Judge to decide if family can refuse chemo for boy

[samanthajane13]

By PATRICK CONDON, Associated Press Writer Patrick Condon, Associated Press Writer – Fri May 15, 4:27 am ET

MINNEAPOLIS – A Minnesota judge is expected to decide whether a family can refuse chemotherapy for a 13-year-boy's cancer and treat him with natural medicine, even though doctors say it's effectively a death sentence.

With chemotherapy, Daniel Hauser has a 90 percent chance of surviving his Hodgkin's lymphoma, according to his cancer doctor. And without it?

"It is almost certain that he will die," said Dr. Bruce Bostrom, a pediatric oncologist at Children's Hospital and Clinics of Minnesota. Bostrom, who diagnosed the disease, is an ally of the legal effort in southwestern Minnesota's Brown County to make Hauser submit to chemotherapy even though he and his parents believe it's potentially more harmful than the cancer itself.

District Judge John Rodenberg was expected to rule Friday on Brown County's motion.

Bostrom said Daniel's chance of survival without chemotherapy is about 5 percent. Nevertheless, parents Colleen and Anthony Hauser are supporting what they say is their son's decision to instead treat the disease with nutritional supplements and other alternative treatments favored by the Nemenhah Band. The Missouri-based religious group believes in natural healing methods advocated by some American Indians.

"This is about the right of a 13-year-old young man to be free from acts of assault on his body," said the family's attorney, Calvin Johnson. The Hausers did not return several phone messages left at their home Thursday.

Bostrom diagnosed Daniel Hauser with Hodgkin's lymphoma in January, and recommended he undergo chemotherapy treatments once a month for six months, followed by radiation. Daniel became gravely ill about a week later and was taken to an emergency room, Bostrom said, and the family consented to the first chemotherapy treatment.

After that, Bostrom said, the family said they wanted a second opinion. They later informed him that Daniel would not undergo any more chemotherapy. Bostrom said Daniel's tumor shrunk after the first chemotherapy session.

Two other doctors who examined Daniel backed up Bostrom's assessment at a court hearing last Friday. At that hearing, Colleen Hauser testified her son became sick and depressed after the first treatment, and said the family only would consent to traditional treatments in the case of a life-threatening illness.

"My son is not in any medical danger at this point," Colleen Hauser testified. She also testified that Daniel was a medicine man and elder in the Nemenhah Band.

The mother said her son made the decision himself to refuse chemotherapy: "I think he understands he has the right to choose healthier forms of dealing with this cancer."

Brown County disagrees, and pressed the case after Bostrom notified child protection authorities.

Daniel Hauser "does not have a complete understanding of what it means to be a medicine man or an elder," Brown County Attorney James Olson wrote in a legal filing.

The Hausers, who are Roman Catholic, have eight children. Colleen Hauser told the New Ulm Journal newspaper that the family's Catholicism and adherence to the Nemenhah Band are not in conflict, and said she has treated illness with natural remedies her entire life.

Nemenhah was founded in the 1990s by Philip Cloudpiler Landis, who said Thursday that he was one-fourth American Indian. Nemenhah adherents are asked to pay $250 to be members. "We're non-dogmatic, a very universal faith," Landis said.

Landis said he founded the faith after facing his diagnosis of a cancer similar to Daniel Hauser. He said he treated it with diet choices, visits to a sweat lodge and other natural remedies. Landis also once served four months in prison in Idaho for fraud related to advocating natural remedies.

"The issue is Danny's right to decide how he wants to live his life," Landis said. "What if they make him take chemotherapy and he dies from that? The band will mourn with the family if that's the case, but we'll rejoice that Danny had the opportunity to test the law of the land."

___

On the Net:

Hauser case final argument briefs: http://www.courts.state.mn.us/?pageN...play&item45848

Nemenhah Band: http://www.nemenhah.org


http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090515/...d_forced_chemo

[samanthajane13]

Can you all say "CULT", boys and girls????

[samanthajane13]

Judge rules family can't refuse chemo for boy
By AMY FORLITI, Associated Press Writer Amy Forliti, Associated Press Writer – 27 mins ago

MINNEAPOLIS – A Minnesota judge has ruled that a 13-year-old boy with a highly treatable form of cancer must seek conventional medical treatment over his parents' objections.

In a 58-page ruling Friday, Brown County District Judge John Rodenberg found that Daniel Hauser has been "medically neglected" and is in need of child protection services.

Rodenberg said Daniel will stay in the custody of his parents, but Colleen and Anthony Hauser have until May 19 to get an updated chest X-ray for their son and select an oncologist

The judge wrote that Daniel has only a "rudimentary understanding at best of the risks and benefits of chemotherapy. ... he does not believe he is ill currently. The fact is that he is very ill currently."

Daniel's court-appointed attorney, Philip Elbert, called the decision unfortunate.

"I feel it's a blow to families," he said. "It marginalizes the decisions that parents face every day in regard to their children's medical care. It really affirms the role that big government is better at making our decisions for us."

Elbert said he hadn't spoken to his client yet. The phone line at the Hauser home in Sleepy Eye in southwestern Minnesota had a busy signal Friday. The parents' attorney had no immediate comment but planned to issue a statement.

Daniel was diagnosed with Hodgkin's lymphoma and stopped chemotherapy in February after a single treatment. He and his parents opted instead for "alternative medicines" based on their religious beliefs.

Child protection workers accused Daniel's parents of medical neglect; but in court, his mother insisted the boy wouldn't submit to chemotherapy for religious reasons and she said she wouldn't comply if the court orders it.

Doctors have said Daniel's cancer had up to a 90 percent chance of being cured with chemotherapy and radiation. Without those treatments, doctors said his chances of survival are 5 percent.

Daniel's parents have been supporting what they say is their son's decision to treat the disease with nutritional supplements and other alternative treatments favored by the Nemenhah Band.

The Missouri-based religious group believes in natural healing methods advocated by some American Indians.

After the first chemotherapy treatment, the family said they wanted a second opinion, said Dr. Bruce Bostrom, a pediatric oncologist who recommended Daniel undergo chemotherapy and radiation.

They later informed him that Daniel would not undergo any more chemotherapy. Bostrom said Daniel's tumor shrunk after the first chemotherapy session, but X-rays show it has grown since he stopped the chemotherapy.

"My son is not in any medical danger at this point," Colleen Hauser testified at a court hearing last week. She also testified that Daniel is a medicine man and elder in the Nemenhah Band.

The family's attorney, Calvin Johnson, said Daniel made the decision himself to refuse chemotherapy, but Brown County said he did not have an understanding of what it meant to be a medicine man or an elder.

Court filings also indicated Daniel has a learning disability and can't read.

The Hausers have eight children. Colleen Hauser told the New Ulm Journal newspaper that the family's Catholicism and adherence to the Nemenhah Band are not in conflict, and that she has used natural remedies to treat illness.

Nemenhah was founded in the 1990s by Philip Cloudpiler Landis, who said Thursday he once served four months in prison in Idaho for fraud related to advocating natural remedies.

Landis said he founded the faith after facing his diagnosis of a cancer similar to Daniel Hauser. He said he treated it with diet choices, visits to a sweat lodge and other natural remedies.

___

On the Net:

Hauser case final argument briefs: http://www.courts.state.mn.us/?pageN...play&item45848

Nemenhah Band: http://www.nemenhah.org


http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090515/...d_forced_chemo

[samanthajane13]

Minn. judge rules teen must see cancer doctor
By AMY FORLITI, Associated Press Writer Amy Forliti, Associated Press Writer – Fri May 15, 6:53 pm ET

MINNEAPOLIS – A Minnesota couple who refused chemotherapy for their 13-year-old son was ordered Friday to have the boy re-evaluated to see if he would still benefit from the cancer treatment — or if it may already be too late.

Brown County District Judge John Rodenberg found Daniel Hauser has been "medically neglected" by his parents, Colleen and Anthony Hauser, who belong to a religious group that believes in using only natural healing methods practiced by some American Indians.

The judge allowed Daniel to stay with his parents, noting they love him and acted in good faith, but he gave them until Tuesday to get an updated chest X-ray and select an oncologist.

If the tumor has not grown and if Daniel's prognosis remains as optimistic as doctors testified last week, then chemotherapy and possible radiation appear to be in Daniel's best interest, Rodenberg wrote.

"The state has successfully shown by clear and convincing evidence that continued chemotherapy is medically necessary," he wrote, adding he would not order chemotherapy if doctors find the cancer has advanced to a point where it is "too late."

If chemotherapy is ordered and the family refuses, the judge said, Daniel will be placed in temporary custody.

It was unclear how the medicine would be administered if the boy fights it, which he said he would do, according to his court testimony unsealed Friday.

According to Daniel's court testimony, he believes the chemo will kill him, and said: "I'd fight it. I'd punch them and I'd kick them."

Calvin Johnson, an attorney for Daniel's parents, said the family is considering an appeal. For now, he said, Daniel is following the order and will have X-rays Monday.

Dr. Bruce Bostrom, a pediatric oncologist at Children's Hospitals and Clinics of Minnesota, diagnosed Daniel with Hodgkin's lymphoma in January and recommended six rounds of chemotherapy.

He underwent one round in February, but stopped after that single treatment. He and his parents opted instead for "alternative medicines," citing religious beliefs.

Doctors have said Daniel's cancer had a 90 percent chance of being cured with chemotherapy and radiation. Without those treatments, doctors said his chances of survival are 5 percent. Child protection workers accused Daniel's parents of medical neglect, and went to court seeking custody.

Court testimony indicated Daniel's tumor shrank after the first round of chemo, but has since grown. His mother, Colleen Hauser, testified last week: "My son is not in any medical danger at this point."

She has been treating his cancer with herbal supplements, vitamins, ionized water, and other natural alternatives — despite testimony from five doctors who agreed Daniel needed chemotherapy.

Rodenberg wrote that state statutes require parents to provide necessary medical care for a child. The statutes say alternative and complementary health care methods aren't enough.

"If the Minnesota Legislature ever reconsiders the relevant statutes, I am confident that I join all of the others involved in this matter in hoping, and indeed in praying, that Daniel Hauser lives to testify at that hearing," Rodenberg said.

Rodenberg found Daniel has only a "rudimentary understanding at best of the risks and benefits of chemotherapy. ... he does not believe he is ill currently. The fact is that he is very ill currently."

Because of that, and other evidence in the case, Rodenberg said the state's interest in protecting the child override the constitutional right to freedom of religious expression and a parent's right to direct a child's upbringing.

Medical neglect, Rodenberg said, clearly took place both on April 29, when the Hausers did not seek the advice of one doctor who told them to return to an oncologist, and on May 7, when they disregarded with their family doctor's recommendation to get the tumor X-rayed. Up until then, Rodenberg wrote, the family was seeking second opinions and alternatives.

A court-appointed attorney for Daniel, Philip Elbert, called the judge's decision unfortunate.

"I feel it's a blow to families," he said Friday. "It marginalizes the decisions that parents face every day in regard to their children's medical care. It really affirms the role that big government is better at making our decisions for us."

The phone line at the Hauser home had a busy signal Friday.

Johnson, the parents' attorney, said everyone should be able to get medical care in line with their conscience.

"The Hausers believe that the injection of chemotherapy into Danny Hauser amounts to an assault upon his body, and torture when it occurs over a long period of time," Johnson said Friday. "They believe that it is against the spiritual law to invade the consciousness of another person without their permission."

The Hausers, who have eight children, are Roman Catholic and also believe in the "do no harm" philosophy of the Nemenhah Band. The Missouri-based religious group believes in natural healing methods advocated by some American Indians.

In his ruling, Rodenberg noted that at age 13, Daniel can't read. "He lacks the ability to give informed consent to medical procedures," Rodenberg said.

Bostrom said if an X-ray shows that there is still hope Daniel can be cured, it's possible doctors will recommend the same treatment plan.

Fear of chemotherapy is common among his patients, and Children's Hospital has a program that incorporates herbal supplements, massage, acupuncture, and other alternative methods to help patients deal with the side effects of the medication. It's unclear where Daniel will seek treatment.

"The bottom line is we just want to get through this, have him get better," Bostrom said. "And I'm happy the judge ruled that he could stay with his family because they are wonderful people ... We want what's best for Danny."

___

On the Net:

Hauser case final argument briefs: http://www.courts.state.mn.us

Nemenhah Band: http://www.nemenhah.org


http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090515/...d_forced_chemo

[samanthajane13]

Doctors face tough task with boy who refuses chemo
By AMY FORLITI
Associated Press Writer

A 13-year-old boy's vow to resist chemotherapy by punching or kicking anyone who tries to force it on him will present doctors with a tough task if they can't change his mind.

A judge was due Tuesday to hear the results of his order that Daniel Hauser undergo a chest X-ray and his family pick an oncologist to be treated for Hodgkin's lymphoma.

Daniel and his parents stopped chemotherapy after one treatment and opted for "alternative medicines," prompting Brown County authorities to intervene. The cancer is regarded as highly curable with chemotherapy and radiation, but is likely fatal without it.

Daniel was scheduled for an X-ray Monday. His attorneys couldn't confirm he kept the appointment, and calls to the Hauser home in Sleepy Eye rang unanswered.

"It can be very difficult to treat a 13-year-old boy who doesn't want to be treated," said Arthur Caplan, chair of the medical ethics department at the University of Pennsylvania. "I don't want to say it's impossible, but it makes it very tough on the doctors."

Last week, Brown County District Judge John Rodenberg ruled that Daniel's parents, Colleen and Anthony Hauser, were medically neglecting him.

Rodenberg said if a new X-ray showed a good prognosis, chemotherapy and possible radiation appeared to be in his best interest. Chemotherapy would not be ordered if the cancer was too advanced.

If chemotherapy was ordered and the family refused, Daniel would be placed in temporary custody. It wasn't immediately known where the boy might be treated or how medicine would be administered if he fights it.

Caplan said the medical community recognized a person's right to refuse treatments - but those rights didn't extend to incompetent people or children. Still, he said: "It is hard to treat someone who won't cooperate." Restraints could be used.

Officials at some Minnesota hospitals that treat cancer in children described several methods they would try to break through the boy's resistance.

Dr. Steven Miles, a professor of medicine and bioethics at the University of Minnesota Center for Bioethics, said a hospital may assign a companion to a child, or administer a sedative to relieve anxiety. Sometimes foster homes catering to medically ill children can help by providing a loving environment and education about what the child needs.

"The kid says he's not sick and the mom says she'll treat it if it's an emergency," Miles said of the Hauser case. "With cancer, if it's an emergency, it's too late."

In court testimony earlier this month, doctors familiar with Daniel's case said they would have a hard time administering chemotherapy to Daniel if he resisted.

Dr. Bruce Bostrom, a pediatric oncologist at Children's Hospitals and Clinics of Minnesota, and Dr. Vilmarie Rodriguez, a pediatric hematologist and oncologist from the Mayo Clinic, both testified their hospitals had child life specialists and psychologists to help children work through their fears.

Children's also has an integrative medicine program to help patients deal with the side effects of chemotherapy and radiation, with such techniques as massage, acupuncture, aromatherapy, or music therapy.

Brian Lucas, a spokesman at Children's, said ethics experts met Monday to make sure everyone was up to speed on Daniel's case and plan for any possibility.

Caplan said he believed the judge made the right decision.

"This case falls, for me, squarely in the 'You've gotta get him treated' camp," Caplan said. "If it's not life and death, you might not push so hard. If it's not a proven treatment ... you wouldn't push so far."

But doctors may not have to follow the court order "if they feel it can't be carried out - if it's literally impossible to get a needle into this kid," Caplan said.

Dr. Susan Sencer, medical director of the pediatric hematology and oncology program at Children's, said incorporating natural healing techniques into medical care can help. And educating parents is a big part of treatment.

"Cancer is the scariest word in our vocabulary and to hear that your child has cancer just shakes you to your very foundation," Sencer said.

Part of the job of the oncologist, she said, is to help families make sense of what is essentially a "fluke of nature."


http://www.buffalonews.com/260/story/675779.html

[samanthajane13]

Arrest ordered for mom of boy, 13, resisting chemo
By AMY FORLITI, Associated Press Writer Amy Forliti, Associated Press Writer – 17 mins ago

NEW ULM, Minn. – A judge issued an arrest warrant Tuesday for the mother of a 13-year-old boy resisting chemotherapy after the pair missed a court hearing on his welfare.

Brown County District Judge John Rodenberg also ordered that Daniel Hauser be placed in protective custody so he can get proper medical treatment for Hodgkin's lymphoma.

The cancer is considered highly curable with proper treatment, but Daniel quit chemo after a single treatment and with his parents opted instead for "alternative medicines," citing religious beliefs. That led authorities to seek custody. Rodenberg last week ruled that Daniel's parents, Colleen and Anthony Hauser, were medically neglecting their son.

The family was due in court Tuesday to tell the judge results of a chest X-ray and arrangements for an oncologist. But Daniel's father was the only one who appeared. He told Rodenberg he last saw Colleen Hauser on Monday evening.

"She said she was going to leave," Hauser testified. "She said, `That's all you need to know.' And that's all I know."

He said his wife left her cell phone at home.

The family's doctor, James Joyce, testified by telephone that Daniel's tumor has grown and he needs immediate assessment by a pediatric cancer doctor.

Joyce said he examined Daniel on Monday, with an X-ray showing that his tumor had grown to the size it was when he was first diagnosed.

"He had basically gotten back all the trouble he had in January," the doctor said.

Daniel was accompanied by his mother and Susan Daya, who Joyce said was an attorney from California.

Joyce testified that he offered to make appointments for Daniel with oncologists at Children's Hospital, the University of Minnesota, Mayo Clinic or elsewhere, but the Hausers declined.

He also said he tried to give Daniel more information about lymphoma but that Daya, Daniel and his mother left in a rush.

"Under Susan Daya's urging, they indicated they had other places to go," Joyce said.

Daya did not immediately return a page left on her cell phone Tuesday by The Associated Press. Her voice mailbox was full.

Besides examining Daniel's chest X-ray, Joyce also said he asked Daniel how he was feeling. The doctor said the boy told him he had pain on the right side of his chest, which Daniel rated a 10 on a scale of 1 to 10.

Joyce said the pain was around the port that was inserted into Daniel's chest to administer chemotherapy. He attributed the pain to the growing tumor, which is pushing the port out of place.

Daniel also told the doctor he had a cough, though he wasn't having any trouble breathing, Joyce said.

Daniel's court-appointed attorney, Phil Elbert, asked Joyce if Daniel was at risk of substantial physical harm if no action is taken. The doctor said yes.

In his ruling last week, Rodenberg wrote that he would not order chemotherapy if Daniel's prognosis was poor. But if the outlook was good, it appeared chemotherapy and possibly radiation was in the boy's best interest, he wrote.

Daniel's lymphoma was diagnosed in January, and six rounds of chemotherapy were recommended. Daniel underwent one round in February but stopped after that single treatment. He and his parents sought other opinions, but the doctors agreed with the initial assessment.

Colleen Hauser testified at the earlier hearing that her son "is not in any medical danger." She said she had been treating his cancer with herbal supplements, vitamins, ionized water and other natural alternatives.

Rodenberg wrote that state statutes require parents to provide necessary medical care for a child. The statutes say alternative and complementary health care methods aren't enough.

He also wrote that Daniel, who cannot read, did not understand the risks and benefits of chemotherapy and didn't believe he was ill.

Daniel testified that he believed the chemo would kill him and told the judge in private testimony unsealed later that if anyone tried to force him to take it, "I'd fight it. I'd punch them and I'd kick them."

The Hausers, who have eight children, are Roman Catholic. They also believe in the "do no harm" philosophy of the Nemenhah Band, a Missouri-based religious group that believes in natural healing methods advocated by some American Indians.


http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090519/...s_forced_chemo

[samanthajane13]

Teen Cancer Patient, Mom on the Run
By AMY FORLITI, AP

NEW ULM, Minn. (May 20) -- Authorities nationwide were on the lookout Wednesday for a mother and her 13-year-old cancer-stricken son who fled after refusing the chemotherapy that doctors say could save the boy's life.

Colleen Hauser and her son, Daniel, who has Hodgkin's lymphoma, apparently left their southern Minnesota home sometime after a doctor's appointment and court-ordered X-ray on Monday showed his tumor had grown.

Brown County District Judge John Rodenberg, who had ruled last week that Daniel's parents were medically neglecting him, issued an arrest warrant Tuesday for Colleen Hauser and ruled her in contempt of court. Rodenberg also ordered that Daniel be placed in foster care and immediately evaluated by a cancer specialist for treatment.

The family belongs to a religious group that believes in "natural" healing methods. Daniel has testified he believed chemotherapy would kill him and told the judge that if anyone tried to force him to take it, "I'd fight it. I'd punch them and I'd kick them."

The boy's father, Anthony Hauser, testified he didn't know where his wife and son were but had made no attempt to find them. He testified he last saw his son Monday morning, and he saw his wife only briefly that evening when she said she was leaving "for a time."

As of Wednesday morning, the mother and son still had not been found, said Carl Rolloff, a sheriff's dispatcher.

Officials distributed the arrest warrant nationwide. Brown County Sheriff Rich Hoffman said Tuesday that investigators were following some leads locally, but declined to elaborate.

"It's absolutely crazy. It's very disappointing," James Olson, the attorney representing Brown County Family Services. "We're trying to do what's right for this young man."

A message left at the Hauser home in Sleepy Eye early Wednesday wasn't immediately returned. But in an interview in Wednesday's editions of the Star Tribune of Minneapolis, Anthony Hauser said he knew places where his wife might have gone though he did not know where she was.

He said he and his wife had a plan for Tuesday's hearing and he was a "bit disappointed" she didn't follow it. "We were going to present a treatment plan to the court. If they didn't go with it, we would appeal it," he told the newspaper.

"I know many people around here who have had cancer, they did the chemo, it would come back," Hauser told the newspaper. "They did the chemo again and again and they are all in the grave. Chemo isn't foolproof."

Daniel's Hodgkin's lymphoma is considered highly curable with chemotherapy and radiation, but the boy quit chemo after a single treatment.

The judge has said Daniel, who has a learning disability and cannot read, did not understand the risks and benefits of chemotherapy and didn't believe he was ill.

The Hausers are Roman Catholic and also believe in the "do no harm" philosophy of the Nemenhah Band, a Missouri-based religious group that believes in natural healing methods advocated by some American Indians.

Colleen Hauser testified earlier that she had been treating his cancer with herbal supplements, vitamins, ionized water and other natural alternatives.
The founder of Nemenhah, Philip Cloudpiler Landis, said it was a bad idea for Colleen Hauser to flee with her son.

"She should have gone to court," Landis said. "It's how we work these things out. You don't solve anything by disregarding the order of the judge."

Anthony Hauser now agrees that Daniel needs to be taken back to a doctor for re-evaluation for the best treatment, said Calvin Johnson, an attorney for the parents.

The family's doctor, James Joyce, testified by telephone that he examined Daniel on Monday, and that an X-ray showed his tumor had grown to the size it was when he was first diagnosed.

"He had basically gotten back all the trouble he had in January," the doctor said.

Joyce testified that he offered to make appointments for Daniel with oncologists, but the Hausers declined. He also said he tried to give Daniel more information about lymphoma but the boy, his mother and lawyer Susan Daya left in a rush.

"Under Susan Daya's urging, they indicated they had other places to go," Joyce said.

Daya did not immediately respond to a call Tuesday from The Associated Press. The court also tried to reach her during the hearing, but got no answer.

Daniel's lymphoma was diagnosed in January, and six rounds of chemotherapy were recommended.

Minnesota statutes require parents to provide necessary medical care for a child, Rodenberg wrote. The statutes say alternative and complementary health care methods aren't enough.


http://news.aol.com/article/boy-resi...chemo%2F488967

[samanthajane13]

Police look for Minn. mother, son who fled chemo
By AMY FORLITI and PATRICK CONDON, Associated Press Writers Amy Forliti And Patrick Condon, Associated Press Writers – 27 mins ago

SLEEPY EYE, Minn. – A courtroom clash between medicine and faith took a criminal turn, with police around the country on the lookout Wednesday for a Minnesota mother who fled with her cancer-stricken 13-year-old son rather than consent to chemotherapy.

Colleen Hauser and her son, Daniel, were seen as recently as Tuesday morning in Southern California and might be headed to Mexico to seek treatment for Daniel's Hodgkin's lymphoma, authorities said Wednesday night. They would only say the pair's location was based on "reliable information."

A court-ordered X-ray on Monday showed a tumor growing in Daniel's chest, and doctors said it will probably kill him without conventional medical treatment.

Before she took off, Hauser told a judge that she wished to treat her son's cancer with natural healing methods advocated by an American Indian religious group known as the Nemenhah Band. But even that group's founder said Hauser made a mistake by running from the law.

"I just wish we could get to Colleen and tell her to come in. This is not going to go away. It's a court order," Brown County Sheriff Rich Hoffmann said. He said Hauser's husband was cooperating with investigators.

Hodgkin's lymphoma is a highly curable form of cancer when treated with chemo and radiation. But the teen and his parents rejected chemo after a single treatment, with the boy's mother saying that putting toxic substances in the body violates the family's religious convictions.

Hauser said she had been treating the boy's cancer instead with herbal supplements, vitamins, ionized water and other natural alternatives — a regimen based mostly on information she found on the Internet.

The Hauser family had been ordered to appear before a judge Tuesday for a hearing to consider chemo. But mother and son failed to show, and a warrant was issued for the mother's arrest.

Daniel's father, Anthony Hauser, said in an interview Wednesday at the family's farm near Sleepy Eye, a town of 3,500 people about 80 miles from Minneapolis, that his wife and son left without telling him their plans, and that he hadn't heard from them.

He said he hopes his wife is either getting their son treatment for his illness or will bring him home. "If he's being cared for, and it's going to help him, I think it's going to be a good thing," Anthony Hauser said.

James Olson, the attorney representing social service authorities in Minnesota, originally asked the judge to cite the father for contempt of court, but later backed off and said he believed Hauser didn't know the whereabouts of his wife and son.

An alert issued to police departments around the country said mother and son might be traveling with a California lawyer named Susan Daya. Daya didn't return telephone messages Wednesday.

The alert said they might also be with a Massachusetts man named Billy Best, who as a teenager in 1994 ran away from home to escape chemotherapy for cancer similar to Daniel's. Best, who says he was cured by natural remedies, had appeared at a news conference in Minnesota recently to support the Hausers.

Best, in a phone interview, said he was in Boston and hadn't talked to the Hausers since they fled. He said he last saw the family May 9 when he was in Minnesota for court hearings.

"I just want to help this kid. I just feel like people are ganging up on him and it's not fair," Best said. "He's a nice kid, the family's nice, and they love him, and they want him to live."

The Nemenhah Band, based in Weaubleau, Mo., advocates healing methods tied to American Indian practices. The Hausers are not American Indian.

Phillip Cloudpiler Landis founded Nemenhah about a decade ago and calls himself its principal medicine chief. He said it was prompted by his own bout with cancer, which he claims to have cured through diet, visits to a sweat lodge and other natural remedies.

Landis served several months in prison in Idaho for fraud tied to the sale of natural remedies. Nemenhah members are asked to pay $250 to join and an annual $100 fee.

On Wednesday, Landis renewed his hope that Colleen Hauser return to Minnesota with her son. "Running away when there is a court order is not the way to handle it. Go home. That's the official position of the church. Go home Colleen."

There have been at least five instances in the U.S. in recent years in which parents fled with a sick child to avoid medical treatments.

They include the celebrated case of Parker Jensen, who was 12 when his family fled from Utah to Idaho in 2003 to avoid court-ordered chemo after doctors removed a small cancerous tumor under his tongue. Daren and Barbara Jensen pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor in a deal that brought no jail time or fines, and went on to lobby for legislation to strengthen the rights of parents. Parker survived without chemotherapy.

In Minnesota, District Judge John Rodenberg ruled last week that the Hausers were neglecting their son, and ordered them to consult doctors. He cited a state law requiring parents to provide necessary medical care for a child.

Most states have similar laws. A few have exemptions allowing parents to refuse treatment on religious grounds, and Minnesota was one of them. But Arthur Caplan, director of the Center for Bioethics at the University of Pennsylvania, said he helped push a bill through the Legislature to remove it two decades ago. He said the impetus was a case involving Christian Scientist parents who refused insulin for a diabetic child in the mid-1980s.

Caplan, one of the nation's foremost medical ethicists, said religious exceptions are bad public policy because effective medical treatment for a child shouldn't be sacrificed for a parent's beliefs.

___

Condon reported from Minneapolis. Associated Press writers Steve Karnowski in Minneapolis, Melissa Trujillo in Boston and Heather Hollingsworth in Kansas City, Mo., contributed to this report.


http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090521/...s_forced_chemo

[samanthajane13]

Search focuses on Calif., Mexico for mom, sick son

NEW ULM, Minn. – Authorities in Minnesota say the search for a woman and her sick 13-year-old son remains focused in southern California and Mexico.

The Brown County sheriff's department said Sunday it is continuing to look for Daniel Hauser, who has Hodgkin's lymphoma, and his mother Colleen, who is refusing to allow chemotherapy treatment for her son.

They were expected in court Tuesday. But The FBI says they left their home in Sleepy Eye, Minn., that day for Los Angeles.

Doctors say Daniel has a cancerous tumor growing in his chest that's likely to kill him without chemotherapy, but his family prefers natural healing methods.

The American Cancer Society estimates there are 35 to 50 clinics in Mexican border towns that attract cancer patients looking for alternative


http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090524/...s_forced_chemo

[samanthajane13]

Mom returns voluntarily with cancer-stricken boy
By PATRICK CONDON, Associated Press Writer Patrick Condon, Associated Press Writer – 44 mins ago

NEW ULM, Minn. – A 13-year-old cancer patient and his mother, who fled Minnesota last week to avoid court-ordered chemotherapy for him, returned voluntarily Monday, and the boy was examined by a doctor.

Daniel Hauser was "immediately checked over medically" when he and his mother arrived on a charter flight at 3 a.m., Brown County Sheriff Rich Hoffmann said.

On a video released by the sheriff's department, Colleen Hauser described how the first chemotherapy treatment Daniel received made him sick and she said he planned to run away from home.

"Then what do I have? I mean, he was going to run," Hauser said. "And that just broke my heart. I can't have one of my children running away from something that they should face."

Hauser expresses optimism that her son can beat cancer, but the video doesn't disclose where they were or when it was made. The video was produced by Asgaard Media, which also arranged the charter flight for the mother and son to return home.

At one point on the video, an unseen woman asks Daniel what he'd say to people who claim he's not old enough to decide whether he needs chemotherapy. "I'd tell them to back off," he replies.

Hodgkin's lymphoma has a 90 percent cure rate in children if treated with chemotherapy and radiation, but doctors say Daniel has a 5 percent chance of survival without those treatments.

He underwent one round of chemotherapy in February, but none since. The family cited religious beliefs in opting for natural healing practices inspired by American Indians.

A judge ruled that the parents medically neglected Daniel and ordered them to get him an updated chest X-ray as well as select an oncologist for a re-evaluation. After the X-ray showed a tumor in Daniel's chest has grown, the mother and son left town.

On Thursday, Anthony Hauser appeared before reporters asking his wife to come home "so we can decide as a family what Danny's treatment should be."

Hoffmann did not say where the pair have been since they missed a court hearing last Tuesday, but authorities had focused the search on Southern California and its proximity to a number of alternative cancer clinics in northern Mexico.

The sheriff didn't say whether Daniel received medical treatment for his Hodgkin's lymphoma while they were gone. "It is a good day as Daniel and Colleen Hauser have been safely returned to Minnesota," Hoffmann said.

Brown County Attorney James Olson said he likely would dismiss the felony complaint against Colleen Hauser because she returned voluntarily. Minneapolis FBI spokesman E.K. Wilson said the federal charge of unauthorized flight also likely would be dropped.

Daniel Hauser was evaluated at a hospital in the Twin Cities on Monday and his parents were with him, according to Tom Hagen, an attorney at the law office representing the parents.

Daniel was expected to spend Monday night at his family's farm in Sleepy Eye, about 100 miles southwest of the Twin Cities. A court order placed Daniel in protective custody last week, but Olson said family services was comfortable allowing Daniel to stay with his parents. A deputy was posted at the farm Monday night, Olson added.

Olson doesn't anticipate additional charges being filed, but said he hadn't seen all the police reports and he'd have to see what happens at a court hearing, expected Tuesday.

"A lot depends upon the attitude of the parents, their willingness to get on board with a treatment plan," said Olson. "If they are going to continue with this, 'We don't want chemo,' ... We'll see what happens tomorrow."

Dr. Bruce Bostrom, the pediatric oncologist at Children's Hospitals and Clinics of Minnesota who diagnosed Daniel's cancer in January, said he was happy to hear of the boy's return.

"I'm delighted," Bostrom said. "I've been so worried that he was going to die in Mexico. I've been praying for his safe return, so I think my prayers will be answered."

Bostrom was not working Monday and didn't know if Daniel had gone to Children's Hospitals to be examined.

Hoffmann said Jennifer Keller, an attorney from Orange County, Calif., contacted the sheriff's office Sunday and said Colleen Hauser wanted to bring Daniel home. Keller did not return a message left at her office.

The voice message system at Asgaard Media of Corona, Calif., was full and a message could not be left. The film and television production company did not immediately return an e-mail request for comment.

___

Associated Press Writer Amy Forliti contributed to this report from Minneapolis.


http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090526/...s_forced_chemo

[samanthajane13]

Parents of teen cancer patient agree to chemo
By PATRICK CONDON, Associated Press Writer Patrick Condon, Associated Press Writer – Wed May 27, 12:17 am ET

NEW ULM, Minn. – A mother who took her son out of state because he refused court-ordered chemotherapy for his cancer told a judge Tuesday she now believes the treatment is necessary to save his life. The judge then ruled Daniel Hauser can stay with his parents.

Thirteen-year-old Daniel has Hodgkin's lymphoma that an oncologist who examined him Monday said has significantly worsened. Daniel and his mother, Colleen Hauser, missed a court appearance last week and left the state to seek alternative treatments. But both his parents told the judge they now understand their son needs chemotherapy and will set aside their religious objections to it.

Attorneys for Brown County family services and Daniel's guardian ad litem objected to returning custody to Colleen and Anthony Hauser.

"The only thing that has happened since we were last here is that Colleen Hauser fled the state with her son," said Tom Sinas, attorney for the guardian ad litem. "I don't see how that is the basis for revisiting the custody decision."

When Judge John Rodenberg asked an emotional Colleen Hauser if she now believes chemotherapy is necessary to save her son's life, she replied, "Yes I do."

Rodenberg said he felt the best place for Daniel was with his parents, as long as he could trust they'd go along with the oncologist's recommendation that Daniel undergo at least five chemotherapy sessions. The first is scheduled for Thursday at Children's Hospitals and Clinics in Minneapolis.

The family prefers natural healing practices suggested by a religious group called the Nemenhah Band, which says it follows American Indian beliefs.

Daniel and Colleen Hauser returned home Monday after almost a week on the run, during which they traveled to southern California. Authorities believed they may have been heading to Mexico to seek alternative treatment. Instead they decided to return home, and contacted an attorney who helped arrange a flight on a jet chartered by Asgaard Media, a film and TV production company based in Corona, Calif.

Alan Pezzuto, president and CEO of Asgaard Media, said the company has no plans to profit from the Hausers story.

"We have no intention whatsoever of moving forward as a project," he said. "It is not business project, it's a personal project."

In exchange for having charges dropped against Colleen Hauser, the family let an oncologist examine Daniel. The exam showed a tumor in Daniel's chest has grown since his one chemotherapy treatment in February, and is larger than when he was diagnosed in January.

The tumor is "now protruding outside Daniel's chest wall," according to a report by Dr. Michael Richards, the oncologist who examined the boy on Monday. "There is further compression of the airway, making the initiation of standard chemotherapy imperative this week."

Doctors have said that because Daniel's tumor responded well to his first round of chemotherapy, the treatment likely will be successful again. Doctors won't know that for certain, until they try another round and see what happens. Doctors have said starting and stopping chemotherapy, or paring the treatment schedule as the Hausers proposed, could make a tumor resistant.

James Olson, the Brown County prosecutor, said social workers at Children's Hospital told him that as recently as Monday, when Daniel went to see the oncologist, the Hausers were still saying they didn't want chemotherapy. The family and their lawyers gave no indication of what was behind their apparent change of heart.

The Hausers did not return phone messages. The family's attorney, Calvin Johnson, and Daniel's court-appointed attorney, Philip Elbert, said no one in the family nor the attorneys themselves would speak to the media.

Richards, the pediatric oncologist, said in his report that the hospital's goal "will be to include alternative therapies in which the family is interested, as long as there is not data to suggest that a particular danger exists with any alternative medicine."

Still, Olson said he was not convinced the family would stick to the treatment plan.

"I am concerned that if Danny doesn't like the second round of chemotherapy he's going to say, 'I'm going to run away again,' and we're going to be right back where we started," Olson said. "These folks have had a history of changing their minds."

But Tom Hagen, an attorney for the Hausers, said the family was committed to Daniel Hauser's health.

"This family clearly loves and cares for Danny," Hagen said. "The environment at the Hausers' home is loving and caring. It is a healing place. Their main interest is in making sure Danny is OK."

Hodgkin's lymphoma has a 90 percent cure rate in children if treated with chemotherapy and radiation, but doctors said Daniel was likely to die without those treatments.

"Danny loves his parents and they love him. He's a fine boy, a very pleasant young man. I know he should be in the custody of his parents — as long as I'm satisfied they are going to follow the prescribed course of treatment," Rodenberg said.

Turning to Colleen and Anthony Hauser, Rodenberg said, "I'm taking you at your word. We're starting over right now."


http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090527/...s_forced_chemo

[samanthajane13]

Web site to raise money for Minn. cancer patient
By JEFF BAENEN, Associated Press Writer Jeff Baenen, Associated Press Writer – Wed May 27, 4:44 pm ET

MINNEAPOLIS – The family of a 13-year-old cancer patient who fled Minnesota with his mother because they objected to chemotherapy are using the Web to raise money for expenses that could mount as he restarts the therapy Thursday.

Attorney Calvin Johnson said Wednesday he understands the Hauser family has health insurance, but he set up a Web site — http://www.dannyhauser.com/ — because insurance would not cover legal bills and alternative medicines for Daniel Hauser's illness.

Daniel is one of eight children, and the family is feeling financial and emotional pressure, the attorney said. The Hausers have a family farm near Sleepy Eye in southern Minnesota.

"Things are really, really tight for this family," Johnson said. He said he had no estimate of the family's legal or medical bills. Money raised by the Web site will go to the family and will not be tax-deductible.

Family friend Daniel Zwakman said that in addition to running the farm, Anthony Hauser works a full-time job at an area printing company, which provides the family's health insurance.

"I can't imagine the stress of working that many hours outside the farm," he said. "He really didn't need this."

Zwakman said sometimes Anthony works days, and sometimes nights, and both parents have been exhausted with their family life and recently, court dates.

"Tony and Colleen would sleep on the kitchen floor because they wanted to make sure they got up in time to make their court appearances," he said. "They were afraid of getting too comfortable, and going into a deep sleep."

After Daniel and his mother returned to Minnesota this week, both his parents told a judge they will let Daniel undergo chemotherapy because they now understand it is necessary to save his life. They said they were setting aside their religious objection to it, and the judge allowed them to keep custody of Daniel.

Daniel has Hodgkin's lymphoma. He received a single treatment of chemotherapy in February, but stopped after enduring the harsh side effects. Before it restarts, however, Daniel was to be examined Wednesday by a pediatric oncologist at Children's Hospitals and Clinics of Minnesota.

A doctor's report released in court says the hospital's goal "will be to include alternative therapies in which the family is interested, as long as there is not data to suggest that a particular danger exists with any alternative medicine."

In children, Hodgkin's has a 90 percent chance of being cured with chemotherapy and radiation, doctors say. There's a 5 percent chance of survival without those treatments.

The family prefers natural healing practices suggested by a religious group called the Nemenhah Band, which says it follows American Indian beliefs.

Authorities say Daniel and his mother traveled to California last week and may have been heading to Mexico. A number of alternative medicine clinics are near the U.S. border. The Hausers instead returned home on a charter flight arranged by Asgaard Media, a film and TV production company based in Corona, Calif.

The Web could be fertile ground for the Hausers' fundraising. On the social networking site Facebook alone there are at least seven pages with more than 1,000 members dedicated to Daniel's time as a fugitive, his preference for alternative medicine and other issues.

Todd Thielen, 22, of Paynesville, said he created the "Pray for Danny Hauser" Facebook page to get people to pray for the boy and not to debate the issues of alternative medicine and whether he should be ordered to undergo chemotherapy.

"It's got to be tough for him," said Thielen, who said his younger sister received chemotherapy for leukemia that is now in remission.


http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090527/...s_forced_chemo

[samanthajane13]

Minn. boy who resisted chemo undergoes treatment
By PATRICK CONDON, Associated Press Writer Patrick Condon, Associated Press Writer – 1 hr 45 mins ago

MINNEAPOLIS – A 13-year-old boy cancer patient who fled the state with his mother rather than face chemotherapy underwent a round of the treatment he feared Thursday, a family spokesman said.

Jim Navarro said Daniel Hauser attended his second chemotherapy session at Children's Hospitals and Clinics but he had no immediate update on the teen's condition. The hospital wouldn't release information about the procedure, citing patient confidentiality.

The boy's parents, who initially resisted chemotherapy out of a preference for alternative treatments, faced legal consequences if they skipped the appointment. Daniel also attended an appointment a day earlier.

The family had said an earlier round of chemotherapy made Daniel, who suffers from Hodgkin's lymphoma, feel sick and hardened their resolve against further treatment. A Brown County judge ordered the treatment anyway, prompting Daniel and Colleen Hauser to leave their home in Sleepy Eye and spend a week on the lam.

The family prefers natural healing practices suggested by a religious group called the Nemenhah Band, which says it follows American Indian beliefs.

Earlier this week, the family agreed to accept chemotherapy when doctors vowed to integrate some natural treatments favored by the Hausers.

Although integrative medicine doctors said such therapy were not meant as an alternative to traditional cancer treatment, it can help patients deal with the effects of chemotherapy.

"A lot of people want to avoid chemotherapy because they're afraid of it, and what they're actually afraid of is the symptoms," said Dr. Lucille Marchand, clinical director of integrative oncology services at the University of Wisconsin Paul C. Carbone Cancer Center. "And symptoms can be treated."

Several integrative medicine specialists said acupuncture or acupressure has proven to be an effective way to treat the nausea that's an almost universal symptom of chemotherapy. Doctors said a young patient like Daniel also could respond to relaxation techniques like yoga or tai chi, as well as simple aerobic exercise.

But detractors such as R. Barker Bausell, a researcher at the University of Maryland School of Nursing who formerly worked at the school's complementary medicine program, said most integrative medical practices amount to little more than a placebo effect.

"You can't say it doesn't help, because you can't say placebos don't help," Bausell said. "People want to believe in it, and they're willing to pay for it. It's adding another layer of cost to our extremely expensive medical system."


http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090529/...s_forced_chemo

[samanthajane13]

Minn. teen says he's angry about continuing chemo
By AMY FORLITI, Associated Press Writer Amy Forliti, Associated Press Writer – 10 mins ago

NEW ULM, Minn. – A 13-year-old boy with cancer who fled Minnesota to avoid chemotherapy said he was angry about a judge's Tuesday ruling he must continue getting the treatment after court documents showed his tumor has shrunk significantly.

Daniel Hauser was not at the court hearing but later told The Associated Press he had hoped he would be able to stop chemotherapy, which he said makes him ill.

"I get really sick when I do it," the teen said during an interview at his family's farm at Sleepy Eye. "You get so dizzy and I get a headache right away."

Daniel said he believes his tumor's improvement comes from alternative treatments he's doing such as supplemental drinks and pills.

His parents also remain concerned about the risks of chemotherapy, which they initially rejected for religious reasons, saying it harms the body. But they told Brown County Judge John Rodenberg during the Tuesday hearing that they would take their son to a Wednesday chemo appointment.

Colleen Hauser told the AP at her home that doctors said it would take six months to treat her son's Hodgkin's lymphoma when he was first diagnosed, but they've now seen improvement in the past few weeks.

"Wow," she said. "Something's working."

But when asked if she credits the chemotherapy, she said, "I'm not going to say it's not, but I just want to make it clear that I would like a better plan, a better treatment plan, for Danny."

The judge assured Colleen and Anthony Hauser they can continue looking for other ways to treat their son.

"If at the end of the day Daniel lives through this, I am not going to care ... what cures him," the judge said. "I want Daniel to be well, and I know you do too."

Rodenberg also ruled that Daniel is still in need of child protection services, agreeing with Brown County prosecutor James Olson that the case should stay in court. Olson pointed out that the family has resisted chemotherapy in the past, noting Colleen fled with Daniel to California last month rather than showing up at a court hearing on the matter.

"History has shown they're not going to comply unless they have some sort of hammer hanging over their head," he said.

The Hausers' attorney, Barbara Gislason, said the family's promise to take Daniel to his chemo appointment does not mean they believe in the treatment.

"When you're a parent dealing with a life and death situation for your kid, you want everything done perfectly, because if everything isn't done perfectly, your kid can die. And one of the ways your kid can die is toxicity from chemotherapy," Gislason said.

Besides a smaller tumor, doctors said in court documents that some of Daniel's symptoms have improved after the chemotherapy. He was breathing better and sleeping well, and his cough has improved, they said. But the doctors said the boy has a poor appetite and has been fatigued and nauseated.

"As (h)is tumor is responding and not resistant to chemotherapy, I still believe he has an excellent chance of cure," Dr. Bruce Bostrom, an oncologist at Children's Hospitals and Clinics, said in court documents.

Daniel's court-appointed attorney, Phil Elbert, said Daniel has seen the most recent X-rays of his tumor, which show that the tumor is a white, see-through mass. Previous X-rays had shown a dense, black mass.

Elbert said Daniel will continue chemotherapy if he has to, even though he doesn't want to.

He said Daniel is feeling worse today than he was before the court ordered him to undergo chemotherapy. Elbert also said Daniel sought treatment from an acupuncturist once and has had massage, which helps him feel better.

In an affidavit, Colleen Hauser said she seeks the court's forgiveness for fleeing with her son and thanks the judge for allowing Daniel to stay with the family after the two returned from California.

"It is so important to Danny that he be surrounded by his family," the affidavit read.


http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090624/...s_forced_chemo