Devon Near Death

January 10, 2009 permalink

The boy we previously identified as Chemo Boy or Devin has spent the last several months near death from chemo-therapy. At last report he had been protected from children's aid by high-powered legal intervention and had been moved from treatment in Hamilton to the Hospital for Sick Children in Toronto. Children's aid soon got him back on a harsh chemical regime leading to several organ failures. Below are two reports, one from Mary Janiga and one from the Hamilton Spectator.

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Wednesday, January 07, 2009

Before Christmas I was reading the paper which is my daily duty to keep up to date and to see whats up with the world and Hamilton and I came across a story about "DEVON" a child that was suffering from the effects of forced chemotherapy at the hands of Children's Aid Society of Hamilton.

The Headline reads: "whatever happened to?"

We protested and stood vigil by his hospital outside during Mothers Day weekend 2008. We raised his spirits and made some changes or so we thought.

Now we will make another gallant effort to stand vigil beside this family.

I visited with "Devon" and his parents over the holidays and were told that they were going back to court on January 26, 2009 at the Family Court House 55 Main Street West Hamilton, ON.

There the Children's Aid Society of Hamilton will make another attempt to stay in the boy's life and the family's life for an additional year to monitor his condition and make the family provide the child with in home daily chemo treatment.

On January 26, 2009 we will be standing in front of the court house with our voices held high above the traffic with our trusty bullhorn and supporters.

I invite you all to come out and support us. We will be there for the day, handing out flyers, showing our support and standing vigil for this child and family again.

His voice must be heard!!

Is alternative treatment still an option?

Is Children's Aid Society going to prevent him from doing this alternative treatment?

Children's Aid Society has opted out of the radiation therapy for this child, yet with continued treatment of daily chemotherapy treatments at home, his body will not be detoxed enough for the alotted time of 30 days to start this treatment.

This child is hanging in limbo....

Thank you for your support. I look forward to seeing you all on January 26, 2009 at the Family Court House 55 Main Street West Hamilton, ON.

Hold a sign, raise your voice, hand out flyers, speak up for this child!!

Posted by Advocate at 10:34 PM

Source: Mary Janiga blog entry for January 7, 2009

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Whatever happened to

Court-ordered chemo boy home for Christmas

December 23, 2008, Dana Brown, The Hamilton Spectator

A 12-year-old boy forced to undergo chemotherapy after an intervention by the Children's Aid Society is home for the holidays.

The boy, who had been against the treatment, recently finished his last round of chemo at Toronto's Hospital for Sick Children, his stepmother said.

"This Christmas and New Year's is about (him) still being alive to share it with us," she said.

The child and the family cannot be identified because of their involvement with CAS.

The boy, who has fetal alcohol syndrome and suffers from mental health issues, has acute lymphoblastic leukemia.

In May, a court battle over whether to compel him to undergo treatment made national headlines. His family wanted to treat the cancer with non-traditional medicine.

The boy, who was 11 at the time, had been sick before and said he did not want any more chemo.

Ultimately, CAS won a court order forcing the child to have the treatment and his family complied.

The boy's stepmother said he will not have to be hospitalized for any more treatments, but will receive chemo at home, as well as injections in his spine every six weeks.

At home, the family will have to wear gloves to administer chemo in a pill form, once every day and a dozen pills once a week, she said.

The treatments should last about a year.

She said because of the chemo, her stepson has developed problems with his vision, back and legs.

The family, and the child, still wish the treatment had not happened, she said.

"It wasn't our choice for (him) not to do chemo. It was his," she said. "And we wanted to stand behind his wishes and nobody would let us and I think that's absurd."

dbrown@thespec.com 905-526-4629

Source: Hamilton Spectator