Dad Fights Hospital to Keep Baby on Life Support

Doesn't the mother have custody of this child? Doesn't the parent that has custody makes this kind of decisions if parents are separated?

On another note, what a horrible place to be in for the parents. I pray to God that nothing like that ever happens to my son, Tristan, and if it ever does, I will pray for strength as I know I wouldn't keep my son laying in pain with no chances of having a good quality of life. I think either choice is extremely hard to make, for one, if kept alive, there's the pain to see the baby lay there, and for two, to make the hard decision to give this baby his 'wings'.

Can't any yoyo go to Wikipedia and write something??? It's a sad thing for the family but let's be professionals and at least quote reliable sources.

(Hmmm, interesting -- in the US ADN and BSN programs in which I've taught, we didn't allow students to use Wikipedia as a reference (because of the "anyone can write anything" factor).)

I'm aware of the "humanitarian" Bush's bill in TX (and the controversy about it), but, realistically, there is no law in any US state, that I'm aware of (I'm happy to be corrected if I'm wrong -- I hate to give out bad information), that requires physicians or hospitals to provide care they believe to be futile. Patients and families have the right to refuse any offered care that they don't want, but they can't make physicians or hospitals provide treatment that they do want if the providers believe it futile and don't want to provide it. US physicians and hospitals can refuse to keep people alive on life support now -- they just don't, because of the fear of lawsuits and bad publicity (I suppose that's why -- it's a mystery to me ...)

Neither of the two articles I read mentioned custody arrangements. I would imagine the father has some standing or it seems unlikely that the High Court would hear his arguments.

Regarding this child being in pain, I didn't see any reference to that idea. One of the articles spoke of another child, OT, who was in pain before life support was withdrawn, but not Baby RB.

I find two things disturbing about this particular situation. One is that this boy is not said to be brain damaged. In fact, it sounds like his mental capacity is expected to be normal. This is being used against him to say that because he will be aware of his limitations, he will suffer from comparing his life and abilities to those of "normal' children. Yet, if he were brain damaged, I'm sure the argument would flip the other way, with people saying that he should be allowed to die because his capacity would be so diminished.

Kids who have limitations from the start don't know anything different. They have what they have, and, while they might intellectually wish they had more complete abilities, the ones I've met don't "mourn" the loss of something they never had. My grandson with severe spina bifida wishes he could walk, but he doesn't waste time being wistful. Instead, he races around so adeptly in his power chair that his friends sometimes wish they had a power chair, too.

The second factor is that, even though the child's mother wants to end his life, he still has one parent who feels his continued existence is of value and is willing to go to bat on his behalf.

If this child can communicate in any fashion, can give and receive joy, can learn and have an effect on others, who is to say that his quality of life is too low for him to be allowed to live. If he is not in constant pain, whose suffering would be ended by ending his life? To those who say he will agonize over all the things he cannot do, I say this is a specious argument that could, in turn, be used to justify eliminating many children whose various maladies might drastically limit their options. Some of these kids go on to live amazing lives and have huge circles of family and friends who love them very much.

If the baby is not experiencing great pain, if he can connect and be connected with, and if he has a parent who is willing to be there for him, I hope the High Court grants the father's petition and lets this boy live.

What a horrible situation! There's no right or wrong answer, and I suppose there never will be. I can see both sides, and there's valid points to be made either way.

On the one hand, there's a very sick child, who even with the best care will most likely die at a young age. His body will bouce back now- things like pneumonia, UTI, lack of mobility- with the right care and antibiotics, he'll adapt. As the years go by; however, complications will occur. As the bones harden, mobility will go beyond nonexistant and into painful. PNA and UTI's will become resistant, poor nutrition will lead to low protein, leading to pressure ulcers that won't heal. The lungs will loose flexibility. Looking at it from a medical standpoint, there really is no hope for long-term life. To be a parent, and watch my child go through a year of such an existance with many more to come- I can see where the Mom is coming from. I'd want to turn the machines off, hold my child, love him and let him go.

On the other hand, I can see Dad's point as well. There are two things I'm sure are on his mind, as I would be thinking the same were I in his shoes. First off, there's the possibility of a cure, or at least, treatment that would be close enough. Anything is possible, especially to a parent determined to keep his kid alive. Secondly, the child has the possibility of normal cognitive function. That would tear my heart in two- were I in his shoes. The possibility. Consider Stephen Hawkings- not the best example as he had 20+ years of 'normal' life, but he proves the rare case that one can be locked in, but still capable. Then there's this child: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/ar...fe-chance.html

The clinician in me says, from available evidence, that there's no hope. The mother in me replies, there is always hope. Were it my child, I honestly don't know what I would do. I guess if there's a doctor willing to perform a trach, thus providing the opportunity to at least go home an try- maybe I would hold to that one hope and try. Hope is powerful. It's wonderful and dangerous. I've seen miracles arise from hope, and I've seen devastation from hope as well.

I agree with rn/writer all the way.

In particular I will second her vote that they do not withdraw life support for this child when one of the parents (the father) continues to see value in the child's life which is not overshadowed by suffering. I believe we should err on the side of life.

Oh yes YO YO can go there to. This is not a term paper and oh if you read one of the prior bloggers copied and paste the referrals from this Wikipedia all ready on this DX and Treatment from the Wikipedia topic,you most likely miss it. This Wikipedia is a informal web site and so is this blog. Of course they sometimes have Yo Yo and so does Some Professional Referral like even the LANCET sometimes had mistakes before. So you really have to be careful of the resources. If Wikipedia has a quote from a NIH,MAYO or Academy of Sciences etc.. I use it on this blog sometimes.
Like I said this is just article even about the child is a attention getter not a resource from a Professional Medical Resource and it is informal without enough information like my one liner. I also answer this before with Street Idiots and this time even a YO,YO can understand any disease can be
treatable to a degree ...but may not cure it even if it is with a hug or Kudos or ! Someone should start a professional resource blog on this topic if it this is so upsetting to them and oh they might want to use APA Term papers Format. As for me , I am over this nonprofessional article and will move on to another topic nonprofessional article and if the next one is is professional so be it. I can not wait until we blog again on another article together Capecodmermaid and I really hope you have a Wonderful Good Morning, Good Afternoon and and Good Night! Best Wishes

By itself, Wikipedia may or not be credible, but when used as a starting point to do further research, it can be a valuable resource.

Most of us have been responding to newspaper articles from the UK. While they may not contain the whole story (and what newspaper article does?), they offer sufficient information to at least begin a rational discussion.

Not sure what the YO YO references mean.

Wow. I can not imagine having to be in the parents situation but if I were, I would also be like the dad for the very reason that children who never had something don't miss it. As long as the child can see that his dad is still there for him and that his dad will be able to connect with him, there seems to me that there is no reaso that the child should be take off life support. Neither articles really mention that the child is gong to have a cognitive barrier so as long as the stimulation is there, the child could be mentally fine. But all in all very tough decision.