[Kizzy]

Originally Posted by Niamh.

I would like my son to go there through it on "Make sure it's all gone" basis.

Me too! residual tumour...what even is that? they left a bit in.....why would they do that, you would think they would want to take all of it surely?

[arista]

Originally Posted by Livia

The mother grasping at straws and scrabbling round to find an "expert witness" who actually agrees with her is not going to make cancer any less deadly either.

I hope the little boy is okay... but time really is running out for him while his mother crusades in her own little spotlight.

Yes thats what is Wrong here
she stands Alone.


and Her Husband matters in this.

[Kizzy]

Originally Posted by arista

Yes thats what is Wrong here
she stands Alone.


and Her Husband matters in this.

Of course he does, I can't help but think that they would have had a better chance if they were united on this, however he has as much right to say what treatment his son recieves.

[Niamh.]

Originally Posted by Kizzy

Me too! residual tumour...what even is that? they left a bit in.....why would they do that, you would think they would want to take all of it surely?

Well, it's brain surgery, sometimes they can't get at everything they want to. I would assume anyway.

[Kizzy]

Originally Posted by Niamh.

Well, it's brain surgery, sometimes they can't get at everything they want to. I would assume anyway.

Then why not have the treatment focussed in the 1cm area as his mother suggested?...Why the full brain?

[Livia]

Originally Posted by Niamh.

Well, it's brain surgery, sometimes they can't get at everything they want to. I would assume anyway.

There can be one cancerous cell left... infinitesimally small... and it can grow into another tumor.

[Niamh.]

Originally Posted by Kizzy

Then why not have the treatment focussed in the 1cm area as his mother suggested?...Why the full brain?

Well, I'm not a surgeon and neither is this woman as far as I'm aware. I'm quite sure they took the best action they could regarding it though

[Kizzy]

Originally Posted by Niamh.

Well, I'm not a surgeon and neither is this woman as far as I'm aware. I'm quite sure they took the best action they could regarding it though

No she isn't neither am I however I guess if you pass radiation through healthy brain tissue and fry it the outcome is not going to be good.
Oh well, all we can do is hope and pray for the little fella and wish for a miracle.

Originally Posted by Kizzy

No she isn't neither am I however I guess if you pass radiation through healthy brain tissue and fry it the outcome is not going to be good.
Oh well, all we can do is hope and pray for the little fella and wish for a miracle.

I think that's the point. That's why we trust doctors in the first place. They are not miracle workers or superheroes, and they **** up from time to time, but they would never intentionally do anything to reduce this young mans chances of living.

And wishing for a miracle is of no use either. Medical science, coupled with trained doctors/nurses, and some luck, will decide the outcome.

[Kizzy]

Originally Posted by Jesus.H.Christ

I think that's the point. That's why we trust doctors in the first place. They are not miracle workers or superheroes, and they **** up from time to time, but they would never intentionally do anything to reduce this young mans chances of living.

And wishing for a miracle is of no use either. Medical science, coupled with trained doctors/nurses, and some luck, will decide the outcome.

Ok, i'm not a doctor but i know if you pass radiation through healthy tissue there will be adverse effects.
I know theres no use wishing/ praying yet in such a situations such as this it's just what folk do isn't it?
The mother does have faith in medical science why that is in dispute again is strange, it's only British guidelines on the treatment offered that is in question.

[Ammi]

..apparently, Neon not being able to produce grandchildren for his mother is a factor in her stance, also that radiation could affect his growth...while there are definite risks of this and possibly other future problems they’re not certainties and it’s pointless considering any risks, if there is no life in the first place, which is what the judge based his ruling on, I believe....

..while we’re all debating what Neon needs, I hope he actually gets what he needs, that’s the only thing of any importance....

[Nedusa]

So if I have this story correct , the Mother wants her son to have no life quality altering treatments for his cancer. She wants him to have treatments that do not alter his quality of life or stop him being able to produce sperm when he reaches puberty.

Even though the chances of him surviving are now drastically reduced due to his mothers insistence on him NOT having more conventional treatments that could extend his life.

Does anyone else see an element of selfishness in his mothers actions ? , she seems to be resigned to the fact her son will die very prematurely but his personality will be intact and if he were to make it to puberty he may be able to provide healthy sperm for a possible grandchild.

I am struggling to understand this women's motives...!!!

[Ammi]

Originally Posted by Nedusa

So if I have this story correct , the Mother wants her son to have no life quality altering treatments for his cancer. She wants him to have treatments that do not alter his quality of life or stop him being able to produce sperm when he reaches puberty.

Even though the chances of him surviving are now drastically reduced due to his mothers insistence on him NOT having more conventional treatments that could extend his life.

Does anyone else see an element of selfishness in his mothers actions ? , she seems to be resigned to the fact her son will die very prematurely but his personality will be intact and if he were to make it to puberty he may be able to provide healthy sperm for a possible grandchild.

I am struggling to understand this women's motives...!!!

..I don't think it's that simplistic...there are dangers in radiation on the brain with children....it may effect him in lots of ways so I don't dismiss her concerns..however, they're invalid if he has no life at all..she thinks alternative treatments would not only work but create a better chance of less future problems...neither the father or the courts agree with her and they have details of those alternatives which we haven't...so I assume his best chances are radiation....but we still shouldn't dismiss her fears and concerns..she is his mother and presumably only wants what 'she thinks' is best....

[Kizzy]

There is a documentary on Neon Roberts and his mother this evening at 9pm on channel 4.

http://www.channel4.com/programmes/y...mum-on-the-run

on c5 news now

[Nedusa]

Thanks Kizzy , think I'll give that a watch....!!!!

[arista]

That mother is wrong
she still thinks she is right
even though the lad is getting better now

[Kizzy]

This documentary is very one sided.....
They have rubbished the theory that mobiles have an effect on brain chemistry in children, it's a bit odd.

[Marc]

Horrid woman

[Kizzy]

Well.... That was very moving, I don't really know what to make of it.

[Z]

I hadn't heard about this case before. Very conflicting.

[lippyzippy]

Originally Posted by Ben

I hate the fact the fact one of the articles say she is denying him 'life saving' treatment. It's not guaranteed at all and makes her out to be a bad mother, when in fact the risks of this treatment will rapidly deteriorate this boys health and if he then passes away his last months alive have been torture, hospitals and a pretty horrible experience. To me she comes across as scared that his last months alive will be like this, and wants him to have at least some normality back in his life.

so instead spend them on the run and getting no treatment that could possibly ease his pain or save his life. what youre saying is insane

[lippyzippy]

Originally Posted by Ammi

..I don't think it's that simplistic...there are dangers in radiation on the brain with children....it may effect him in lots of ways so I don't dismiss her concerns..however, they're invalid if he has no life at all..she thinks alternative treatments would not only work but create a better chance of less future problems...neither the father or the courts agree with her and they have details of those alternatives which we haven't...so I assume his best chances are radiation....but we still shouldn't dismiss her fears and concerns..she is his mother and presumably only wants what 'she thinks' is best....

so running away is the best course of action?

[Kizzy]

Have you watched the documentary or read the articles lippy?

[DanaC]

Tough call for all concerned.

I do feel for the mother in this case, and indeed the father. Treatment options for cancer and other life threatening illnesses are often complex and the odds of surviving versus the odds of complications can be a difficult thing to balance.

I don't have a great deal of faith in doctors to be honest, having lost several family members to medical malpractice or negligence (an aunt who was told by her GP that the persistent pain she kept visiting her about was a symptom of depression - six months later dead of cancer; an uncle whose surgery was delayed on the grounds that there was 'no bleed' in the brain, when in fact their scans had shown the exact opposite - dead in 5 days; another uncle whose operation was messed up when a piece of medical equipment was left inside, and then on the second operation an accidental cut to the spleen, followed by several blood transfusions because they didn't realise he was internally bleeding to death, and a grandparent who effectively starved to death in hospital). But - I don't mistrust them any more than any other professional.

Doing some research, getting a second or third opinion and not assuming that your doctor knows everything isn't a bad thing necessarily. Sometimes there is disagreement over the best way to treat something. Treatments shown to be effective elsewhere sometimes take time to become available in our system, and sometimes treatments and practices simply become accepted as the done thing and are therefore not questioned as much as they should be.

But: her reasoning fell apart utterly when she made the decision that homeopathic/natural remedies were somehow a better option. For anything, let alone for cancer.


This from wiki sums up why:

Homeopathic remedies have been the subject of numerous clinical trials. Taken together, these trials showed at best no effect beyond placebo, at worst that homeopathy could be actively harmful.[21] Although some trials produced positive results,[22][23] systematic reviews revealed that this was because of chance, flawed research methods, and reporting bias.[12][24][25][26] The proposed mechanisms for homeopathy are precluded by the laws of physics from having any effect.[27] Patients who choose to use homeopathy rather than evidence-based medicine risk missing timely diagnosis and effective treatment of serious conditions such as cancer.[28][29] The regulation and prevalence of homeopathy vary greatly from country to country.[

If you start googling this stuff in relation to cancer treatment, you enter a world of anti-science paranoia and pro-alternative medicine propaganda.

Homeopathy is insane stupidity, and is based on placebo's. There is nothing about alternative medicine that gives it any credence within medicine. Tim Minchin sums it up perfectly "Want to know what they call alternative medicine that has been proven to work? Medicine".


Can anyone confirm whether the documentary is about alternative nonsense, or is it scientifically objective?

I do plan on watching it, but only if it's science based.