Abraham Cherrix: The Ballad of Abraham

Abraham's personal site includes a song written about him by Charles Lowery. Entitled "The Ballad of Abraham," the song tells the story of Abraham's fight with cancer and the courts up until just before last weekend's rulling. The Rebelution has transcripted the words of the song (below). You listen to it by clicking here.

The Ballad of Abraham
Written and Recorded by Charles Lowery

Down in Chincoteague, Virginia a teenager brave and strong / He loves to paddle the water and study all the stars / His parents run a local business, kayaking, the waters around the land / They homeschool their five children, the oldest is Abraham

Now Abraham is fifteen years old, he's lean and he is tall / He helps his dad with the kayak tours, all the tourists, they know him well / He studies the ecology and the environment around his home / He helps raise his brothers and sisters, they all love him so

Now some might call it paradise, the island where he lives / Living so close to nature has made him a unique kid / It was a heartbreak to the family when the doctor had to tell / Of the cancer in his body, but Abraham, he took it well

He resigned himself to chemotherapy and the weaker he became / He never lost his smile, he said, "I'll be healthy again" / For over a year he struggled, he had health and love and hope / But the treatment wasn't working, more chemo, he'd have to cope

Then the parents, they did a lot of research, as many families do / They decided with their son that maybe chemo wasn't the cure / Abraham said the chemo was killing his body, and so / He said he'd have no more of it, a natural cure became his goal

So they went to California and down to Mexico / They found a cancer clinic they believed reliable / The family they were satisfied with the treatment that was prescribed / A natural alternative method, Abraham said, "I will survive"

Then someone informed the authorities and they called it child abuse / The judge ordered tests for more chemo and he said there's no excuse / Your parents will lose custody the law you must obey / Abraham went to the hospital, refused the tests, he said, "No way"

Now the fight is just beginning, what will the judge decide? / Take Abraham away from his family, the loved ones in his life? / The doctors say either way his chances are not good / His life is the hands of God, this, Abraham understood

How can they force the chemo on a young man who will refuse? / How can they force a family which method is best to choose? / How can they take Abraham from the family that he loves? / Do you think that this will help him? The doctor said, "Not very much"

Abraham's father has a message to the families of our land / He said, "I am a combat veteran, I fought in Vietnam?" / "But this is the worst thing that I've ever been through" / "Go tell you children you love them and pray this never happens to you"

For full coverage of Abraham's story, click here.