
A week long search ended Monday when Colleen and Daniel Hauser returned home to Minnesota after turning themselves into authorities with the assistance of a lawyer in California.
Daniel, 13, was reunited with his seven siblings and his father on the family’s rural Sleepy Eye farm, according to Brown County Sheriff Rich Hoffmann.
Although in protective custody of Brown County, Daniel was permitted to spend the night at his home with his parents and an on duty deputy.
Colleen Hauser was planning to take Daniel to Mexico for natural treatment of his cancer, but decided to return home, said a family spokesman.
"They were seeking the ultimate treatments ... natural herbal and other therapies versus the chemo and radiation they do in America."
Jennifer Keller, the California attorney who helped arrange the Hausers' return to Minnesota, said Colleen Hauser will continue to seek permission to use alternative treatments for her son's cancer "that aren't toxic."
"But she'll abide by what the court says," Keller said.
Asgaard Media, of California, paid for the chartered flight that returned Daniel and his mom to Minnesota. On its Web site, the company describes itself as "founded and advised by a group of forward-thinking, positive-minded individuals wanting to make a difference not only in their environment but in both the world of entertainment and the world around them."
Daniel’s custody arrangement and medical care will be clarified in court today in New Ulm, Minnesota. Colleen Hauser is not expected to be arrested because she voluntarily returned home, according to Brown County attorney James Olson.
But Olson noted, Colleen and Anthony Hauser would have little choice but to go along with the court’s desire to treat Daniel with chemotherapy.
"A lot depends upon the attitude of the parents, their willingness to get on board with a treatment plan," Olson said Monday.
Daniel was diagnosed with Hodgkin’s lymphoma in January. Earlier this month he was ordered into medical treatment after his parents ceased his chemotherapy, citing religious and other objections.
Without conventional treatment, Daniel’s chances for survival are five percent. With chemotherapy and radiation his chance of a cure rises to 90 percent, doctors have testified in court. #