After he had endured three months of ineffective treatments last year for Hodgkin's lymphoma, Abraham Cherrix rejected his doctor's recommendation to go through a second round of chemotherapy. He chose instead to seek out more natural, nontoxic methods using alternative medicine.

After doing his research, he traveled with his father to Bio-Medical Center in Tijuana, Mexico. His treatments included liquid herbal supplements and a sugar-free, organic diet consisting mostly of fresh fruits and vegetables. When they returned home, they spoke to Abraham's oncologist, Dr. Rebecca Byrd, to keep her involved in his care. Wanting no part of their choices, she promptly declared their decision irrational, labeled it “medical neglect” and called the Accomack County Department of Social Services.

Within days, the county Social Services personnel had been awarded partial custody of Abraham and, at 5:20pm on Friday, July 21, Judge Jesse E. Demps ruled that Abraham's parents were neglectful. They were ordered to take their child to the hospital on Tuesday morning, July 25, and sign papers authorizing doctors to provide the treatment that they – as medical professionals – deem necessary. If they refused to do so, they could lose custody complete custody of their child, and quite possibly, put their other four children at risk as well.