Mother and son disappear after court orders cancer treatment

May 21, 2009

On Tuesday, Minnesota's Brown County District Judge John Rodenberg ordered chemotherapy for Daniel Hauser. He also issued the felony warrant for the arrest of Colleen Hauser, Daniel's mother. The judge said Daniel should be cared for in a foster home because the parents, Colleen and Anthony Hauser, medically neglected their son by refusing chemotherapy after only one treatment.

Sheriff Rich Hoffman said that there was a country-wide search across America for Colleen Hauser and her thirteen-year-old son Daniel who has Hodgkin's lymphoma after the pair fled a court order for chemotherapy.

The father, Anthony Hauser, told the press on Wednesday that mother and son left their home near Sleepy Eye without telling him where they were going. He also has not heard from them.

"If he's being cared for, and it's going to help him, I think it's going to be a good thing," Anthony Hauser said.

On Monday, an x-ray showed that the tumor is growing. The mother had been treating the cancer with herbal supplements, vitamins, ionized water and other natural alternatives from an internet regime. Colleen wanted to follow the native American Indian healing practices of the Nemenhah Band.

"He had basically gotten back all the trouble he had in January," said James Joyce, the family doctor.

The court proceedings revealed that Hodgkin's lymphoma is 90% curable with chemotherapy and radiation.

"I know people around here who’ve had chemo twice and they’re great. And I'm not saying alternative medicine is going to cure you every time." said Anthony Hauser who appeared Tuesday in court by himself.

"Running away when there is a court order is not the way to handle it. Go home. That's the official position of the church. Go home Colleen," said Chief Medicine Man Phillip "Cloudpiler" Landis of the Nemenhah Band, "it can't be good for Daniel's health."

Landis claims to have previously cured his own cancer by administering himself with the Chaga Mushroom. He feels that Colleen and Daniel have taken it upon themselves without approval of the court to seek advice of an Oncologist in Mexico.

Billy Best, a man who fled chemotherapy as a teenager in 1994 and claims to have cured his cancer with natural remedies, supports the Hausers' decision.

"I just want to help this kid. I just feel like people are ganging up on him and it's not fair. He's a nice kid, the family's nice, and they love him, and they want him to live," Best said.

The police alert sent around the country said that Colleen and Daniel Hauser might be with Billy Best.