Let's hear it for the State!

The State of Texas doesn't trust you to make decisions about your own health care (at least if you are a minor), or that of your children (if you're a parent).

Federal judge won’t intervene in girl’s treatment

CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas - A federal judge ruled Tuesday that the federal courts could not intervene in the case of a family resisting the use of radiation treatment to arrest their teenage daughter's cancer.
[a legally correct ruling on jurisdiction, unfortunately]
This forces the matter back to the state courts, forcing Michele and Edward Wernecke to present reasons why the state should return their 13-year-old daughter Katie to the family and medical testimony for other alternatives to radiation treatment. ...

On June 9, Texas child welfare officials seized Katie from her parents, saying they were blocking radiation treatment that doctors said she needed.

During a court hearing, the Werneckes asked juvenile court Judge Carl Lewis to bar doctors from providing radiation therapy for Katie, who is now in a Houston hospital, until a hearing to determine whether she will stay in state custody.

They said their daughter’s cancer is in remission and they object to her getting the radiation treatment after undergoing a round of chemotherapy. ...

She remains at the University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, where she is undergoing tests, officials said. State Child Protective Services says her life could be in danger without further cancer treatment. ...

Speaking June 9 on NBC’s “Today” show, Michele Wernecke said her daughter’s illness is unique and should be treated as such.

“I think they should treat her for what her body calls for and not standard protocol. Nobody will look at that,” she said. “Not every cancer is the same. Nobody understands that. Her body is not standard, and her cancer is not standard.”

The couple ... believe doctors haven’t been upfront about Katie’s care and have not answered all their questions about the side effects of the radiation. ...

Katie was diagnosed with cancer in January. In a videotaped statement recorded by her parents, Katie said she’s feeling better. “I don’t need radiation treatment. And nobody asked me what I wanted. It’s my body,” she said.

Ask for a Nanny State, and you'll get one. Your life, your body, is not your own, it's just property of the State.