Teen Who Battled Cancer and Virginia Turns 18

Starchild Abraham Cherrix had plenty of reason to celebrate his 18th birthday yesterday: His family says his latest tests show no signs of the cancer he’s battled since 2005.

And for the first time in two years he doesn’t have to report those results to the Accomack County court.

Cherrix won a court battle against state officials who tried to force him to undergo chemotherapy for his Hodgkin’s disease, a lymphatic cancer. He was allowed to treat it using alternative therapies, but his family was required to keep the court updated on his progress.

His case led to a state law named after him that gives Virginia teenagers and their parents the right to refuse doctor-recommended treatments for life-threatening ailments.

“Eighteen is the legal age; it’s like the ultimate checkpoint,” Cherrix said. “It’s exciting and invigorating to know that I will be able to do what I want with my health.”

Cherrix was diagnosed in 2005 with Hodgkin’s disease, one of the most treatable forms of cancer.

He was so sickened by three months of chemotherapy in 2005 that he refused a more intensive round when his cancer returned. Instead, he started drinking an herbal mix from a Mexico clinic. The tonic, called the Hoxsey method, is banned from sale in the United States, and the American Cancer Society says there is no proof that it works.

Cherrix’s then-oncologist alerted social-services officials, and the teen’s parents were charged with neglect. In August 2006, Cherrix’s attorneys and social-services officials agreed to allow the teen to forgo chemotherapy in favor of alternative therapies.

Cherrix since has been under the care of radiation oncologist Dr. Arnold Smith in Greenwood, Miss. Smith has been treating Cherrix with concentrated doses of radiation, plus immunotherapy – medicines and supplements, including a form of vitamin C, that he says bolster the immune system.

Smith initially treated a baseball-sized tumor on Cherrix’s neck. Later, more tumors showed up on scans.

Rose Cherrix, Abraham’s mother, said Smith reviewed blood tests this week and that they appeared to be cancer-free.

Her son continues to take vitamins and supplements recommended by Smith. He also adheres to a sugar-free, organic-based diet.

Cherrix said he plans to get his high school-equivalency certificate this summer after missing a lot of school from his sickness and court battles. He’s also thinking about getting computer training.

ILLUSTRATION: PHOTO

Originally published by The Associated Press.

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