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We started off talking about the 8 year old girl who has decided she no longer wants to be treated for cancer, at what age should a child be able to choose her medical treatment?

In the studio is David Banks, who has started a fundraising campaign for leukemia research in the name of Josie Grove. Josie is the sixteen year old girl from the north of England who is stopping her leukemia treatment even though she will die.

He started off telling us why she had decided to stop her treatment. She says she wants her remaining years to be enjoyable with her family and friends..However long that may be.

Jo Tolck also joined us from the Human Life Alliance, which is a pro-life organisation in Minnesota.

Barbara sent us this email...

I am an Oncology nurse and i believe the decision to discontinue treatment must /should be made jointly between the child, the parents and any person who has been with the child throughout the therapy. It is unacceptable that some self proclaimed expert should intrude themselves into the decisions about therapy and quality of life. Everyone will die someday. Quality of life has meaning. I often see some relative show up after years of treatment and suffering of a family to declare everything must be done. The Care team must do everything they can do to alleviate suffering and if the child and the family want to stop they should no fe forced to go on..

Ahmad in Kano Nigeria texted us..

The treatment is more painful than dying. Everybody will die no matter the treatment for any ailment!

John and Simon joined us from the UK. John suffers from cystic fibrosis and was diagnosed when he was 18 months old, his parents were told then that he may not live through his teens. He's now 23 years old.

He said he has always tried to maintain an active lifestyle, but at times he has felt like refusing treatment for the condition.

Johns father Simon talked about how difficult it was to see him through the years of treatment.

Lewellyn from Freetown says..

I think the girl is too young to take such decisions. Her mother should encourage her to continue taking her treatment.

Sammie B. Fania of Liberia texted to say

I think states legislations should be the most possible option, since they are by law not entitled to such decision due to age limit.

Thomas in Nigeria says...

I feel the child has the right to discontinue the therapy, she is the one that feels the pains and not the law, who will live forever any way!

Tod in los Angeles emailed...

Being a cancer victim, I know about the ravages of treatments. However, they are still children. A better means of deciding such things is to appoint a child advocate. This would ensure the decisions of parents, doctors AND the child were in line with the accepted prognosis of the disease.

We moved on to talk about the US congressman who sent a letter to constituents calling for tougher immigration laws after a muslim was elected to Congress..

A friend of the show, Neil in Detroit has emailed..

I am appalled at the blatant Christianist behavior. Not only is Rep. Goode's comments hateful and discriminatory it is also wrong and a violation of the the terms his working agreement. Namely to uphold the Constitution of the US which explicitly states that no religious test shall ever be required to hold office. He is also very wrong in portraying this as unprecedented. There are too may examples to list but my Representative in Congress and one of my Senators are Jewish and they have never taken an oath on a Christian Bible to take office in their combined 30 years of service to the Federal government.

Jo in the US is very unhappy that we're doing this..

Please, there IS room and not only is there room, it is desirable to have a Muslim in our congress. extremists are extremists. We have been assaulted by Christian fundies , and Jews have done better historically under Islam than under Christianity! We don't want extremists, but we do want diversity! And Muslim leaders HAVE denounced the violence in reaction to the cartoons they just have not gotten the same press exposure. Please don't give such air time to racists!

This Anon text has come in...

If this Congressman had talked about Jewish invasion everyone would have called for his head!

Ogbuagu in Nigeria says..

The comment by the Congressman is an imitation of the EU immigration policy,but with specious reason.Please dont destroy tolerance!.

Ayub Nuri from New York says..

I am a Muslim from Iraq now in the US. I believe a Muslim who wants to get to the house of representatives wants nothing but work for people. And other christian and jewish representatives should appreciate that they have a muslim with them who understands a big part of the american society that's the muslims.

And finally, we asked you what kind of strange weather conditions there have been where you live...

Ken emailed us...

Here in Ohio the temperature is usually at the freezing level for the bulk of December and the snow is at least ankle deep. Not this year! We've only had 1 snowfall and I've only worn wear my winter coat 2 times this year! The winters here have been betting milder and milder every year. I'm beginning to become concerned.

Keep sending us your weird weather worries!

Signing off for tonight, have a great Xmas, we're back on air on Monday!