Teen Refuses Life-Saving Medical Treatment Jessica Slivinski Chamberlain College of Nursing NR 322: Nursing of Children Fall 2015 Teen refuses life-saving medical treatment I came across this ethical dilemma through a discussion with my clinical instructor. A 17-year-old female, initials C.C., from Connecticut was diagnosed with Hodgkin’s Lymphoma. The doctors told C.C. that with the treatment of chemotherapy she would have an 85% chance of surviving. Without treatment, she would not survive. The Department of Children and Family services had C.C. removed from her home and took temporary custody after missing multiple appointments to seek for other opinions. C.C. does not want the chemotherapy treatment, because she believes chemo is poison, believing that it will do harm to her body …show more content…
Individuals have the right to a choice, to determine what will and will not be done to their body, including accepting or refusing medical treatment (Taylor, 2010, p. 148). However, one cannot make these types of decisions until they are 18-years-old. This provision explains that patients should be involved in their own plan of care if they are competent and choose to participate. In this case, C.C. refuses to participate and since she is a minor, her mother is the one who can make the decision by law. C.C’s mother agrees with her daughter in the refusal of medical treatment. There are some situations in which the right to individual self-determination may be outweighed or limited by rights, health, and welfare of others (Taylor, 2010, p. 148). C.C.’s rights are both limited and outweighed because she is not of age and because her mother also refuses to consent to life saving treatment. Since her illness is life threatening, the state Supreme Court and DCF will take custody and make these decisions for her and is now forced to undergo treatment (Leonard,