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Family friends of Christina Dixon said she preferred to use CBD oil to treat her daughter
Christina Dixon makes her first court appearance via video call, Aug. 15, 2019. (KOIN)
PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) — The Oregon mother who prevented her daughter from receiving surgery for liver cancer has been sentenced to 90 days in jail.
Former Wilsonville resident Christina Dixon was also sentenced to 24 months of probation on Tuesday morning, according to the clerk of Clackamas County Circuit Court Judge Michael Wetzel.
On June 6, 2019, Christina Dixon’s daughter Kylee Dixon — who was 13 years old at the time — failed to show up for a scheduled medical operation. The Oregon Department of Human Services then deemed the teen a ward of the state, and ordered her mother to return her to officials.
The two were found in the Longhorn Casino and Hotel in Las Vegas just a few days after the search began. Kylee was taken into protective custody without incident. Her mother turned herself in to the Clackamas County Jail two months later, in mid-August.
According to family friends who attended a rally in support of the Dixons, Christina’s research on liver cancer introduced her to a naturopathic doctor who said traditional remedies could shrink Kylee’s tumor to just 10% of its size.
Previous Facebook posts from family and friends claimed Christina preferred to treat her daughter’s cancer with natural medicines, like CBD oil. The American Cancer Society reported that cannabinoids “can be safe in treating cancer”, but there’s no evidence to prove they can control or cure it.
In November 2023, Christina was found guilty of two counts of first-degree criminal mistreatment and one count of first-degree custodial interference. An additional custodial interference charge was dismissed.
Those in support of Christina have argued the government shouldn’t have authority over which treatment parents choose for their children.
“Oregonians have rallied behind Kylee and her mother because we believe in medical freedom and the right to a second opinion,” Republican Sen. Kim Thatcher said in June 2019. “No child should be forced to undergo life-threatening, previously failed drug treatments and surgery.”
The Oregonian reported Kylee was diagnosed with cancer in 2018 and had 3 rounds of chemotherapy. She underwent successful surgery in early 2020, prosecutors said.
This is a developing story. Stay with KOIN 6 for updates.
