Teen forced into cancer treatment

I don't really know many of the details of this story except what this Associated Press story says.

The basics:
Starchild Abraham Cherrix is a 16 year old boy who is in his second battle with cancer. The first time around the chemo made him sick, so he doesn't want to do it again. His parents agreed to let him make the decision and are supporting what I would call a "new age" type of treatment. Along the way a social worker didn't think this was a great idea and got the government involved. The parents have been found negligent and the court has ordered the chemo. The parents and the state have joint custody of the young man at this point.

My thoughts:
On face value this seems like the government over reaching. I don't know what went into the decision to give joint custody, so if there are more facts out there, please don't start sending me hate mail. I've been around enough chemo patients and enough people who chose to decline chemo to understand that it is often a good decision. I don't know the survival chances this chemo brings; there is a lot I don't know, but I do know that it should take something significant to take a child from their parents. Allowing a 16 year old who knows from personal experience what he is facing to make a hard decision isn't enough in my book. It is his life. If this is a decision that was made without coercion and with full understanding of its implications, I just don't understand how the state has the right to do what it has done. Maybe; Maybe if he was 10 years old, but 16 isn't a kid in my book.

I have no doubt that we will learn more facts over the next few days. The story is on its way to the mainstream media since I picked it up on the Drudge Report. I'll try to keep you informed.