In Canada, as soon as I hit 14, the decision to receive cancer treatments rested entirely within my hands. I could have told them "No" and died, and neither the doctors nor my parents could have forced me to do otherwise. Before that, it was my guardians' (my parents') decision. If they said "Yes", then I received treatments. If they said "No", then I wouldn't have.
This is how it should be. The State should not have any power in forcing personal medical decisions on their populace. Doing otherwise is a direct infringement of universal human rights, and in a just world, would result in being tried for crimes against humanity.
I understand, medical decisions should always be your own or your parents. You can still blame them for making the wrong decision. Even though court cases like this don't outrage me by itself, a baby's life might be saved and they are not demonising the parents, I know what precedent they can set.
In Canada, as soon as I hit 14, the decision to receive cancer treatments rested entirely within my hands. I could have told them "No" and died, and neither the doctors nor my parents could have forced me to do otherwise. Before that, it was my guardians' (my parents') decision. If they said "Yes", then I received treatments. If they said "No", then I wouldn't have.
This is how it should be. The State should not have any power in forcing personal medical decisions on their populace. Doing otherwise is a direct infringement of universal human rights, and in a just world, would result in being tried for crimes against humanity.
I understand, medical decisions should always be your own or your parents. You can still blame them for making the wrong decision. Even though court cases like this don't outrage me by itself, a baby's life might be saved and they are not demonising the parents, I know what precedent they can set.