Cassandra C: A Loving Daughter

Cassandra C, a 17-year-old Connecticut native, has been diagnosed with Hodgkin’s Lymphoma. She is being forced to undergo chemotherapy against her and her mothers will. Cassandra contains values at 17 that many women will never gain in their lifetime. She is strong, competent, and independent, and she says she owes it all to her mom. However, the state believes her mother is being “neglectful” because she is not making her daughter undergo chemo against her will. Cassandra wrote a letter to the public describing her experiences. An except from that letter explains, “In no way is my mom neglectful. She has always put me before herself. I am offended by anyone who believes otherwise. My mom has been identified as “hostile,” “neglectful” and “unsupportive,” three untrue words that break my heart. In October, DCF and nearly the entire Windsor Locks police department arrived when I was home alone and surrounded my house, banging on doors and windows. I hid in my closet crying on the phone with Mom and my friends until Mom came home. I sat in my closet for at least an hour while Mom, DCF and the police argued downstairs. I was scared. I had to leave with DCF. They had me medically evaluated and placed in a foster home until a court date. I was devastated. I needed to be with my mom. Taking me away from my mom in no way is in my best interest. There are children who need DCF, but I am not one of them.” Cassandra loves her mother more than anything. Her mom was the only person there as she was growing up. But, she is only 17, which means she can’t legally make medical decisions on her own. Cassandra’s mother was taken away from her because she was deemed “neglectful” for supporting her daughter’s decision to not undergo chemo. In my opinion, I think that is completely wrong. My mother has always supported my choices even if she did not fully agree with them. Mothers are the people that bring you into this world, and they want the best for you. The government should not be allowed to interject on matters like this where the mother and daughter both agree on what should happen. Being a minor does not mean that her rights should be violated.

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