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When Elephants Fight...
A Commentary and review of The Power and the Glory, the story of Tyrell Dueck's fight with cancer and the world of modern medicine.
Jess Huffman
In 1633 Galileo Galiliei was brought before the Holy Inquisition in Rome for the crime of heresy. He was shown the tools and methods available to the Inquisition to cleanse him of the disease which caused him to challenge the, then, supreme authority in matters of life and death. Galileo was not only a brilliant scientist, he was a practical man, and politely refused to participate in further cleansing; voluntarily recanting his position that Copernicus was right about the position of the earth relative to the sun.
Three hundred and sixty five years later, a thirteen year old Saskatchewan boy, suffering from bone cancer, was shown the tools and methods available to the now acknowledged authority over life and death, and politely refused to participate. Unlike Galileo, Tyrell Dueck chose church and faith over science. This turnabout, however, did nothing to spare Tyrell in our enlightened and tolerant times. He too was brought before the court and he too was ordered to submit to the authority of the currently dominant paradigm of life - and how it should be prolonged or ended.
Tyrell's decision and the events surrounding it drew international attention. The core of the case against the Dueck's was the presumed undue influence of his parents, and his church in Tyrell's decision making process. In short, he could not make a competent decision, because the values he had internalized through his faith and his love and respect for his parents rendered him incapable of rational objectivity. His parents, of course, were equally irrational due to the influence of their church.
While we all shudder at the thought that some mind altering cult will seize a parent's common sense in these matters, this was patently not the case with the Duecks. Their faith in God, as they conceived of him and their faith in the relationship they had with that God strongly influenced their decisions, to be sure. Yet, they had also researched, requested and even at one point embarked upon an alternative treatment method to the chemotherapy, and amputation of Tyrell's leg, his oncologist insisted was the only workable regimen.
In his zeal to protect Tyrell from a perceived unhealthy influence of his parents and his church, The Minister of Social Services obtained a court order that Tyrell, too young to make his own treatment choices, must undergo his chemotherapy without the comfort of his parents present. In fact, when his sister accompanied Tyrell to the hospital she was declared a "psuedoparent" and also ordered home.
The account of Tyrell Dueck's last days is presented in a small press paperback written by his lawyer, Owen B. Griffiths, entitled The Power and The Glory. The issues insinuating themselves through The 125 pages of Tyrell's story are fascinating - and timely.
Does a thirteen year old child have the right to choose the manner in which he will live, or die? Do we, as citizens in a free country have the right to choose the type of medical care we, or a member of our family, receives? Does the Minister of Social Services have the authority to deny parents the right to choose a course of treatment for their child? Does the state have the right to deny an individual the freedom of his or her religion because it disagrees with those beliefs, or because that individual is thirteen years old? If it does, what does that suggest about our individual rights? All involved, keep in mind, were trying to do what they perceived was right and had the best interests of Tyrell Dueck in the forefront of their mind.
These are not easy questions, and to Griffiths' credit he makes no attempt to answer them. He presents his case, and allows you to act as your own judge.
It is an important book; because it is an important story.
The book is not widely distributed, but can be ordered from: 7th Generation, Dept. 101, Box #631, 202-4th Avenue N., Saskatoon, SK, S7K 3L7. The price is $14.95 plus postage and handling.