Edict

The judge presiding over the case of Daniel Hauser, the teenage boy who refused to undergo chemotherapy on religious grounds, ruled yesterday that the boy must continue treatment (full opinion available here). The judge did consider whether Daniel had the emotional and intellectual maturity to refuse treatment, but found that he had “only a rudimentary understanding at best of the risks and benefits of chemotherapy.” It’s a thoughtful, well-reasoned decision that is likely to withstand any appeal the parents might bring.

Incidentally, the physician quoted in the Strib article, Greg Plotnikoff, was once my primary physician. The world is a small place.