The Washington Times
  • Subscribe
  • Times News Services
  • RSS
  • Mobile Headlines
  • e-edition
  • E-MAIL ALERTS
  • REGISTER
  • LOG IN
  • E-MAIL ALERTS
  • WELCOME
  • Your Profile
  • Log Out
  • Front Page Image
  • Classifieds
  • Autos
  • Real Estate
  • Jobs
  • Special Sections
  • Customer Service
  • Home
  • News
  • Opinion
  • Sports
    • NFL
    • NBA/WNBA
    • MLB
    • NHL
    • Tennis
    • Golf
    • Motorsports
    • Soccer
    • NCAA
    • Olympics
    • Outdoors
    • Other
  • Culture
    • Home & Living
    • Family & Kids
    • Fashion
    • Food
    • Travel
    • Health
    • Washington Visitors
    • Books
    • Military History
    • Life
    • Auto
    • TV Listings
    • Movie Listings
    • Death Notices
    • Entertainment
  • Themes
  • Communities
  • Shopping
    • Stores
    • Coupons
    • Daily Double
    • Promotion
    • How It Works
  • Videos
    • Two Guys
    • Birnbaum on Washington
    • Liz Glover
    • Amanda Carpenter
    • Morning Briefing
    • Documentaries
    • Joe Giganti
    • Video Game Minute
  • Podcasts
    • About Headlines
    • Audio and Radio
    • America's Morning News
  • Politics

    CURL: West Point is site of historic Vietnam speech

  • Politics

    Climate 'czar' says hacked e-mails don't change anything

  • Food

    Obama pardons 'Courage,' the Thanksgiving turkey

  • Politics

    Obama to outline war plan at West Point

  • Politics

    Obama to attend Denmark climate summit

  • Business

    Initial jobless claims lowest in about year

  • National

    PULLEN: GOP came unmoored in last decade – it hurt

Thursday, March 22, 2007

Kaine signs bill expanding teen medical control

Rate this story

Average 0.00
after 0 votes
Login or register to rate this story

  • Font Size -+
  • Print
  • Email
  • Comment
  • Tweet this!
  • Share
  • Article
  • Comments ()
  • Click-2-Listen
  • Videos

More Stories

  • Obama to outline war plan at West Point
  • Obama expects support for more troops
  • D.C. sports icon, Wizards owner Pollin dies
  • Leonsis in line to buy Wizards, Verizon

By

RICHMOND -- Gov. Timothy M. Kaine signed into law legislation giving teenagers and their parents the right to refuse doctor-recommended treatments for life-threatening ailments.

Mr. Kaine also announced Wednesday that several tax-relief bills were among the measures he approved as passed by this year's General Assembly.

"Abraham's Law" arose from the case of Starchild Abraham Cherrix, 16, of Chincoteague, and his parents, who chose alternative therapy for his Hodgkin's disease and waged a successful court battle in Virginia against state officials who tried to force him to undergo chemotherapy.

After state social services agents objected to the family's decision to forgo chemotherapy and asked a court to intervene, a judge threatened to jail Abraham's parents for neglect and force him to undergo conventional cancer treatments.

Delegate John J. Welch III, Virginia Beach Republican, and Sen. D. Nick Rerras Norfolk Republican, introduced the legislation as a result of the legal battle.

"I believe this measure strikes the appropriate balance between the rights of parents and a mature child to make informed medical decisions, and the responsibility of the state to protect the health and safety of children," Mr. Kaine said in signing the bill.

Medical and child advocacy groups, including state social services officials, opposed the measure, but it won overwhelming House and Senate approval.

The bill allows children 14 or older to refuse medical treatment if the child is sufficiently mature, all his treatment options have been considered and if the refusal of a prescribed regimen is done in what the parents believe is the child's best interest.

Courts still would have to determine whether parents in such cases are neglectful.

Attorneys for Abraham and the state reached a settlement in August that allowed him to forgo chemotherapy as long as he is treated by an oncologist who is certified in radiation therapy and interested in alternative treatments.

12Next »

Post a comment

There are comments on this article, submit your opinion!

Commenting is disabled for this entry.
If you feel there is still something worth mentioning about this entry please contact the author or the site admin.

Ask a Question

You Report

Do you have another point of view, photos, audio, video or more information about a story?

Top Stories

Most Read

  1. EDITORIAL: Hiding evidence of global cooling
  2. Top Republican lawmakers not attending State Dinner
  3. Fenty trails Gray in D.C. poll
  4. Conservatives seek test for RNC funds
  5. Food snobs fork over $225 for taste of heritage turkey
More Top Stories »
  1. Religious leaders vow civil disobedience on anti-life issues
  2. PRUDEN: Obama's due process doctrine
  3. KELLNER: New Apple mouse really is 'Magic'
  4. Company that repaired Chairman Gray's house lacked license
  5. List of W.H. state dinner guests

Most Shared

  1. EDITORIAL: Hiding evidence of global cooling
  2. EDITORIAL: Obama's sacked inspector general
  3. EDITORIAL: Kennedy vs. Catholicism
  4. Climate 'czar' says hacked e-mails don't change anything
  5. 'Boutique' patients pay for better access to doctors
More Top Stories »
  1. The United Socialist States of America
  2. PULLEN: GOP came unmoored in last decade – it hurt
  3. Fenty trails Gray in D.C. poll
  4. Ego of 'O': It's all about him
  5. Food snobs fork over $225 for taste of heritage turkey

Most Commented

  1. EDITORIAL: Hiding evidence of global cooling
  2. Top Republican lawmakers not attending State Dinner
  3. Climate 'czar' says hacked e-mails don't change anything
  4. Conservatives seek test for RNC funds
  5. PRUDEN: Obama's due process doctrine
More Top Stories »
  1. Ky. hanging, ruled a suicide, leaves bloggers at loss for words
  2. EDITORIAL: Obama's sacked inspector general
  3. EDITORIAL: Terrorists use Democratic talking points
  4. A-listers, fundraisers at W.H. state dinner
  5. The United Socialist States of America

Listen to Washington Times Radio

  • America's Morning News

    with John McCaslin and Melanie Morgan

Blogs & Columns

  • Hot Button Blog

    RNC: Breast cancer recommendations may lead to 'rationing'

  • Belief Blog

    Evangelicals OK civil disobedience

  • Out of Context

    Foods that might kill libido

  • On the Fly

    United lifts some 'award' blocking

  • Technology

    Facebook wins round against phishing spammer

  • Redskins 360

    Gray coy about job

  • SNOBlog

    Beyond 'Woody'

Videos

Advertising Links
TWT Store
  • e-edition
  • Print Edition
  • Weekly Washington Times
TWT Affiliates
  • Middle East Times
  • Golf
  • UPI
  • Arbor Ballroom
  • Washington Times Global
  • About TWT
  • Press Room
  • F.A.Q.
  • Work for TWT
  • Advertise
  • Sponsors
  • Contact Us
  • Privacy Policy
  • Site Map

All site contents © Copyright 2009 The Washington Times, LLC.