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Ohio girl in hiding to avoid chemotherapy

AKRON, Ohio — An Amish girl with leukemia spent time at a natural cancer treatment center in Central America after she left home with her parents in Ohio to avoid being forced to resume chemotherapy treatments, the girl's grandfather said.

Sarah Hershberger, who recently turned 11, her parents, and the couple's baby daughter now are in hiding in the United States, Isaac Keim said.

The family left their small Amish community days before a state appeals court appointed a guardian in October to take over medical decisions for Sarah, said Keim, who told the Akron Beacon Journal that he accompanied them to the unnamed clinic.

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The Hershbergers have been fighting doctors at Akron's Children's Hospital in court for months after the parents decided to halt the treatments because they were making Sarah sick.

Doctors say her leukemia is treatable but she will die within a year without chemotherapy. The hospital sought to force treatment after the family decided to try natural medicines, such as herbs and vitamins.

The family appealed the court decision that gave a lawyer who is also a registered nurse limited guardianship over Sarah. They do not plan on returning until the ruling is reversed.

''What kind of gift would that be, if we could get this resolved and they can come back home without a fear of being in contempt of court or having their child snatched away,'' Keim said. ''We're praying every day that this thing can be resolved and get their lives back together.''

The Hershberger's five other children are staying with community members near their farm outside the village of Spencer in Medina County, about 35 miles southwest of Cleveland.

Keim said that CT scans and blood tests show that the natural treatments are working. He said she is cancer-free.

''She's a vibrant, healthy girl,'' Keim said.

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Associated Press