Thursday, July 3, 2008

Mom Charged With Denying Son Cancer Meds

SALEM, Mass. -- A Beverly woman faces charges for allegedly withholding cancer medication from her 8-year-old son.

Jeremy Fraser, who is autistic, was diagnosed with non-Hodgkin's lymphoma in 2006. He was treated and went into remission, but the cancer has returned. Jeremy's doctors said that would not have happened if he were on his medications.

Prosecutors said his mother, Kristen Anne LaBrie, 36, failed to fill more than half of those prescriptions. The boy's father, Eric Fraser, said that he is outraged.

"There was no medication found in his system for his at-home chemo that was supposed to be given to him at night," Fraser said.

Doctors and Salem police hold LaBrie responsible. They said she has not filled the boy's prescription since last summer and she canceled or delayed hospital treatments. Now instead of being in remission from non-Hodgkin's with a 90 percent chance of survival, he has leukemia with a 10 to 20 percent survival rate. Treatment has stopped on the advice of doctors.

"I am beyond the point of being angry and being mad. Right now, I am taking care of my son and enjoying every second I spend with him," Fraser said.

LaBrie was released on personal recognizance after Monday's arraignment. Phone calls to LaBrie and her attorney Tuesday were not returned.

Fraser's father and sister are helping with Jeremy's care.

Fraser said that he had to stop seeing his son last year because every contact with his former wife was volatile.

"If I had those answers, this would be a lot easier for me to handle. This is something I am going to take to my grave," Fraser said.

Fraser now has full custody of his son. He said that right now, Jeremy's life is a waiting game and that every day is a gift.

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WTF!? I want 5 minutes with this woman. Just 5.

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