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NPR: FBI Offers New Evidence Connecting North Korea to Sony Hack

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Bubblehead II1/08/2015 1:28:28 pm PST

re: #26 lawhawk

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This is a rather sad and disturbing case. The Connecticut Supreme Court upheld a prior ruling Thursday that a 17-year-old cancer patient cannot refuse chemotherapy treatment for Hodgkin lymphoma.

This young woman had refused chemo, but state protective services had gotten temporary custody to make sure that she received treatments. She had two other treatments before running away, and a missing persons report was filed.

Her mother has stood by her daughter. The daughter then sued to stop the treatments, claiming that she didn’t want to poison her body.

If she were 18, this wouldn’t be an issue since as an adult she’d be able to make the decision to stop her treatment or not do anything. But as a minor, she doesn’t have that right.

By refusing care, she was pretty much giving herself no chance at long term survival. With treatment, she should be able to go into remission.

What’s disgusting about this ruling is that for medical purposes, she is a minor and unable to make the decision herself. On the other hand, if she was being charged with capitol murder, well she is old enough to be charged as an adult and face adult penalties up to and including death. It’s time for this double standard to go. If a minor is old enough to be charged as an adult under the criminal code then they should be allowed to make adult decisions in civil matters.