Recently, the CBC reported on a ten-year old girl, Makayla Sault, who was diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukemia, a cancer of the blood. The girl experienced severe side effects from the chemotherapy she was receiving and decided, together with her parents, to discontinue therapy.

Now, the Children’s Aid Society is getting involved with the intent of convincing the family to complete the course of therapy. The parents and the community they live in also fear that Makayla may be forcibly removed from home and given therapy against her will.

Do parents have the right to choose whether or not a potentially life-saving treatment is given to their child? Does the child have a say in this decision? Does the state have the responsibility to act in what is perceived as the best interest of the child, against the parents’ and the child’s wishes?

Let’s consider all the factors.

Deadliness of the disease. The form of leukemia that Makayla has can progress very rapidly and lead to death within a few months, if not treated. If it was a slower progressing disease, would it seem reasonable to let the parents decide on the course of treatment?

Chance of cure. If treated, there is a high chance of long-term remission or cure for a patient with acute lymphoblastic leukemia. Some quote the likelihood of treatment success as 75% or even higher. How does this information influence your view on the case? Does the parents’ decision seem responsible? Should the state step in?

What if treatment success was estimated at 50%? …at 30%? …at 10%? How would this influence your view on whose right it is to decide what to do? With a low chance of remission or cure, would it seem reasonable to allow parents to, basically, let their child die without having to go through the agony of chemotherapy?

Cultural context. The news coverage focused in on the point that Makayla and her parents belong to the New Credit First Nation, based in Ontario. Her family decided to try traditional remedies instead chemotherapy, and their local community has shown great support for their decision. The interference of the Children’s Aid Society is seen by some as another attempt of a government agency to take away native children, as had been done during the era of forced residential schooling.

How does the cultural factor influence your view on the case? Does being First Nation give Makayla’s parents more of a right to decide her destiny than being of Irish decent, being Jewish or being Iranian? What if the family belonged to a religious group that was viewed as being ‘extremist’? Would you feel the same about the case or different?

To what extent is the state responsible for the well-being of our children, and to ensure their well-being in the face of parental opposition? Laws and mechanisms to protect children against abusive parents certainly seem appropriate. How about protecting children against well-meaning but ill-informed parents? How about protecting children against well-meaning, well-informed parents who adhere to a different belief system? Difficult decisions.