Makayla Sault undergoes health institute 'treatment' for leukemia

We have an update to a story we brought you in May. Makayla Sault is an 11-year-old girl from the New Credit First Nation in Ontario. She was diagnosed with leukemia in January and underwent part of a course of chemotherapy, her cancer went into remission. But the treatment was agonizing. Makayla and her family asked her doctors to let her quit the treatment and her doctors at McMaster Children's Hospital warned that she might die. But she and her family quit the treatment anyway.

The hospital referred the case to the Children's Aid Society. In the past, CAS has apprehended children whose parents have refused life-saving treatment. But in Makayla's case they said they wouldn't force her back into chemotherapy.

Makayla's family then spent thousands of dollars to go to a private facility in Florida called the Hippocrates Health Institute. Another First Nations girl has since gone there for the same reasons. But now, a CBC investigation has uncovered concerns about claims made by the director of that institute.

Connie Walker is a reporter with CBC's Aboriginal unit. She was in our Toronto studio.

Tomorrow an Ontario judge will rule on whether CAS will be forced to intervene or whether the controversial treatments will continue.

Connie Walker will have a full report on this story on CBC's The National tonight.

This segment was produced by Connie Walker as part of the Aboriginal Investigation Unit and The Current's Pacinthe Mattar.