Attempt to Force Chemotherapy Upon Amish Girl to End - Finally!

A court-appointed guardian can drop her attempt to force an 11-year-old Amish girl with leukemia to resume chemotherapy, a judge ruled.

The decision is a big step in bringing an end to a months-long fight between Sarah Hershberger's family and a hospital. The struggle began when her parents decided to halt the treatments because they feared chemotherapy was killing her.

The ruling issued Thursday by Medina County Probate Judge Kevin Dunn also helps clear the way for Sarah and her parents to return to their farm in northeast Ohio. The family fled and went into hiding four months ago to avoid having the treatment forced on the girl.

Maria Schimer, an attorney who's also a registered nurse, was given the power to make medical decisions for Sarah after an appeals court ruling in October said the beliefs and convictions of the girl's parents can't outweigh the rights of the state to protect the child.

But Schimer said she decided to drop the effort and resign as guardian because it became impossible to monitor Sarah's health or make any medical decisions for her after she left home.

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Judge Allows Guardian to End Attempt at Forcing Amish Girl to Resume Chemotherapy