vol2 - Page 117
Page 117
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....... doctors were not willing to say in public what they told their
patients in their offices: _Get some marijuanaź _
59. Throughout the spring and summe_ of 1979, Keith
continued his chemotherapy treatments and smoking marijuana.
He continued to assist other patients°
60. In early October 1979_ my ihusband and I returned to
Lanslng_ Michigan, for additional hearing,s before the Rouse
Committee on Public Health. Keith was not with us. He was
back in the hospital. Despite his contln_ling chemotherapy
treatments his cancer was spreading and growing worse.
....... 61o We testified again. On this occasion we were joined
by. another family, the Negens, from Grand Rapids, Michigan.
The Negen family had testified at the earlier hearings before
..... the Senate, but had not given their names,, At the time of the
Senate hearings their daughters Deborah, _:hen 21, was in
remission from her leukemia. At the second hearing, however,
her leukemia was no longer in remission and she was receiving
chemotherapy treatments again.
62. The Reverend Negen is pastor of the very conserva-
tive Dutch Christian Reform Church in Grand Rapids. He spoke
of how he had prayed for guidance and had come to rea!ize that
if getting marijuana to help his daughter through the terrors
of chemotherapy offended his congregation he would leave his
church_ _e knew he was breaking the law. But his daughter was
suffering° _e spoke movingly about having to send his own
young sons into the streets of Grand Rapids to purchase mari-
juana for his daughter's use. Marijuana was_ he emphasized to
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