Health

Boy whose parents won court battle to stop his cancer treatment has died

Dec 28, 2016

Those who read the story of six-year-old Oshin Strachan, whose parents refused treatment for his cancer fearing it would destroy his quality of life, would surely remember how his parents’ actions split public opinion. Sadly, after lengthy court battles, Oshin passed away on Wednesday around 2.30am, after spending Christmas Day with his family.

Oshin Strachan was diagnosed with malignant brain tumour last December, however his parents, Angela Kiszko and Colin Strachan made the agonising decision to deny him treatment. The court heard evidence Oshin would have between a 30 and 50 per cent chance of survival for five years if he received both chemotherapy and radiotherapy. In September the court ruled Oshin be allowed to only receive palliative care.

The Family Court said that “by August 2016, specialist medical opinion confirmed that the delay in therapy had substantially reduced Oshin’s chances of a cure, which are now remote”.

The ‘Oceans of Hope’ Facebook page confirmed the death of the six-year-old in a heart-wrenching post.
“Dear, sweet Oshin has crossed over the rainbow bridge,” the post reads.

There will be a celebration of Oshin’s life and transcendent’s on Thursday, as well as an intimate ceremony at Oshin’s home.
His devastating death comes after Angela posted an emotional farewell online last Wednesday.
“I have no words to describe this process of letting go of this beautiful boy,” she wrote.
“Oshin has loved me so much, taught me honour, showed me fun, placed his trust in me, showed me very clearly children have voices and deserve respect and so so much more.” It must be a painful for a mother or father to experience such a loss.

Angela posted photos of herself, kissing her little boy on the forehead.

Oshin’s parents had refused treatment for his cancer, arguing it would destroy Oshin’s quality of life.
“I don’t understand it, and I’ve said that to the oncologist if I could understand your treatment I’d be for it but in my head I just cannot understand it”, said Angela to Liz Hayes in an interview with 60 Minutes.
“They’re treating cancer with a carcinogenic, or two carcinogenics, it doesn’t make sense to me and I find it really difficult to see that that’s called a treatment.”

A judge in the family court of Western Australiaruled the young boy was to be given chemotherapy to treat his life-threatening brain tumour, despite his parent’s opposition. But Oshin’s parents remained strongly against treatment, and the case returned to court in May because doctors again wanted the 6-year-old to have radiation treatment.

Oshin would have a 30 to 50 per cent chance of survival for five years if he received both chemotherapy and radiotherapy treatment, the court heard.
In September the court ruled Oshin be allowed to only receive palliative care.