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HARTFORD, Conn. (AP) — A 17-year-old girl being forced by state officials to undergo chemotherapy for her cancer says she understands she'll die if she stops treatment but it should be her decision.
The state Supreme Court ruled Thursday state officials aren't violating the rights of the girl, Cassandra C., who has Hodgkin lymphoma.
Cassandra told The Associated Press in an exclusive text interview from her hospital that it disgusts her to have "such toxic harmful drugs" in her body and she'd like to explore alternative treatments.
In essence, the government is confining a 17 year old girl in a hospital room, and forcing her to undergo chemotherapy. With the chemo, she has an 85 percent chance of a cure. Without the chemo, she will likely be dead within 2 years.
I have posted a poll with this thread, since I would like to know what everybody thinks of this. This is a very tough issue. Does the government have a right to mandate a life and death decision when the wrong choice is probably death? What about for adults? What about for children? Does the government have the right to take over a parenting function from the parent in some circumstances? Is the government acting in the child's interest, or is the government going overboard? Is this big government at work, or should government be a little big at times? There are a lot of angles to this issue, and I would like to hear as many as possible.
Thank you.
Article is here.
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