Jensens' deadline looms

• Parker remain in legal custody of the state but in the physical custody of his parents, unless the Jensens attempt to discontinue treatment against medical advice.

• The Jensens must disclose where they intend to reside when Parker is both in and out of treatment.

• Parker's passport must be surrendered to the state.

The Guardian Ad Litem's conditions make no mention of dropping the first-degree felony kidnapping charges that were filed against Daren and Barbara Jensen by Salt Lake County prosecutors. The Associated Press has reported that Daren Jensen has said that would have to be a part of any deal with state authorities.

It was unclear Tuesday if Salt Lake County would drop the charges.

Mollie McDonald of the Guardian Ad Litem's office said she was not certain of the extent to which her office's conditions were part of Tuesday's negotiations, although she said the AG's office was aware of them. She did say, however, that she felt it unlikely that the Jensens would want to agree to chemotherapy treatments.

Daren and Barbara Jensen have said that they are uncomfortable with the potential side effects of such treatments, including death, stunted growth, sterility and secondary cancers like leukemia. They were especially uncomfortable with asking Parker to submit to such treatment if it is unnecessary.

The Jensens maintain that Parker's initial diagnosis was inconclusive and that doctors could only say he has "micrometastatic disease" or the presence of undetectable cancer cells in his system. They also believe that a subsequent opinion from the Los Angeles Children's Hospital was a "rubber stamp" of the Primary Children's diagnosis. Doctors there did not have Parker's tissue samples and other medical information when they took their son to L.A. for an examination. That examination never took place, the Jensens have said.

Parker Jensen first noticed a small, whitish-gray spot beneath his tongue sometime last fall. A dentist and an oral surgeon both believed the spot was a clogged saliva duct, but a lab analysis done after the oral surgeon removed it indicated malignant cells, the Jensens have said.

Primary Children's doctors diagnosed Ewing's but refused to do additional tests, the Jensens said. That initial impasse led doctors to file a complaint with state officials.

Daren Jensen was arrested Aug. 18 in Idaho on the kidnapping warrant after a traffic accident involving one of his other children. He spent 48 hours in jail before posting bail. At that point, Barbara and Parker Jensen disappeared. They said later that they had gone to Houston, where the family had hoped to get a medical evaluation from a private cancer clinic. State officials blocked those attempts, sending a letter to the clinic requesting they contact authorities if the Jensens arrived.

Daren Jensen's decision to fight extradition to Utah prompted Gov. Mike Leavitt to ask top officials with the Division of Child and Family Services and AG's office to begin negotiations with the family. An arrest warrant for Barbara Jensen and the pick-up order for Parker were then temporarily lifted so that the family could be together during negotiations.

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E-mail: jdobner@desnews.com