Mom charged with withholding chemo from son with autism
July 2nd, 2008From ABC News, the Boston Globe:
A Massachusetts woman has been charged with reckless child endangerment amid claims that she failed to provide appropriate care for her son who has cancer. Court documents say eight-year-old Jeremy Fraser, who also has autism, is near death because his mother, Kristen A. LaBrie, postponed his chemotherapy appointments and failed to administer the appropriate chemo at home.
Eric J. Fraser, LaBrie’s ex-husband and the boy’s father, said he did not know why she would withhold treatment. The pair had been battling over Jeremy’s care, with LaBrie contending in court papers that Fraser had abandoned his son before the cancer was discovered.
Child protection experts say there may be many reasons why a parent does not make sure a child gets followup cancer treatment, from not understanding the seriousness of the situation to problems with logistics and stress.

