An Ohio Amish girl and her family may have fled their home to avoid chemotherapy that was court ordered for the girl. The 10 year old girl, Sarah Hershberger was diagnosed with leukemia, that according to doctors is treatable with chemotherapy. The doctors also said that if the girl does not get the court ordered treatment, she will die.
Sarah was receiving chemo for her leukemia at Akron Children’s Hospital, but her parents decided to stop it. They chose to treat their daughter with natural medicines instead. The hospital took Sarah’s family to court and in October an attorney was given limited guardianship and trusted to make decisions regarding Sarah’s medical needs.
The Hershberger family has appealed the case with the appeals court and the Ohio Supreme Court, but has seemed to have disappeared to avoid making their daughter get a medical treatment that they do not believe in. Attorneys have talked to the family but are not sure where they are or if they are letting Sarah get the treatment she needs.
The Hershbergers have claimed that chemotherapy is against their religion. According to the courts, the beliefs and convictions of her parents can’t outweigh the rights of the state to protect the child.
Sarah’s father said that they had decided to stop her treatment because it was making her sick. The hospital says that they have the girl’s best interest in mind and that it is their job to make sure she gets the best medical care possible. They believe if the girl does continue her treatment she has a very good chance of survival.
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