AKRON, Ohio (AP) — An Amish girl with leukemia spent time ata natural cancer treatment center in
Central America after she lefthome with her parents in Ohio to avoid being forced to resumechemotherapy
treatments, the girl’s grandfather said.SarahHershberger, who recently turned 11, her parents and the
couple’s babydaughter now are in hiding in the United States, Isaac Keim said.Thefamily left the small Amish
community where they live in ruralnortheast Ohio just days before a state appeals court appointed aguardian
in October to take over medical decisions for the Sarah, saidKeim, who told the Akron Beacon Journal (http://bit.ly/180CmZ4 ) that he accompanied them to the
unnamed clinic.TheHershbergers have been fighting doctors at Akron’s Children’s Hospitalin court for months
after the parents decided to halt the treatmentsbecause they were making Sarah sick.Doctors say her leukemia
istreatable, but say she will die within a year without chemotherapy. Thehospital sought to force treatment
after the family opted to try naturalmedicines, such as herbs and vitamins.The family has appealedthe court
decision that gave an attorney who’s also a registered nurselimited guardianship over Sarah. They don’t plan
on returning until theruling is reversed."What kind of gift would that be, if we couldget this resolved
and they can come back home without a fear of being incontempt of court or having their child snatched
away," Keim said."We’re praying every day that this thing can be resolved and get theirlives back
together."The Hershberger’s five other children arestaying with community members near their farm
outside the village ofSpencer in Medina County, about 35 miles southwest of Cleveland.Keim said that CT
scans and blood tests show that the natural treatments are working. He said she is cancer-free."She’s a
vibrant, healthy girl," Keim said.The Amish are deeply religious and shun many facets of modern life,
but they don’t reject modern medicine.AndyHershberger said this past summer that the family agreed to begin
twoyears of chemotherapy for Sarah last spring but stopped treatment inJune because it was making her
extremely sick.Officials atAkron’s Children’s Hospital have said they are morally and legallyobligated to
make sure the girl receives proper care. They said thegirl’s illness, lymphoblastic lymphoma, is an
aggressive form ofnon-Hodgkin lymphoma, but there is a high survival rate with treatment.___Information
from: Akron Beacon Journal, http://www.ohio.comCopyright 2013 The Associated Press.
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