The Connecticut Supreme Court ruled unanimously Thursday afternoon that the state can require Cassandra to continue treatment.
Her
mother, Jackie Fortin, said she's disappointed by the decision. "She
knows I love her and I'm going to keep fighting for her because this is
her decision," Fortin said. "I know more than anyone, more than DCF,
that my daughter is old enough, mature enough to make a decision. If she
wasn't, I'd be making that decision."
A 17-year-old Connecticut girl recently diagnosed with cancer has
been removed from her home after refusing to undergo chemotherapy.
The
girl, named Cassandra, is now in the custody of child welfare
authorities and is being forced to undergo cancer treatment. The state
Supreme Court is taking up her case Thursday to weigh whether she's
mature enough to make her own medical decisions.
Cassandra is
Jackie Fortin's only child. Fortin has been a single mother for
Cassandra's entire life. Until last month, they lived together in
Windsor Locks, Conn. Fortin says this is the first time they've been
separated.
"Nobody, whether it's her age or an adult, should ever have to go through this by herself," she says.
For
the past month, her daughter has been held at a local hospital,
undergoing chemotherapy treatment against her wishes. A court gave the
state Department of Children and Families temporary custody of
Cassandra, as well as the authority to make medical decisions for the
teen, after doctors reported Fortin for neglect. Court papers document
missed appointments and arguments with doctors over her daughter's
diagnosis.
"This is not about death," Fortin says. "My daughter is not going to
die. This is about, 'This is my body, my choice, and let me decide.' "
Although the truth in this matter is, she will certainly die! Cassandra's doctors testified in previous hearings that Hodgkin lymphoma,
a cancer of the lymph system, is lethal without the recommended
treatment. With treatment, she has an 85 percent chance of survival.
Kristina
Stevens, an administrator with Connecticut's DCF, says the doctors'
medical opinions prompted the state to get involved.
"We had
the benefit of experts who could tell us with great clarity if in fact
we don't do something, if the system doesn't react and respond, this
child will die," Stevens says.
Cassandra is just eight months
away from turning 18. Joshua Michtom, one of her attorneys, says this
adds another complicated layer to the case.
"The general rule
for adults is that you can say no to treatment no matter how life-saving
it may be," Michtom says. "You can say no even to helpful treatment. If
she were 18, no matter what anyone said, it would be her choice to
make."
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