Analysis: A Little Girl Died Because Canada Chose Cultural Sensitivity Over Western Medicine

“A Little Girl Died Because Canada Chose Cultural Sensitivity Over Western Medicine” by Jerry A. Coyne, 1/21/2015, this article explains how a 11-year old girl named Makayla Sault died from acute lymphoblastic leukemia after suffering from a stroke the previous day. Makayla could no longer deal with the pain and suffering of the side effects of chemotherapy treatment so her parents decided to no longer proceed with the chemotherapy treatment. The decision was based on her family cultural and religious beliefs. Alternative Medicine is not new to the medical community; however, the doctors argued that if the little girl would have proceeded with chemotherapy and standard treatment, she had at least a 75 percent chance of survival. Alternative medicine verses modern medicine is one of the most controversial topics because of the argument that many deaths could have been prevented just like the one in this story. I believe that this became a big issue because of Makayla’s age. People tend to show a lot more sympathy for children.
In my opinion the article, insinuates that the little girl death could’ve been preventable and some believe that Makayla didn’t died from the leukemia but from the decision made by the parents to choose Alternative medicine instead of modern medicine.
The family decision to choose alternative medicine was based on their religious beliefs. After careful decision and argument on both sides of the issues, the government agreed with the family and allowed Makayla to discontinue chemotherapy; she left the hospital to turn to traditional medicine. She was moved to an institute of “Alternative medicine” located in Florida where she later
died.

In my opinion, the doctors and the government should allow families to decide their love one’s fate, specifically when it comes to making a life or death decision. In other words, they should respect the wishes of patients, especially if it was communicated by the patient verbally or written through a living will which appoints someone to make decisions in the patient’s behalf. When family members are under the age of 18-year-old, the parent or immediate family member should have the right to make a medical decision for a love one in this case, the little girl was under age; however, she had the capability to express her concerns to her parent that she no longer wanted take chemotherapy because of the side effects. Makayla’s parents respected her wishes and agreed with her. I think that the parents should be given credit for trying modern medicine in the beginning; however, it appears not to be satisfying for their little girl because of the side effects. People make decisions every day, which have some type of outcome whether it is good or bad, for example, going jail to going to college. Makayla and her family made a decision to discontinue chemotherapy and go to alternative medicine which had a deadly consequence. It was a choice that the family had to make for their daughter. It is important to plan your health care treatment for you and your love ones. In my opinion, Makayla and her parents were making a health care choice and people should be able to makes choices when it comes to their health care treatment. In this article, the decision was made by the little girl and her parents. Most importantly, people should respect this decision for Alternative treatment. I believe that all people have the right to make their own decisions, regardless of what one’s personal viewpoints on traditional medicine or modern medicine. As caregivers, we are taught to be understanding towards one’s religious belief no matter circumstances and we must protect and respect patient’s rights ethically and legally.