The Free Press, Mankato, MN

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May 21, 2009

Local story goes national

Chemo case draws national media to New Ulm

By Dan Nienaber

SLEEPY EYE — A shaved head on a Schwann’s delivery driver was what first led Doreen Tyler to the story about Daniel Hauser, a boy diagnosed with cancer.

When the Sleepy Eye Herald Dispatch reporter asked the driver why his head was suddenly bald, he told her it was because a boy on his route had cancer and was being treated with chemotherapy. Tyler knew an interview with the boy would be a compelling story.

What she didn’t know then was that it would become a story of nationwide interest.

“I thought, ‘What a great human interest story,’” Tyler said. “It was the kind of story I love to do.”

But the Hausers were a quiet family and no one knew much about Daniel Hauser or his disease. Tyler attempted to arrange an interview with the family, but Daniel’s mother, Colleen, kept telling her to check back.

Then Tyler received a tip that Daniel Hauser’s case was going to court. She obtained court documents and attended one of the Hausers’ first hearings. Tyler learned the case was about Daniel’s desire to refuse chemotherapy, and Brown County’s request to force treatment.

“We figured early on it was going to be a big story,” Tyler said. “I was very proud we were the first newspaper to have the story, but I never thought it would go this far.”

There was modest national interest at first, including CNN coverage of District Court Judge John Rodenberg’s order Friday for Daniel Hauser to continue chemotherapy if the cancer hadn’t spread too much since first, and only, treatment in January.

That interest ballooned Tuesday when authorities learned Colleen Hauser had likely left Minnesota with her son. The Brown County Sheriff’s Department received information they were in California Tuesday. They were supposed to appear in court.

Jenny Boettger, Herald Dispatch publisher, said the newspaper started receiving calls from much larger newspapers, and ABC World News, requesting photographs of, and information about, the Hausers.

“We wanted to do a totally different story on a boy who had cancer,” Boettger said. “Unfortunately, the story since then has broken into a direction no one ever thought it would.”

Several television satellite trucks are now camped outside the Brown County Courthouse in New Ulm, where the Brown County Sheriff’s Department is leading the investigation into the Hausers’ whereabouts.

The media attention has helped the investigation, said Chief Deputy Jason Seidl. It’s helped get the word out about Daniel Hauser, increasing his chances of being returned for treatment before it’s too late.

But Sheriff Rich Hoffmann acknowledged that this investigation has been taxing for his 10-member staff.

“This is very new to our staff,” he said. “We’ve had some cases that were high profile but this is the largest. Hopefully, we have a good outcome.”

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