Wednesday, June 24, 2009
News The Chemo Kid
Posted by Dan Savage on Wed, Jun 24, 2009 at 11:31 AM
Here's hoping that when this kid grows up he Googles himself one day, realizes that his idiot parents were trying to kill him, and directs his anger at them and stops hating on the judge who saved his life.
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1
"His parents also remain concerned about the risks of chemotherapy, which they initially rejected for religious reasons, saying it harms the body."
Argh. You know what else harms the body? CANCER.
"He said thinks he can beat cancer and that when he does, he might celebrate with some target practice."
I might have missed it elsewhere in the article ... but target practice? Like, with a gun? Or bow and arrow?
Argh. You know what else harms the body? CANCER.
"He said thinks he can beat cancer and that when he does, he might celebrate with some target practice."
I might have missed it elsewhere in the article ... but target practice? Like, with a gun? Or bow and arrow?
2
Not to go off on a tangent, but your statement made me realize that today's kids really will be able to Google their parents. Whew, that's a scary thought. Think about that before you post that photo of you with the proverbial lampshade on your head.
As for this kid, eh, who gives a shit what he thinks? Because he's really just a sock puppet for his mother. Maybe years from now, if he lives that long, he'll grow into his own opinions.
As for this kid, eh, who gives a shit what he thinks? Because he's really just a sock puppet for his mother. Maybe years from now, if he lives that long, he'll grow into his own opinions.
3
"I get really sick when I do it," the teen said during an interview at his family's farm in Sleepy Eye. "You get so dizzy and I get a headache right away."
Awww... poor kid! How it must hurt to know he could live.
Let the little shit die and his family suffer. Fuck them and their fucking selfish bullshit ways.
Awww... poor kid! How it must hurt to know he could live.
Let the little shit die and his family suffer. Fuck them and their fucking selfish bullshit ways.
4
@3: Seriously, right? Did someone tell the family that chemotherapy is a bunch of unicorns and fluffy puppy rainbows? Chemo SUCKS. But people do it because it lets many of them live.
5
@1,
That's exactly what I was going to say... Chemo's bad, eh? You know what's worse though? Cancer.
Ugh. Religious nuts and target practice. I wonder if this kid is going to one day go around shooting doctors who treat cancer patients. You know, in the name of god.
That's exactly what I was going to say... Chemo's bad, eh? You know what's worse though? Cancer.
Ugh. Religious nuts and target practice. I wonder if this kid is going to one day go around shooting doctors who treat cancer patients. You know, in the name of god.
7
This story is heartbreaking. I had to do chemo for Hodgkin's when I was 10 years old and it damn near killed me. The cancer came back when I was 14 and I seriously considered killing myself before I let the doctors inject me with that poison again, but fortunately for round #2 it was only necessary to do radiation (which is awful in a different way).
God, the puking. Puke puke puke. One time I puked for four days afterward (normally the nauseau lasted for "only" about 18 hours). Another time I starting puking in the car on the way to a chemo session before we even got to the doctor's office, in anticipation of the nausea.
Luckily for me, the chemo killed the cancer slightly more quickly than it killed my body. Also luckily, my parents didn't have some wacky belief that I could have been cured by vitamins and acupuncture.
p.s. Fuck you #6.
God, the puking. Puke puke puke. One time I puked for four days afterward (normally the nauseau lasted for "only" about 18 hours). Another time I starting puking in the car on the way to a chemo session before we even got to the doctor's office, in anticipation of the nausea.
Luckily for me, the chemo killed the cancer slightly more quickly than it killed my body. Also luckily, my parents didn't have some wacky belief that I could have been cured by vitamins and acupuncture.
p.s. Fuck you #6.
9
Any stupid moron can have a kid. They just can't inflict their stupidity on their children's health.
10
#7. I'm so sorry you went through that, and I'm so very happy you survived it.
That's all my very lucky, very pampered ass will say about this.
That's all my very lucky, very pampered ass will say about this.
11
I'm really surprised nobody else said this first, but it sounds like this kid really needs a marijuana prescription.
Don't know if it's legal there but it should be.
Don't know if it's legal there but it should be.
12
I only know that chemo sucks second hand, but I know it sucks. I agree with the mom in that there should be better treatments out there for cancer, but until we get them, sometimes chemo is all we got (or at least the best of the few options we got).
Regarding Googling parents, I know my dad's easy enough to find, but that's just true about (literal) rocket scientists in general.
PS: the verb to Google (Googled, Googling) is in the OED.
Regarding Googling parents, I know my dad's easy enough to find, but that's just true about (literal) rocket scientists in general.
PS: the verb to Google (Googled, Googling) is in the OED.
13
what's next for the nanny state liberal activist fascist judges? force this kid's parents into a single payer health care system that will treat his cancer without bankrupting the family?
i'm sorry, i thought this was AMERICA! harumph!
i'm sorry, i thought this was AMERICA! harumph!
14
People WITH chemo die, too, Dan. My uncle just had to take my aunt off life support because treatment didn't cure her cancer, only sent it into remission a few times until it didn't anymore. I also know people who have rejected treatment and tried to find their own peace with their deaths.
I'm a little worried about these commenters who want to condemn a -child- for preferring death over a possible lifetime of suffering.
For all you know, the kid may grow up to be an activist lawyer who fights against judges forcing medical treatment on teenagers, or he may commit suicide because he realizes his choices and beliefs don't mean shit.
I'm a little worried about these commenters who want to condemn a -child- for preferring death over a possible lifetime of suffering.
For all you know, the kid may grow up to be an activist lawyer who fights against judges forcing medical treatment on teenagers, or he may commit suicide because he realizes his choices and beliefs don't mean shit.
15
Religious reasons? Let the kid die. We need more people dying when prayer (and "new dietary restrictions") doesn't work.
16
@14- But he has Hodgkin's Lymphoma, which is 95% survivable with chemotherapy if it's found out in time and your parents aren't delusional: http://www.wikicancer.org/page/Hodgkin's…
18
I hope he's mad about them lying, too. He's being treated with ionized water, possibly the stupidest thing I've ever heard in my life. Anyone who claims that moving the electrons around in some water in your belly cures cancer should be sued for fraud.
19
I'm from mn, and have been following the story. Actually, the kid can't read. Because he's been "home-schooled." So unless there's a good pict-o-gram about his parents' doings, he won't know shit from apple-butter.
20
#19 That's depressing. Perhaps he should receive a court ordered education as well?
That said, I agree that the kid should have been allowed to die.
That said, I agree that the kid should have been allowed to die.
21
#7 Luckily? You think that was LUCK that let the chemo kill the cancer before the chemo killed you? Asshole. You still don't get it. If you have kids, you probably wouldn't immunize them out of fear that they'd get autism.
22
I frankly do not know what is sadder, the parents who could not understand that chemo was and is the only way their child to get cured, the boy who is home schooled and apparently illeterate (@19), or the medical faculty and community which failed to educate both the parents and the child on the side effects of chemo.
Having said that Truman Capote wrote once that there are more tears to unanswered prayers than to answered ones, i hope that the prayers , the taers and especially the chemo will bear their results
Having said that Truman Capote wrote once that there are more tears to unanswered prayers than to answered ones, i hope that the prayers , the taers and especially the chemo will bear their results
23
Yep, this sounds like my family. I was never vaccinated because it's "unnatural." If I got sick, I was told to eat less sugar and drink more water. I am still a modern-medicine ignoramus. Thank God I never got seriously ill like this kid.
I recently had to ask my friends what an antihistamine is and what to take for a headache. When I was told that you can buy anti-itch cream for poison oak, I just about jumped for joy. And then cried when I used my first painkiller for a broken bone. Oh, the little things!
I recently had to ask my friends what an antihistamine is and what to take for a headache. When I was told that you can buy anti-itch cream for poison oak, I just about jumped for joy. And then cried when I used my first painkiller for a broken bone. Oh, the little things!
24
Oh lovely. I think parents should have to pass a test to homeschool. I truly fear when all those homeschool kids brought up by the TeaBaggers hit the real world.
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