Several years ago, before we moved back to NZ, I remember getting an email which described a seemingly unbelievable story of a young girl (named Lisa in the article) who was being treated, against her will for cancer in NSW. The email told a horror tale of how her family had had all their rights taken away with regard to her treatment with even their visitation severely limited and how she was being forced by doctors, the Dept of Community Services (DoCS) and the courts, to undergo surgery and chemotherapy.
In the years since, I had often thought of her and wondered whatever happened. I knew that she was likely to be dead, but wondered what had happened with regard to her family and their rights.
Well, I just found out the answers. The book Sarah’s Last Wish (A Chillling Glimpse into Forced Medicine) was released just a couple of weeks ago in Adelaide and I have just finished reading my copy. A chilling tale it is indeed.
The little girl’s real name was Sarah Westley and she lived in Gloucester, New South Wales. She was 11 years old when she was diagnosed with ovarian cancer and 12 years old when she died after being treated horrendously by doctors and staff in NSW hospitals as well as social workers and caseworkers from the NSW Department of Community Services (DoCS).
Sarah’s very sad story began when she was admitted to hospital in pain, vomiting and quite ill and the doctor diagnosed her as being 14 weeks pregnant even tho at 11 years old she had no signs of puberty and no tests had been done to confirm the diagnosis. DoCS was notified at this point. Sarah was eventually correctly diagnosed as having ovarian cancer – with a football sized tumour in her belly.
This very sad tale goes from bad to worse as doctors and staff created a false picture of a weird ‘hippie/alternative’ style family who belonged to some weird religion or cult that is anti medicine. This false picture of this hardworking 4th generation Australian farming family began when the hospital doctor got in touch with the family GP to get a picture of who he was dealing with at the time of the incorrect pregnancy diagnosis. The incorrect innuendo was written in Sarah’s case notes which were then passed from one hospital to another painting an incorrect impression of the parents before they were even met.
Two oncologists were involved in Sarahs treatment – one in the regional hospital near Gloucester and one in Sydney. Both were heartless, cruel and seemed to have massive egos, so that even when they didn’t know what they were doing with Sarah’s rare cancer, their subsequent errors in her treatment were never admitted to. These doctors lied to the courts and omitted information so that the courts and DoCS would do their bidding with regard to overriding the parents rights, Sarah’s rights and ensuring that they could do whatever they wanted with Sarah and her body and Sarah was reminded often by both the doctors and hospital staff that it didn’t matter what she wanted, they were going to do to her whatever they wanted. It was going to be done to her anyway and it wasn’t up to her or her family and she should just accept it.
Sarah’s parents were not anti medicine or anti anything for that matter. They were asking questions that all good parents would or should ask in the same situation – ‘Is this the best treatment for my daughter? and can you show me the studies that confirm that?”. They wanted whatever was going to be best for Sarah.
The doctors gave the parents no information, no studies – nothing. They kept them in the dark. Never were they told that their daughter had stage IV cancer when she was diagnosed and nor were the courts told.
Instead the doctors made out that her cancer was very curable with an 85% cure rate or more and so of course the courts went along with what they were told.
Sarah’s case was discussed in front of her, as tho she were not there. She heard that the cancer would kill her. She heard that without the chemotherapy she would die and she also heard that the chemotherapy could kill her. At 11 years old, she was confused and scared. Sarah was basically held down while chemotherapy drugs were forced into her veins. She was dragged kicking and screaming to surgery to have her spleen removed when there was no reason for it to be removed and without warning. Neither she nor the parents were informed that it was happening until they came to get her.
The doctors and staff treated her and her family very badly. They showed no compassion, no understanding. All bar one nurse and one surgeon treated her like they would a lab rat.
While the doctors and hospital staff were inflicting all of this on her, DoCs brought court hearing upon court hearing on the family, almost sending them bankrupt. The family had their home invaded many times including their parents home on the same property. Paperwork was rifled through and taken (then returned in the mail box!).
DoCS workers treated Sarah and her family like criminals with no compassion or understanding. They eventually took away all of the parents rights to Sarah. They were only allowed to visit 2 hours per day (even that was cut down by hospital staff whose discretion it was left as they decided that phone calls Sarah made to family and friends should be included in that 2 hours). Sarah was not allowed to get too close to her parents or siblings and not allowed to talk in private.
Sarah’s parents were not even allowed to ask questions regarding the treatment of their daughter or they could be locked up for contempt of court.
DoCS forced Sarah to go to school every day even tho she was having chemo and was incredibly weak and ill – she was dying from cancer -she was in pain and had trouble just walking and yet they forced her to go to school. If she didn’t go they were going to put in a foster home and her parents would never see her again most likely.
This poor girl in the end was suffering from post traumatic stress disorder and it’s not surprising. What she was put through by these doctors, hospital staff and DoCS was criminal and they should be locked up for it in my view. She was treated inhumanely, without regard for her rights. She was tortured, and abused both physically and mentally.
I’m so glad that Eve Hillary has written this book. People around the world need to know that this can happen here in Australia and in particular in NSW (when you read the book you will find out why).
The doctors and hospital staff and DoCS workers involved in this childs ‘care’ (for lack of a more suitable word), should read it also and I hope they have the guts to do so. If I were to meet one of them I think I would feel the urge to spit in their face to be honest – anyone who can treat another human that way and in particular a child does not deserve any more respect than to be spat at. (It’s not something I would do, but the feeling would be there).
There are other similar atrocities happening in various countries around the world, both here in Australia and in the USA in particular where the rights of the child and their family are being ignored and the ego’s of Oncologists and doctors are driving the misuse of the court systems to get their way and force-ably do what they ’say’ is the best thing for the child, with no regard for what the child wants or the family. Those with children and grandchildren need to be aware that this can happen. If it can happen to the Westley family in Gloucester, NSW it can happen to anyone.
Sarah’s last wish was that no child should have to go through what she was put through and her father is working now to try to make Sarah’s wish a reality. By reading and sharing this story, we can all play a part in this sad reality changing for the better.
Click here to get a copy of Sarahs Last Wish. You can read the first chapter free and then purchase either as an E-book or order a hard copy. Read it and tell everyone about it. This is a story to be shared.
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