A boy with a lethal form of jaw cancer could suffer a painful death if his parents continue to refuse surgery, according to a court judge.
The 10-year-old Polish boy who once lived in the UK mysteriously disappeared, seemingly taken by his parents who once said that they preferred alternative Chinese medicine over having the surgery.
There had even been reports of the mother leaving with the boy and the father taking a ferry to France within the last several days. The court has recently ordered for authorities to search for the boy, who was granted an NHS trust to facilitate the removal of his tumor.
Mr. Justice Mostyn of the High Court of London said the doctors believed that the boy's tumor must be removed as soon as possible, as the risk for fatal consequences kept growing each day.
"He will not slip peacefully away. (The doctor) has spelt this out in remorseless and unflinching detail." Mostyn said.
He goes on to describe that, without proper intervention, the boy's head may swell grotesquely and will have to endure unimaginable pain. The cancer is also predicted to spread to the patient's nervous system, affecting his ability to eat, speak and even breathe normally.
Mostyn however said that the parents may have opted for alternative medicine in fear of the surgery permanently disfiguring the boy. The patient himself also verbalized not wanting to have the surgery for the same reason.
"They worry that he will be so disfigured that he will blame them for allowing the operation to go ahead," the boy's oncologist told Mostyn.
The surgery would take approximately 12 hours long and will require his jaw to be rebuilt from skin and bone taken from the leg that could result into a "lopsided appearance".
The boy allegedly saw the procedure as having "a foot in my mouth," hence made his refusal.
Doctors however said that, if the patient is able to undergo the recommended treatment, aside from physical disfigurement, he is expected to grow like a normal teenager.
However, there is still a 35 to 45 percent chance that the cancer will return during his teen years.
The judge said that he understood the parents' fears and wishes but must also consider what is best for the child.
"I give full weight to the wishes of (the boy) as well as those of his parents," Mostyn said. "But I have absolutely no doubt that (the boy) must be given...a good chance...rather than suffering...(an) agonizing death."
Photo: Jeff Kubina|Flickr
