Cassandra Fortin: Chemotherapy Forced On Connecticut Teen Who Doesn’t Want Cancer Treatment

A 17-year-old cancer patient known only as Cassandra C. (or “Cassandra Fortin”) had chemotherapy forced onto her against her will. Connecticut Division of Children and Families (DCF) even removed her from her family after she ran away from home to avoid the cancer treatment. Although some doctors say what the family is doing amounts to “manslaughter and negligence,” the teen’s lawyer claims it’s really about the “fundamental right to have a say about what goes on with your body.”

In a related report by the Inquisitr, a different teen traveling to get chemotherapy was bumped from her flight because she paid the lowest fare.

The mother of Cassandra, Jackie Fortin, says that year before her daughter was diagnosed with Hodgkin’s lymphoma last September, she told her family she never wanted to have chemotherapy.

“She has always — even years ago — said that if she was diagnosed with cancer, she would not put poison into her body.”

Jackie Forton also said as follows.

“[The Connecticut Department of Children and Families] reported to DCF that I was not giving medical attention to my daughter.”

After being forced to undergo chemotherapy against her will, “Cassandra Fortin” ran away from home. According to the Free Thought Project, government agents then captured her and physically forced her to go through cancer treatment. According to the Fortin family, Cassandra even had a physical fight with doctors so the staff subdued her and strapped her to a table.

Connecticut DCF also issued this statement, according to ABC 13.

“When experts — such as the several physicians involved in this case — tell us with certainty that a child will die as a result of leaving a decision up to a parent, then the Department has a responsibility to take action. Even if the decision might result in criticism, we have an obligation to protect the life of the child when there is consensus among the medical experts that action is required. Much of the improvements in Connecticut’s child welfare system have come from working with families voluntarily to realize solutions to family challenges. Unfortunately that can’t happen in every situation, especially when the life of a child is at stake.”

In November, the state held a hearing and custody of Cassandra was taken away from the family. Jackie Fortin argues that her daughter has “her human constitutional rights to not put poison in her body.” Since the doctors had chemotherapy forced onto Cassandra, Jackie says these “rights have been taken away.” But Dr. Keith Ablow argued that the parents were being negligent since Hodgkin’s lymphoma is among the most treatable forms of cancer, according to Fox News.

“How do you treat it? With chemotherapy… The bottom line is this mother doesn’t give an eloquent explanation of why she’s refusing, with her daughter, chemotherapy. She says it kills all the cells in your body. That’s not true. You’re not allowed to participate in the demise of your child. That’s called manslaughter and negligence. It’s not called parenting. Sometimes the government does have to step in.”

Lawyers are arguing that the “mature minor doctrine” applies in this case, since it’s said Cassandra is mature enough to make key life decisions for herself. The case will go before the Connecticut Supreme Court on January 8, but if the judges side with the state, then the teenager will not be considered capable of making her own decisions until September of 2015, when she turns age 18.