Folks don't want radiation treatment, but state claims it's best option for girl

Katie Wernecke

Posted: June 9, 2005 3:20 p.m. Eastern � 2005 WorldNetDaily.com

A Texas couple is fighting to regain custody of their 12-year-old cancer-stricken daughter after the state seized the girl, claiming her parents have not done enough to treat her.

A judge has postponed until tomorrow a ruling on whether or not doctors can treat Katie Wernecke against her parents' wishes, KPRC-TV in Houston reported.

Katie's parents, Michele and Edward Wernecke of Agua Dulce, Texas, say their daughter's Hodgkin's disease is in remission and she doesn't need radiation treatment after undergoing a round of chemotherapy. Mr. Wernecke is worried that more treatment will have harmful long-term effects on his daughter and wants an opinion from doctors outside Driscoll Children's Hospital in Corpus Christi.

But Texas Child Protective Services officials believe the recommendations of doctors at the hospital should overrule the parents. Robert Rosetti, program director over investigations at the CPS Nueces County office, claims the parents are being "medically neglectful."

Speaking this morning on NBC's "Today" show, Michele Wernecke said her daughter's illness is unique and should be treated as such.

"I think they should treat her for what her body calls for and not standard protocol. Nobody will look at that," she said. "Not every cancer is the same. Nobody understands that. Her body is not standard, and her cancer is not standard."

The Werneckes, members of the Church of God, have said they oppose blood transfusions unless they are from Katie's mother, but she is not a match, according to doctors.

Their attorney, Daniel Horne, however, said religion isn't at issue. He says his clients don't believe doctors haven't been upfront about Katie's care and have not answered all their questions about radiation's side effects.

"This issue is about parental rights, not about religious rights," Horne said. "They just want to be informed of her treatment. They want to be involved in this."

Last week, the state issued an Amber Alert that led to the seizure of Katie, who is undergoing tests at the University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center in Houston. The couple's three sons also were taken and are in a foster home.

Michele Wernecke was arrested on charges of interfering with child custody and was released Monday after posting $50,000 bond.

According to KPRC-TV, juvenile court Judge Carl Lewis said in a hearing yesterday he would wait until Friday to make a decision on the radiation treatment after receiving more information from doctors.

Katie, who was diagnosed with cancer in January, does not want the treatment.

"I don't need radiation treatment. And nobody asked me what I wanted. It's my body," she said in a videotaped message to her parents.

The family maintains a blog entitled Pray for Katie on which her parents claim she is being used in a research project.

States the blog: "Why are the doctors doing this? Katie appears to be part of a study where they allocate kids randomly to one treatment, say standard chemo plus radiation, and chemo only in the other treatment. Parents are not informed of this. They are doing research on our kids. Collecting research money from the drug companies, I guess."

A custody court hearing is set for June 15.

Source: http://www.wnd.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=44683