer.

Many families would say or do (or neglect to say or do) things that would hurt (or help) them in their case, because they don’t know the law. They will believe what they are told, even if the information is not correct, because they don’t know better.

It is  absolutely crucial that parents get a lawyer to help them with their case, and that they sue the agencies involved (including policemen and hospitals, if necessary) if any unlawful actions were taken against them. If the parents don’t have the money, they should start a fund for friends and family and community to help them out.

We sincerely hope that a private attorney who is a true family advocate will step forward to take up this case.

It would seem that in the legal proceedings it is assumed that chemotherapy is the only viable option for Cassandra, and that without it she will die. Most mainstream media reports are stating this as fact.

It is not fact.

Last year Health Impact News reported on a case in Ohio where medical authorities wanted to take custody of an Amish girl who was refusing chemotherapy for cancer treatment. The parents took her outside the U.S. to prevent losing custody of their young daughter, and to receive alternative cancer therapy. The mainstream media was in an uproar and freely reported what doctors were claiming, that the girl would almost immediately die without treatment. And yet instead, the girl became cancer-free through alternative treatments, and is still doing well today. (See: Ohio Amish Girl Who Refused Forced Chemo Now Reported Cancer-free.)

Billy Best ran away from chemotherapy when he was 16 and diagnosed with Hodgkin’s lymphoma. Today he is still cancer-free and now has a family. Photo by Gary Higgins of The Patriot Ledger

There are thousands of stories of people beating cancer without chemotherapy. In 1994 Billy Best, for example, became a media sensation when, as a teenager, he ran away to avoid chemotherapy and eventually healed himself of his cancer through alternative methods. He was diagnosed with Hodgkin lymphoma, the same diagnosis Cassandra has been given. He refused chemotherapy and he  is still alive and doing well today, teaching people about alternative cancer treatments.

The chemical-based cancer treatment business is a lucrative industry in the hundreds of BILLIONS of dollars each year, with a very poor success rate. To learn more, see: The Cancer Industry is Too Prosperous to Allow a Cure.

Court sides with DCF, teen will remain in custody for forced chemotherapy

by ANGELICA SPANOS, BEAU BERMAN AND KATIE HARRIS
FOXCT.com

Excerpts:

A Windsor Locks teen faced a judge in Connecticut State Supreme court Thursday after she’s been forced to undergo chemotherapy against her will. She is identified as Cassandra C. in court papers, and she believes she should be allowed to make her own health care decisions even though she’s a minor.

After roughly one hour of arguments, the court sided with Department of Children and Families and determined she must remain in state custody to continue forced chemotherapy.

The teen’s mother addressed the media after the hearing.

“We’re not saying we wouldn’t do treatment. We weren’t allowed to go get and seek a second opinion and get other options and to look at other options besides chemo,” said Jackie Fortin, Cassandra’s mother.

John Tucker, the attorney representing the Connecticut Department of Children and Families, argued that after running away to avoid chemo treatments, Cassandra’s actions did not demonstrate maturity. “The choices that this child was making were irrational and not in her best interest,” said Tucker.

Cassandra did not attend the hearing. She remains in the hospital and will continue receiving forced chemotherapy as a result of Thursday’s ruling.

Her mother remained steadfast in her support of what she called “her daughter’s decision.”

“I wouldn’t let my daughter die. She doesn’t want to die. But she should have a choice and an option of what treatment she wants for this cancer, how she wants to treat it, where she wants to get treated,” said Fortin.

Read the Full Story at FOXCT.com.

Comment on this story at MedicalKidnap.com.

See Also:

The Cancer Industry is Too Prosperous to Allow a Cure