Update July 21 - The judge has ruled in this case.  He has determined Abraham must undergo chemotherapy.  Details here.

 

In my previous post on state involvement in the affairs of the family I stated,

When a person commits a criminal act the state intervenes - that's the line and not before... Who has the compelling interest when the government's interests conflict with the family's interest? They cannot be equal partners in family decisions. One must defer to the other. In Amercia we give deference to the liberty of the private citizen to direct their own family.

Or at least that's the way it's supposed to be. One Virginia homeschool family is discovering that this isn't always the case. Starchild Abraham Cherrix, age 16, is refusing traditional treatment to fight his cancer and instead he is opting for dietary changes and visits to a clinic in Mexico. This is the young man's second bout with Hodgins disease, a cancer of the lymph nodes. A state social worker has asked a judge to force the child to go through the conventional treatment.

In May the judge issued a temporary order finding Jay and Rose Cherrix neglectful for supporting their son's choice to pursue alternatives. Judge Jesse E. Demps also ordered the parents to share custody of Abraham with the Accomack County Department of Social Services; they face losing custody completely.

"What it boils down to is does the American family have the right to decide on the health of their child or is the government allowed to come in and determine that themselves and threaten one way or the other to split our family up?" Jay Cherrix said Tuesday night. Barry Taylor, the family's attorney, said the case had major ramifications not only in Virginia, but across the nation, when it comes to parents' rights to determine what is best for their children.

Stop and think about that for a minute. A judge in America has ordered these homeschooling parents to share custody with the state simply for making a medical decision. And possibly lose custody completely. These moral dilemmas are a natural consequence when one believes that the state has an right to be involved in the private affairs of the family.

Who is the final authority?

These parents are not doing anything criminal. It is a difference of opinion and the state consider's that neglectful. Sadly, instead of using all of their energy and resources to fight the cancer they must also fight the state. The judge will issue a written decision on July 18.

Update: I just found Abraham's website. It looks like the site is still under construction. But there is a song that tells his story. That's where I discovered they are a homeschool family. We need to rally around them and not just because they are homeschoolers. Please pass the word along. (Donation info is here.) And in the words of his father, "Pray this never happens to you."

(HT: Jacob's Academy)

Related Tags: parental rights, home education, homeschooling, parenting, socialism