After Daren and Barbra Jensen?s 12-year-old son Parker was diagnosed with terminal cancer in April 2003 they decided to withhold the recommended chemotherapy treatments.
The Jensens researched their son?s diagnosis and took him out of the hospital and the state's control. The Utah Division of Child and Family services charged the parents with kidnapping their own son. Now the Jensens are suing the state of Utah and their hospital. Parker is doing just fine.
While this case may seem extreme, it is not uncommon. Many parents, after much research and prayer, decide to withhold many common medical procedures and treatments from their children -- not for financial reasons, but for health reasons.
Let?s not be too hasty in our generalizations of the right treatments for people.
Within standard practices, medical research and opinions are reversed constantly. Many treatments that were considered standard a decade ago horrify doctors today. Doctors should offer counsel and suggest treatments to parents; they have no right to dictate them as the doctor in the Jensen case tried to do.
Different groups regularly debate doctor?s recommendations, questioning if they are necessary and even healthy.
Actor Tom Cruise is an open supporter for the Church of Scientology and it?s belief in not using traditional medication to treat things like depression or chemical imbalances.
Scientology is supposed to be a science, a religion and a church. They recommend using their methodology for spiritual and mental healing instead of using conventional treatments.
Many parent choose to withhold vaccinations for debilitating diseases from their children. Some research shows these vaccines, which prevent now rare diseases, may adversely affect children. This begs the question of if it is better to injure the child to prevent a disease that they may never get anyway, or take the chance and not vaccinate.
Many parents choose not to have their sons circumcised. It is generally understood that circumcision is done for hygiene reasons. One could argue that a person's mouth would be cleaner it he or she didn?t have tonsils. Yet, doctors are not ripping out as many tonsils as they used to do.
People are different. What works for one person may not work for another. Even children in the same family unit might react differently to different forms of treatment, and parents need to consider each child?s needs individually.
The decisions parents make about their children?s medical care need to be researched and informed. With the wealth of medical research available at our fingertips, time should be taken to consider what is in the best interest of each individual child.
** This editorial represents the opinion of The Daily Universe editorial board. Opinions expressed here are not necessarily those of BYU, its administration or The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.