Teen Undergoing Forced Chemo Urges Threats to Stop

In a plea via Facebook, 17-year-old Cassandra C. said Connecticut Children’s Medical Center and the Department of Children and families have received threats after last week’s Supreme Court decision, which ruled the teen was not mature enough to make her own medical decisions.

Cassandra, who has been diagnosed with Hodgkin's lymphoma, is required to undergo chemotherapy treatments until she turns 18 in September.

“Recently there have been a lot of threatening phone calls made to the hospital and to DCF," Cassandra wrote in a message to NBC Connecticut. "I understand there are people outraged by my situation, I am certainly not happy about it myself, but making threats is not and will not help me in any way at all.”

“When I ask about when they are going to release me, they are concerned about my safety because of the phone calls,” she added in a personal message.

Fortin and her daughter still do not agree with the State Supreme Court ruling last week that forces the teen to keep having chemotherapy. Nevertheless, they say some people have gone too far.

“I don’t think anybody should be threatening anybody,” said Cassandra’s mother, Jackie Fortin.

The Department of Children and Families took custody of Cassandra last month, saying in court documents that the teen missed doctor’s appointments and ran away from home after starting treatment.

“We never blew off appointments,” said Fortin. “We never missed appointments. Did we have to reschedule some because of our work schedule? Absolutely.”

Neither the DCF nor Connecticut Children's has commented on — or confirmed — the alleged threates. A representative for DCF said the agency wants to focus on making sure Cassandra receives the treatment she needs.

Meanwhile, DCF and the state Supreme Court have stood firm on their decision, saying Cassandra had her chance to prove she was more mature than her actions showed.

And looking back, Fortin stands by each decision she and her daughter have made along the way.

“We were doing what we were supposed to be doing,” she said. “So would I have done anything different? No.”

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