Appeal over baby's right to life

[Trumplestiltskin 5,791]

Appeal over baby's right to life

Parents battling to keep their seriously ill baby alive have lodged an appeal against a High Court ruling allowing him to die.

The nine-month-old boy has a rare metabolic disorder and has suffered brain damage and respiratory failure.

On Thursday, a judge ruled it was in the baby's best interests for the NHS trust involved to withdraw his 'life sustaining treatment".

The baby, known as "OT", is being kept alive on a ventilator.

Neither the baby nor the trust involved in the case can be identified.

Solicitors for the boy's parents - Mr and Mrs T - confirmed they have lodged an appeal against the judge's decision.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/7956173.stm

A sad state of affairs. I wonder how this case made it to the courts to begin with.

[HAL 9000 96]

I wonder what rare metabolic disorder?

[fozzie 41]

Appeal over baby's right to life

Parents battling to keep their seriously ill baby alive have lodged an appeal against a High Court ruling allowing him to die.

The nine-month-old boy has a rare metabolic disorder and has suffered brain damage and respiratory failure.

On Thursday, a judge ruled it was in the baby's best interests for the NHS trust involved to withdraw his 'life sustaining treatment".

The baby, known as "OT", is being kept alive on a ventilator.

Neither the baby nor the trust involved in the case can be identified.

Solicitors for the boy's parents - Mr and Mrs T - confirmed they have lodged an appeal against the judge's decision.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/7956173.stm

A sad state of affairs. I wonder how this case made it to the courts to begin with.

Tricky one. I'd never want to have to make that decision.

[Peikko 1,575]

I don't know, unless this is one of those cases where the medical professionals are claiming that the child is effectively dead, that the machines are not keeping the baby alive, but that they are keeping the baby looking as though it is alive and the parents are refusing to accept that.

[HAL 9000 96]

Just checked...

Mitochondrial Disorder...

man... poor baby. It is indeed impossible to keep this particular child alive. The disease varies on a patient by patient degree of variance. Some can survive nearly normal, yet weakened, lives. Others die. In the US the prevalence is 1 out of every 4,000 births all-inclusive of the condition.

[Peikko 1,575]

Link

Regards why it went to court, apparently a change in the law came into force so that all such disputes go to court.

[fozzie 41]

Link

Regards why it went to court, apparently a change in the law came into force so that all such disputes go to court.

The baby OT died today, they turned off the life support.

"However his parents argued before he died "he experiences pleasure and that he has long periods where he was relaxed and pain free".

My answer to that is...and the rest of the time? He is pain. I think it was the right decision.