SKANDIA -- Like many ten year olds, Jacob Stieler enjoys hunting, hanging out with friends and playing football. But these extra-curricular activities were cut short when Jacob was diagnosed last March with Ewing Sarcoma--a rare form of cancer. He was treated at a hospital in the Lower Peninsula.
His battle with the disease captivated a nationwide following, and after a dozen rounds of grueling chemotherapy and radiation, his health was restored. He was cancer-free.
"Now that I'm back, it’s mostly to my normal life in a way, so I get all that put behind me,” said Jacob. “I very rarely think about it."
But Jacob's doctors say his problems are not all behind him and that further chemo and radiation is needed. Jacob's next battle will take place in a Marquette County courtroom. Following the advice of doctors, the state of Michigan will take the Stielers to court petitioning to the jury that Jacob's parents are negligent in refusing additional therapy.
"In the hospital, I couldn't imagine anything worse. It was horrible," Jacob explained.
Stieler and his parents say the chemo and radiation heavily ravaged his body, and any further treatment would be excessive for a boy without cancer.
"It's the most horrible thing, most horrific thing. He was sick, he was nauseous, he was extremely depressed. He told me numerous times he wish he could fall asleep and never wake up," recounted Erin, Jacob's mom.
While the Stielers are passing on conventional treatment, they say they are aggressively seeking alternative methods for nourishing Jacob.
"I think you need to be proactive and do your research and make an educated decision with your spouse and as a family," Erin said.
Family attorney Paul Marin of Marquette is representing Jacob’s parents. He says their case is unlike anything he's dealt with before and has the potential to set a legal precedent.
"If the parents are reasonable people, then they should be the ones making the medical decisions for their child," said Marin.
For now, Jacob's parents say they will continue to take their case to the public. Erin has already written to Governor Rick Snyder and met with state Senator Tom Casperson to tell her son's story.
"I'll do whatever it takes to protect my kids. They're my babies and I love them and like I said, nobody loves them more than us, and that's why we're in this fight,” Erin said.
TV6 News has reached out repeatedly to the Michigan Department of Human Services who filed the complaint. They declined to comment on the Stieler's case citing child protection laws.
The Stieler's hearing will be held on December 5 in Marquette County Probate Court.
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