He got arrested for it. But stands by it.
When Australian dad Adam Koessler gave his tiny daughter medicinal cannabis oil, it was a desperate attempt to ease her suffering. A small part of him was probably hoping it would save her life.
Rumer Rose is just two and has stage 4 neuroblastoma which attacks her nerve tissue. It’s in its final stages.
Watching his bed-ridden daughter suffer day in and day out has been excruciating for him. He’s a father. He’s meant to protect his daughter from pain and suffering. Instead Rumer Rose is lying in a hospital bed slowly and painfully dying.
After finding out about the effectiveness of cannabis oil on cancer patients he bought some, mixed it with coconut and gave it to her. He says the improvement was immediate. He told the Newcastle Herald, "She would say ‘Daddy, tummy’s not sore’ and she would be able to eat like a champion and began to gain weight. Her energy was up and she wanted to go outside with me instead of lay on her back with her legs curled up. Her skin colour came back, her eyes were sparkling again and we just looked at each other in complete amazement."
Adam - who is separated from Rumer's mother - traveled to Brisbane with his daughter so she could have further treatment and was arrested and charged with supplying a dangerous drug to a person under 16 and for possessing a prohibited drug.
He was released on bail on the condition that he not have contact with his dying daughter. The devastated dad sought permission from the court to visit his her and was granted supervised visitation, however was turned away by her mother and hospital security staff. He is due to appear in court next Tuesday.
Nearly 50,000 people have signed a petition calling on politicians to allow him to be with his daughter. They have remained spectacularly silent thus far and the lack of compassion being shown is mind-blowing. Adam is being supported by a further 30,000 people on Facebook and thousands of dollars has been raised to fund her treatment and her dad's legal fight.
The petition calls on Queensland premier Campbell Newman to intervene. It states:
It is inhumane and unjust to keep a parent, who acted out of love for his child [and] wanting to prolong her life, away from her during such severe illness.
Medical cannabis has been legalised in many countries and jurisdictions around the globe. There is ample evidence to show that it has many beneficial effects for cancer patients without the harmful side effects and other associated risks of current drug treatments. In fact working in conjunction with the recommended treatment regime, medical cannabis has also been proven to alleviate these adverse side effects.
Rumer Rose is now in intensive care and her condition is deteriorating but it may not be enough to reunite this father and daughter in time.
To support Adam and Rumer Rose you can visit the Fearless Father Facebook page here.
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