I read this story and really would like to hear what you think. I think, bottom line, you don't know what you would do unless you were in this situation. We all love our children, with everything we are, so how much suffering can you stand to watch them go through? I would hope, you would be strong and guide your child through the pain, giving them every opportunity to survive. But, I have never been in a situation where I would have to watch my child deteriate in front of my eyes. To top it off, this child could not even communicate and more then likely had no idea what was happening. What if your child could communicate and they begged you to stop the treatments. What would you do then? It's hard to believe this mother was not given a strong support system. It is extremely trying at times just to maintain a decent living for an autistic child, I couldn't imagine adding cancer on top of that. Somehow, it seems the proper counseling or support was not provided to help this family through this time. Someone, not as emotionally tied to the situation, should have been administering the medications and comforting the mother. After all, this mother, nor most mothers, would be in the right state of mind for any decision, let alone a life or death one. I think the mother made the wrong, decision, of course, the child had been administrered most of the treatments. I wish she could have carried it through to the end. I just think she should have had more support. I certainly don't think she deserves 10 years in jail. Really, I don't see the good in that. Rehabilitation would never be possible, in my eyes. I would never be able to lose the thoughts of what I could have done to save my child's life. Hopefully, you, nor I, will never have to be in these shoes, but if we were, a solid support team including friends, family, and professional counseling should be there with you in the fight. I feel for the mother, tremendously. I'm sure the pain, now, is unspeakable for her, realizing she made the wrong decision. Here is a little of the article, from yahoo, and a link to the rest.
A woman who withheld potentially life-saving medications from her autistic, cancer-stricken son was sentenced Friday to eight to 10 years in prison by a judge who said her actions "really do chill one's soul."
Kristen LaBrie was convicted of attempted murder Tuesday for withholding at least five months of at-home chemotherapy treatments for her son, Jeremy Fraser. The boy died at age 9 in 2009.
LaBrie, 38, wept and apologized before Judge Richard Welch handed down her punishment in Lawrence Superior Court.
"I am remorseful for my actions and I wish I could have done things differently," LaBrie told the judge in a courtroom packed with sobbing family members and friends of both LaBrie and the boy's father, Eric Fraser.
"If I could do it differently, I would, because I certainly miss my son, and I think about him every day and I wish he could be with me and my family," she said.
Jeremy Fraser was severely autistic, nonverbal and developmentally delayed. He was diagnosed with non-Hodgkins lymphoma shortly after he turned 7 in 2006.
His oncologist testified that she told LaBrie that her son's cancer had a cure rate of about 85 percent to 90 percent under an intensive, two-year treatment plan that included doses of chemotherapy to be given during hospital stays and clinic visits as well as at-home medications LaBrie was supposed to administer at home.
LaBrie testified that she largely followed doctor's orders during the first four phases of his treatment. But she acknowledged that she stopped giving him the at-home medications during the final phase of treatment because she could not bear to see how much pain and suffering the side effects of the medication caused him. (yahoo, By DENISE LAVOIE, AP Legal Affairs Writer Denise Lavoie, Ap Legal Affairs Writer– Fri Apr 15, 1:11 pm ET)
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20110415/ap_on_he_me/us_medication_denied_death
A woman who withheld potentially life-saving medications from her autistic, cancer-stricken son was sentenced Friday to eight to 10 years in prison by a judge who said her actions "really do chill one's soul."
Kristen LaBrie was convicted of attempted murder Tuesday for withholding at least five months of at-home chemotherapy treatments for her son, Jeremy Fraser. The boy died at age 9 in 2009.
LaBrie, 38, wept and apologized before Judge Richard Welch handed down her punishment in Lawrence Superior Court.
"I am remorseful for my actions and I wish I could have done things differently," LaBrie told the judge in a courtroom packed with sobbing family members and friends of both LaBrie and the boy's father, Eric Fraser.
"If I could do it differently, I would, because I certainly miss my son, and I think about him every day and I wish he could be with me and my family," she said.
Jeremy Fraser was severely autistic, nonverbal and developmentally delayed. He was diagnosed with non-Hodgkins lymphoma shortly after he turned 7 in 2006.
His oncologist testified that she told LaBrie that her son's cancer had a cure rate of about 85 percent to 90 percent under an intensive, two-year treatment plan that included doses of chemotherapy to be given during hospital stays and clinic visits as well as at-home medications LaBrie was supposed to administer at home.
LaBrie testified that she largely followed doctor's orders during the first four phases of his treatment. But she acknowledged that she stopped giving him the at-home medications during the final phase of treatment because she could not bear to see how much pain and suffering the side effects of the medication caused him. (yahoo, By DENISE LAVOIE, AP Legal Affairs Writer Denise Lavoie, Ap Legal Affairs Writer– Fri Apr 15, 1:11 pm ET)
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20110415/ap_on_he_me/us_medication_denied_death
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