Boy with Cancer on the Run After Judge Orders Him to Have Chemotherapy
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13-year-old Daniel Hauser was diagnosed with Hodgkin’s Lymphoma (cancer) in January of this year. He only had one chemotherapy treatment back in February before deciding he would refuse treatment. He and his parents have instead been relying upon “alternative medicines.” According to doctors, his cancer had as much as a 90 percent chance of being cured with chemotherapy and radiation. However, his chance of survival drops to five percent without chemotherapy and radiation.
Dr. Bruce Bostrom, a pediatric oncologist who gave Daniel and his family a second opinion, said that Daniel’s tumor shrunk after the chemotherapy session, but grew again after he stopped the treatment. The family doctor, Dr. James Joyce also confirmed the growth.
The family is refusing treatment for “religious reasons.” Daniel and his parents favor alternative/ natural healing methods described by a Missouri- based religious group called the, Nemenhah Band. Colleen Hauser says that her son is a “medicine man and elder in the Nemenhah Band.” She also says that her son “is not in any medical danger at this point.” I had never heard of this group before; so, I had to do a little research on it. I found that the founder of the Nemenhah Band, Philip Cloudpiler Landis served four months in an Idaho prison for fraud related to natural remedies.
Thanks to child protection services, this unusual case was presented to a judge. Just last Friday, the judge released his 58-page ruling. Judge John Rodenberg found that Daniel Hauser has been “medically neglected.” He also found that Daniel is in need of child protective services. The judge found that Daniel only has a “rudimentary understanding” of the benefits vs. risk of chemotherapy, and that Daniel does not believe he is even ill. In fact, Daniel believes that the chemotherapy will be what kills him, not his cancer. It is also interesting that court records showed that Daniel has a learning disability and can not even read.
Ultimately the judge ruled that Daniel Hauser must seek conventional medical treatment despite his parents’ objections. Daniel was allowed to stay in the custody of his parents under the conditions that he have an updated chest X-ray and select an oncologist by May, 19th.
Daniel and his mother did not show up to court May, 19th. The father appeared to tell Judge Rodenberg that Daniel and his wife had left the night before. Judge Rodenberg has issued an arrest warrant for Colleen Hauser and gave an order for Daniel Hauser to be placed in protective custody.
Normally, I would say that it is a parents right to decide how to care for their children, but this is obviously gross neglect. This child will die without medical treatment. Daniel is old enough to have some say in the course of his treatment, but from court records it is clear that he is not oriented to reality related to his cancer. He is also clearly disabled by his inability to read, his learning disorder, and suspected brainwashing by his parents.
Watch the YouTube video. If you see Daniel or his mother please call the authorities. Daniel needs to start chemotherapy as soon as possible. His chances of survival are shrinking daily.
29 Comments
Great post!..that was very interesting piece..nicely done..well done and thanks for this great work.
This case reminds me of similar parental maneuvering by religious groups that refuse blood and expect their children to do so also. It’s sad when parents hold to a religious or alternative health ideal, when doing so may result in loss of life for their offspring.
That’s awful, thanks for bringing it to our attention.
Feel bad for Daniel.
Very well presented with the facts. Thank you for a job well done in sharing this with me.
I feel sorry for Daniel too…good work anyway.
This is absolutely horrifying. I cannot believe parents would risk the life of their innocent child on the grounds of unfounded religious beliefs.
It is so sad. Feel pity for Daniel.
Very tough, sad story. I understand personal family choices/beliefs, but it’s too bad with such a treatable disease, with such well-established therapy that is occurring… sometimes one’s beliefs need to expand to survive/be successful, especially in specifc instances like this.
Great job of reporting, especially with the addition of the video.
I wonder how much of that “learning disability” is attributed to his parents not focusing enough on his education.
Good ruling for the judge. Both parents should be placed in jail.
Parents should have the right to not choose chemo for their children, as long as they are pursuing other avenues for their child’s healing. Forced chemo is not in the child’s best interest, if he believes it will make him sick and even die. Chemo can be traumatic for adults and especially so for children. I have seen some of the effects of this treatment. It’s benefits do not always outweigh the risks.
Normally I would agree that it was the parents right as well, but in this case, the parent obviousley does not realize the danger she is placing her child in by not accepting the chemo. Hopefully everything will work out for the family as this is a sad case.
If this boy undergoes chemo he will survive- I am thinking of how my mother describes giving birth “it was the worst pain in the world, but it was worth it”
That this kid should just die because the chemo would be painful or because his parents want to prove a point…it makes me furious.This is a child and all he understands is instant gratification. He cannot know that if his life is saved by the chemo that he will go on to enjoy life in all it’s fullness.
In this case, the benefits do outweigh the risks– and to be honest, I’m sick of how much people are able to get away with in the name of religion.
I didn’t know we lived in a communist state. So when did we turn into the Soviet Union? It is the parent’s right to choose, not the government or the courts or any one else. The GOVERNMENT needs to stay out of this. I want to know when everything changed? Screw the GOVERNMENT this is STUPID
Totally ridiculous if you ask me. This child should have the right to say no.
Okay…it seems justifiable to accuse those parents of child negligence except for one tiny, teeny overlooked point. WE HAVE THE FREEDOM OF CHOICE in the U.S.A. These parents hold a belief that is different from the majority of people living in this country but that does not mean that the majority is correct…and it DEFINITELY doesn’t mean that when you are in the minority, you have less rights than the person next to you!
These parents are doing what they believe to be best for their child. Whether their son is a ‘disabled’ teenager or a baby, I’m sure they want their son to live even more than any of us reading about their son’s plight!
God does not need chemotherapy in order to heal someone! And as a nurse, I have seen many patients die because the chemo was too rough on their system…or they became so sick with side effects that they finally couldn’t take it anymore and just gave up the will to fight.
Yes, people have been saved with chemo…but not as many as the media and the pharmaceutical companies and the politicians would have you believe. Cancer is big business…a very lucrative business, sad to say. They cannot have the public taking the ‘alternative’ route because this will cost them millions of dollars!
Believe the way you wish to…but don’t force your beliefs onto someone else.
There is no way anyone can say with definite certainty that chemo will save this child. There are too many factors that can come into play at any given time…including the boy’s belief that he will die if given the chemo. Do not underestimate the power of the subconscious!
this is sad,poor kid
MJ-
You can subscribe to whatever you wish, but you are confusing law and fact ….with your personal opinion.
We do have the freedom of choice in America, but that is limited to the law. In other words, we don’t have the freedom of choice to beat our children ….even if we feel it is what is best for them.We do not have the freedom of choice to give our children cyanide …..even if that is what we believe will heal their plight.
Fact is that in Minn it is against the law to withhold medical treatment from a minor in favor of unconventional medicine.
On another note- If you are a nurse, then you know what Münchausen syndrome by proxy is. That example alone, proves that not all parents have their child’s best interest at heart r/t medical issues. Your view is very Pollyanna.
The Soviet Union?
Can you believe likening America to the Soviet Union because we won’t allow a parent to kill their child?
In the Soviet Union, there wouldn’t be any chemo- he’d just die, plain and simple. Depriving a kid of life-saving medicine is murder.
Hi Chloe Oliver; I’m sorry you feel that my opinions are very Pollyanna because I didn’t mean to convey this feeling. My having watched patients die from chemo was not an opinion…it was a repeated observance over the span of almost thirty years. In no way am I even implying that all chemo is bad because it’s not! During these past thirty years I have seen improvements in the life expectancy of cancer patients. However, I have simply stated that the success rate is not what the public has been told.
Also, yes, we do not have the right to beat our children nor cause any other form of child abuse to be heaped on them. Each state determines it’s own definition of Child Abuse, and you must admit that when religious observance is spoken of, there can be gray areas regarding religious beliefs and rights. Frequently the resulting decision is based on the judge’s interpretation of that state’s laws.
But I am somewhat confused about your mention of Munchausen Syndrome by Proxy. since this is a psychiatric disorder where the ‘Caregiver’ attempts to make healthcare professionals think that the Caregiver’s ‘patient’ is ill by giving the patient drugs/poisons/ etc.in order to create symptoms. Many times a person who is under the care of a Caregiver who has this form of psychiatric disturbance will show quick improvement while in a hospital setting but will become sicker each time he goes back home.
This is also a very hard disorder to diagnose and treat.
As the Munchausen Syndrome by Proxy is not an embedded detail in the above cancer situation, I can only assume that you mentioned this disorder in order to help point out that not all parents are good parents. This is true.
I, myself, would simply point to so many daily articles in local newspapers whereby children were burned, raped, and maimed for life by their parents….taken from their homes by Child Protective authorities…and later, after the parents ‘received counseling’ and were deemed ‘rehabilitated’, were returned to their homes only to die from further abuse.
Cyanide probably would have been less painful.
Also…for S. D. Moore: The Soviet Union did not deserve this bigoted and unsubstantiated remark.
According to the World Death Rates, a male patient would be better off receiving chemotherapy in the U.S.S.R rather than going to such countries as Italy, Poland, France, Belgium, Scotland, Uraguay, the Netherlands, Hungary, and Luxembourg.
A female patient would be better off receiving chemotherapy in the U.S.S.R. rather than going to such countries as Belgium, Denmark, Canada, the United States, Germany, Ireland, Scotland, Iceland, the Netherlands, Switzerland, Poland, Australia, Sweden, Hong Kong, Austria, Israel, England and Wales,…well, even though the list goes on, I’ll stop it here.
Please don’t think that the United States is so ‘high up the food chain’, so to speak, when it comes to how good our healthcare system is because, truth be known, countries such as China and Japan blow us out of the water!
No, I do not see any gray area between religious observance and legality. My very point was that a persons’ belief (whether religious or not) does not give merit people doing unlawful, unreasonable, unethical , etc. . things. You seem to think that Daniels mom has the right to withhold medical care based on her religious beliefs and/or parental beliefs. BUT… religious interpretation does not overrule law. You seem to miss the point of my child abuse example. So, i will try one more example- Warren Jeffs. He and his reorganized Mormon religion practices marrying and sleeping with minor children and polygamy. Those things are illegal and unreasonable to the majority of society. You can not just do anything you want in the name of religion. Daniels mom can not withhold medical care from her son because it is illegal to do so!
Your tangent about chemo was completely unnecessary. I am a nurse too. My daughter, the author of this article, is also a nurse. I understand that chemo does not work for everyone, and that it is a long and trying process. If an adult chooses to not have chemo, that is their business. But, we are talking about a boy that can not read or write. The court transcripts prove that he does not have the necessary skills or knowledge to make an informed decision about the course of his treatment. He does not even understand what cancer is.
Münchausen syndrome by proxy was just an example proving that not all parents have the best interest of their child at heart. Your statement “I’m sure they want their son to live even more than any of us reading about their son’s plight!” is Pollyanna. This is not a perfect world, and all parents do not know what is best or have the best intentions. Maybe Daniels mom does, but you can not say that you are “sure.” Either way, your point is moot. Withholding medical care from a child is against the law in MINN
AMEN, SD MOORE!
Laws are subject to each judge’s interpretation as well as to the interpretation made by juries based on what they are shown and told by the attorneys in the courtroom. Religious beliefs have created much turmoil in the legal realms due to interpretation. This is why some lawyers are ‘good’ and some are ‘better’…it comes down to who can present the better case based on the interpretation of laws.
The extreme examples you are using…Munchausen Syndrome by Proxy to “prove that not all parents have their child’s best interest at heart” (your words, not mine) as well as your placing Daniel’s mom in the same category as cult leader Warren Jeffs feels a bit disturbing to me.
You seem a little too emotional and maybe just a little “too close to the forest to see the trees” in this particular situation. I think if you take a step back, breathe in deeply, and place your emotions on the shelf for a minute or two, you may start to understand what I was attempting to say…and then again…maybe not.
Guess what, the laws that I refer to were just as apt to subjectivity as the “parents rights” that you and others have referenced. Lest you forget that this is one of the few countries where parents do have rights. Anyway, the examples were intended to disturb. Often one has to see the extreme or taboo aspect of an argument before they understand the commonly acceptable aspects.
BTW: I am not using emotion as the basis of my argument. In fact, if anything my emotions would urge me to say let the parent do what they must. I have a handicapped granddaughter. At some point my daughter will have the daunting task of either leaving her to this world alone, or taking the matter into her own hands- since we do not have any other family. But, I guarantee you that my daughter will not use religion as an excuse for whatever she does.
i have been following the story. It will be interesting to see how it plays out. The boy has my best wishes regardless of what happens.
this piece is nice:) thanks for putting it up/ i just wish good things will happen in the future of that boy:)
Hi Chloe Oliver! Have I said anything that shows I have forgotton “that this is one of the few countries where parents do have rights.” ?
It seems that if you’ll go back and re-read my posts, that I have been the one for parental rights while you have been saying that there are no gray areas where the law is concerned. ^-^
I’m sure attorneys all over the country will be sorry to hear this since now we can feed all of our laws into a master computer…and let the computer decide guilt or innocence…No interpretations, no gray areas! A ‘one size fits all’ legal system.
By the way, I used this “extreme” example in order to help you “understand the commonly acceptable aspects.”
The disturbing feeling your extreme examples evoked in me was not a reference to sad child abuse situations but to your inability or unwillingness to use more common examples that the majority of people can relate to. Whenever extreme examples are strewn around…things that many ordinary people wouldn’t usually know about such as the Munchausen Syndrome by Proxy.. this can make one wonder why the deep need to sound so superior to those around you?
But I’m sure you don’t have a control issue.
Now…how big is that stick you are going to use in order to “guarantee” the actions of another?
( I have a complaint…how come YOU get to “guarantee” another person’s actions but yet I can’t be “sure” that Daniel’s parents love their son more than the rest of us do? Somehow this just doesn’t seem fair……) ^-^ Oh yeah…right…the stick….
Well, it’s after midnight here so good night, my friend. This was very entertaining and informative but since this is your article, I will leave the last words for you. I truly enjoyed the debate. I wish the best for you, your daughter, and your granddaughter!
I will keep you all in my thoughts and prayers.
God Bless You…Shalom…Blessed Be!
In society, people are generally free to believe whatever they want. That is their right; however, those beliefs should never be allowed to harm another person. Each person has the right to life–and this includes children.
Religious groups should not be allowed to force their beliefs on others, when doing so may cause harm or death.
A disturbed parent, likewise, should not be allowed to harm a child because of a distorted view of reality.
Medical issues are tricky because do we bend to a sane parent’s wishes for their child or to doctors who in many cases have more experience dealing with medical issues?
Chemo is a two-sided treatment; it has saved some; it has injured and killed others. Some people opt for chemo; others refuse it.
I can see a parent possibly refusing chemo if they are seeking out other treatments that are proven to render equal or better results. This is not necessarily child neglect or abuse, rather treatment via other options.
But, if a parent, because of religious belief or mental imbalance does not seek any treatment for an ill child, this should be addressed to protect the child’s interests.
this is rediculous, he should be allowed to do what he wants, they can’t force him. i’m outraged that they won’t let the boy have his own opinion.