Girl and her parents forced to fight hospital over treatment

The parents of an eight-year-old cancer patient have been told they must continue her treatment against their daughter wishes. Kathryn and Mark Richards, who support their daughter's decision to end her painful radiotherapy treatment, were told by Leah-Beth's doctors that the choice to discontinue treatment wasn't theirs or their daughter's to make.

Leah-Beth has been battling cancer for six of her eight years. Following a three year remission the cancer returned and the youngster has decided she doesn't want to continue with the painful treatment.

'We would rather she had some special months than painful years,' Leah-Beth's mother told The Telegraph. 'She can't walk downstairs, she is out of breath — what kind of life is that.

When the family came to a joint decision to stop radiotherapy, they were told that the decision wasn't theirs. 'They said that is why they had child protection services,' Mrs Richards recalls. 'I couldn't believe what they said and I was very upset.'

A spokesperson for the hospital told reporters; ' The Richards family is clearly facing a very difficult time and we are continuing to support Leah-Beth and her parents, and to discuss the appropriate care with them directly. We also want to reassure everyone that we only carry out treatment where we have been given consent.'

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