Because he's a minor. It's the same reason adults are charged when they refuse to get medical treatment for their children and instead rely on prayer. Adults can do whatever they want with their own bodies, but not getting their child treatment is negligence.

Exactly. Many, many people become farsighted or nearsighted without ever having had chemo. Look at me, very nearsighted since the age of 9 and what do you know - no chemo! These people are probably very nice and I think they wanted to help their son but IMO they are very misguided.

What a choice...losing the bright red color of his hair and needing glasses or being dead. I wonder if they are also "blaming" the chemo for him growing nearly a foot?

Seems to me this is normal process of life stuff. Red hair can fade with age and many young boys welcome that anyway. Babies who were born blonde often turn into brunettes as they age. So what? And plenty of people need glasses, with or without chemo.

As for forcing someone to pay for expensive treatment, it really is a non-starter in this issue. The parents have insurance and in fact, had started chemo already before mom and the boy fled the state. They didn't seem to have a problem with chemo then according to their religious beliefs and money/health insurance was never mentioned as the reason why they discontinued chemo.

I guess Daniel's mom didn't tell him or he didn't listen "if you don't stop playing with it you'll go blind."

Basically. Its easy to judge people when you aren't going through what they are. Chemo sucks. It changes your body in ways that you wouldn't believe. It changes the essence of who "You" really are.