A judge has again blocked an Ohio hospital from forcing a10-year-old Amish girl to resume
chemotherapy after her parents decidedto stop the treatments.The order siding with the parents comesjust a
week after an appeals court sent the case back to the judge andtold him to give more consideration to the
request by Akron Children’sHospital.The hospital wants a registered nurse to take overlimited guardianship
of Sarah Hershberger and decide whether she shouldcontinue treatments for leukemia. The hospital believes
Sarah’s leukemiais treatable and says she will die without chemotherapy.AndyHershberger, the girl’s father,
said the family agreed to begin twoyears of treatments for Sarah last spring but stopped a second round
ofchemotherapy in June because it was making her extremely sick.JudgeJohn Lohn, in Medina County, said in
his ruling Tuesday that notallowing the parents to make medical decisions for their daughter wouldtake away
their rights. He also said there is no guarantee thatchemotherapy would be successful."They are good
parents," hesaid. "They understand completely the grave situation their daughter isin and the
consequences of their choice to refuse chemotherapy for Sarahat this time."Lohn said also that allowing
for a guardian would go against the girl’s wishes."Evenif the treatments are successful, there is a
very good chance Sarahwill become infertile and have other serious health risks for the restof her
life," the judge said.The hospital said it is disappointedwith Lohn’s ruling. Officials there have said
they are morally andlegally obligated to make sure the girl receives proper care."Webelieve this case
is about children’s rights and giving a 10-year-oldgirl an 85 percent chance of survival with
treatment," the hospital saidin a statement Wednesday.While state laws give parents a greatdeal of
freedom when it comes to choosing medical treatment for theirchildren, that’s not always true when the
decision could be a matter oflife or death. Courts most often will draw the line when doctors thinkthe
child’s life is in danger and there’s a good chance that thetreatments being suggested will work, according
to several medicalethicists.The Ohio judge ruled in July that Sarah’s parents hadthe right to make medical
decisions for her, but the appeals court saidLohn failed to consider whether appointing a guardian would be
in thegirl’s best interest and ordered him to re-consider the decision.Sarah’sfather said she begged her
parents to stop the chemotherapy and theyagreed after a great deal of prayer. The family, members of an
insularAmish community, shuns many facets of modern life. They live on a farmand operate a produce stand
near the village of Spencer in MedinaCounty, about 35 miles southwest of Cleveland.They opted toconsult with
a wellness center and treat Sarah with natural medicines,such as herbs and vitamins, and see another doctor
who is monitoringtheir daughter, Hershberger said.Hershberger said they have notruled out returning to Akron
Children’s Hospital if Sarah’s healthworsens. The hospital has said the girl’s illness —
lymphoblasticlymphoma — is an aggressive form of non-Hodgkin lymphoma.Copyright 2013 The Associated Press.
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