Teen girl and mother fight the state over right to refuse chemo cancer treatment

[Savannahmann]

85. I have been an advocate here for Universal Healthcare.

That doesn't mean I want the healthcare to be mandatory, but I do want it available. An individual has rights. We want informative packaging so we know what we are putting into our bodies. We have warnings on cigarettes, because we want people to know the results of their choices. But we let people make those choices. To eat sugary foods or to smoke. We step in as a society when those choices affect others. No smoking in buildings for example.

I personally, am horrified by this. The patient in question does not want the treatment. The parent supports the choice. Enough said, matter closed in my mind. They know the risks, and have made their choice. I would be equally adamant if there was an experimental treatment with little chance of success that was being denied to a patient by the State. If they want it, and the Doctor agrees it couldn't hurt, and might help, then it is nobody else's business.

I believe healthcare is between the patient, and the Doctor. I believe that nobody has a right to involve themselves into the mix with the exception of a parent/legal guardian. If the legal guardian is comfortable with the course of action, that is the end of it in my mind. If the Doctor doesn't agree, and can't comply with the wishes of the patient, then you refer them to another Doctor, and you step back.

Freedom doesn't mean the requirement to do what everyone else does. It means the right to do as you please, so long as your choice does not harm another. If the girl chooses not to get the treatment, that's the end of it.

Justina Peltier should have taught us this, if nothing else. Smug superiority of some posts here saying they hope she lives a long life and holds a grudge is the worst possible sort of response. Respecting choice doesn't mean dictating choice.