A doctor at the University of Michigan hospital reportedly refused to treat a six year-old-girl, because the child was being treated with medical marijuana, specifically cannabidiol oil, for seizures. Missing 21 different genes, Bella Chinonis has been diagnosed with 1p36 deletion syndrome and has spent her entire life under the care of University of Michigan neurologists. Bella’s mother, Ida Chinonis, said that Bella’s pharmaceutical medications turned her into a “zombie.” While on prescribed medications, the six-year-old girl would not engage or even look at people. Additionally, the medication the child was given did not even treat her seizures. Ida asked the University of Michigan doctor about medical marijuana.

Bella’s doctor at the University of Michigan allegedly opposed her use of the medical marijuana when Ida proposed it.

“(I told them) I want to try the medical marijuana, and they said, ‘If you choose to do that then we will no longer treat her. We will have to discharge you,’” Bella’s mother said.

Ida reportedly opted to give her daughter the medical marijuana and searched for a new doctor.

Bella used to have five or six grand mal seizures lasting 10 minutes or more every month for her entire life, according to Ida. Ida began giving her daughter the cannabidiol oil and told Click On Detroit that she hasn’t had a seizure since the medical marijuana treatment began. The oil that Ida has been giving Bella doesn’t make the child high, according to Ida. Additionally, she claims the medical marijuana transformed her daughter’s life for the better.

“Her whole attitude has completely changed. She’s happier, she’s engaged, her eye contact is focused more.”

Given this decision, Bella’s doctor at the University of Michigan refused to retain her as a patient, according to Ida. A University of Michigan spokesperson reportedly told Click On Detroit that the hospital’s doctors do not advise their patients on using marijuana as a medication, because it is not approved by the FDA and reportedly said that there is no solid scientific evidence that proves that medical marijuana is beneficial to patients. The University of Michigan hospital also has a statement on its website pertaining to medical marijuana use among patients. That gives a clearer explanation of why some doctors do not advocate for its use and additional general considerations.

In February, after Bella had been on the medical marijuana oil for a month, her story was featured in Hybrid Life discussing new Michigan medical marijuana legislation. Ida told Hybrid Life she made the decision to see if medical marijuana could help her daughter after she had a seizure that Ida reportedly said lasted for an entire weekend. She told Hybrid Life, during that interview that since her daughter began the medical marijuana treatment, she has been virtually seizure free and hasn’t had seizures that lasted longer than ten seconds, which is a slightly different account that the story reported by Click On Detroit, wherein Ida allegedly told reporters that her daughter hasn’t had a seizure at all since beginning medical marijuana treatments.

After the Click On Detroit news report broke, a doctor from the University of Michigan hospital reportedly called the family and agreed to treat Bella, but would not prescribe medical marijuana to the six-year-old for her seizure disorder.

[Photo via Twitter]

Source: The Inquistr