Cancer boy's parents win 'amputation' fight By Michael Leidig in Munich

[Guest guest]

Filed: 11/04/2004)

 

A couple who lost custody of their young son to social services after

insisting that his bone cancer was treated by using alternative medicine

last week won a lengthy legal battle to get him back.

Dominik Feld, 9, became a cause celebre in Germany after his parents, Josef

and Anke, defied a leading oncologist's advice that their son's right leg

should be amputated if they wanted to save his life and stop the disease

spreading.

When the specialist, Dr Heribert Jurgens, also warned that Dominik had a

less than one-in-five chance of survival with chemotherapy, the Felds

decided to pursue " cell therapy " treatment instead, involving high doses of

vitamins and minerals.

Perturbed, Dr Jurgens tipped off officials from Germany's social services,

who decided that the Felds were not acting in Dominik's best interests. In

November 2003, they obtained a court order to remove the boy from his

parents' custody. The order prompted a heated debate in Germany over

parental rights, particularly as Dominik's cancer seemed to improve while he

was receiving the cell therapy treatment.

While the Felds, from Siegen in central Germany, appealed against the

decision, protesters staged rallies outside the high court in Koblenz each

time a hearing was set. A family petition attracted more than 30,000

signatures. Donations from supporters helped to fund their appeal and

temporary injunctions brought by the Felds to ensure that the cell therapy

continued.

During the five-month legal tussle, which culminated in last week's victory

in the high court, Dominik remained in hospital, officially in the care of

social services. The amputation was postponed.

Last week Mrs Feld, 38, said " We are delighted - but the best gift of all

will be when Dominik finally returns to full health. We are not against

conventional medicine, nor in favour of unproven alternative medicine, but

when there are medically proven alternatives from qualified professionals,

we believe it is the right and duty of parents to choose what they want for

their child, " she said.

" The conventional treatment we were offered had a less than 20 per cent

chance of success and as a result we had no alternative but to look for

something that would give our son a better chance of survival. "

Mr Feld, 41, a mechanical engineer, said: " The whole family is delighted

about the court decision. Dominik had his ninth birthday on Monday and this

was the best birthday and Easter present we could have hoped for.

" We have had the catheters removed that were used for chemotherapy this week

We won't need them any more, although the cell therapy is continuing. "

The Felds, who also have four daughters aged five to 17, realised that

Dominik was ill in September 2002. " The bottom fell out of our world, " said

Mrs Feld. " He had been playing football and fell badly and hurt his leg.

When we took him to hospital they thought it was broken and put his leg in a

cast. He was in a lot of pain and when he was examined in more detail they

discovered the cancer. "

Dr Jurgens, a specialist at Munster University Hospital, claimed that the

osteosarcoma in Dominik's right leg was too advanced for treatment to be

worthwhile, and insisted that only amputation would save his life. Dr

Jurgens also said that the cancer had spread to his lungs and that strong

doses of chemotherapy were necessary.

The Felds agreed to the chemotherapy but watched their son grow

progressively weaker and his weight fall to just 35lb.

Seeking a second opinion, they heard about a method pioneered by Matthias

Rath, an alternative health " guru " who is a qualified doctor but prefers to

promote natural cures for his patients. In this treatment, cancerous tissues

could be removed from bone marrow - avoiding the need for amputation - and

the cell therapy substituted for chemotherapy.

Mrs Feld said that they were just in time to stop the amputation. " We looked

everywhere for an alternative and it was only at the last minute, with hours

to go before the operation, that we were told a hospital in Munich believed

they could operate to remove the tumour and save the leg, " she said. " That

was in December 2002.

" We allowed him to continue on chemotherapy but stopped it in May last year.

After allowing him to regain his strength, we started him on the cell

therapy in June. "

The Felds later received a letter from social services warning them that

Munster University felt that Dominik was not being treated properly. Their

right to care for their son was subsequently removed.

Dr Rath, who helped the Felds with their " Save Dominik " campaign, maintains

that under his care the boy's condition has improved.

" The X-ray CT [computed tomography] images of Dominik's lungs speak for

themselves, " Dr Rath said.

" The lung metastases present one year ago have completely vanished. It is,

therefore, clear that cancer is curable by natural means. "

He said he had no doubt that Dominik would beat his cancer if his parents

agreed to their son continuing the cell therapy.

Dr Jurgens, however, has served Dr Rath with a court order barring him from

calling him a " drug industry lackey " and dismissed Dr Rath's claims that

Dominik's health has improved.

" The truth of the matter is that a patient appears to be doing better when

in fact the cancer is spreading. It is simply that the symptoms appear to

have ameliorated somewhat, " he said.

" But that does not change the long-term prognosis, nor does it mean that

therapy ought to be set aside. "

The family remains optimistic. Dominik says he feels better when treated

with cell therapy and wants to carry on with it. His parents point out that

the cancer removed from Dominik's leg during surgery has not returned.

" We are not capable of seeing the future, but we are very optimistic, " said

Mr Feld.

" There are no traces of the cancer in his lungs and although there are still

cancer cells in his blood, they are no longer active. From now on it's just

a question of waiting - and of hope. "

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2004/04/11/wcanc11

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