Case of baby Charlotte
...ning breathing difficulties, although it was against her parent's wishes. Paediatricians applied to the court with a mass of evidence that showed Charlotte's quality of life was terrible and permanent. They announced that her chances of survival over the next 12 months were “approaching zero” and she would never leave hospital because of the problems she faced. Eventually, Mr Justice Hedley made the decision based on the baby's best interests. This principle is being used for deciding cases involving children who can't make their own decision or adults who have lost the capacity to do so. The judge said any further aggressive treatment, even necessary to prolong Charlotte's life isn't in her best interests. That means she may die earlier than otherwise she might have done, but in his judgment the moment of her death will only be slightly advanced. In order to benefit Charlotte, judge concluded that she must be given as much comfort and as little pain as possible; she can be given as much time as possible to spend physically in the presence of and in contact with her parents and should be allowed to slip away peacefully in the arms of those who love her most. The judge also asked the doctors to consider giving her a tracheostomy-the insertion of a tube threw a throat, that would make it easier to her ventilated, and they agreed to do so. Doctors will now resuscitate little Charlotte long enough to ensure her parents can be with her as she dies. Charlotte's parents are crushed with this decision but don't have another choice but to accept that this decision is in their child's best interest, but said it went beyond medical considerations... The couple believes the judge has signed their daughter's death warrant, just two weeks before her first birthday. Their solicitor announced that the Wyatt’s feel that it was most important that this case is aired in public because as a result everyone has had an opportunity to consider the extremely difficult issues faced by them and numerous number of other parents in their position. They also thanked the public for the support they have received. Charlotte’s case was the latest in the so called “right to live cases” that have come before courts. The guiding question for doctors and judges is whether the patient's life is worth living and bearable, or whether it has become so painful as to be intolerable. Almost a decade ago, David Bowen fought through the courts to continue treating his daughter Jaymee, who has given eight weeks to live if she wasn't given a specialist blood transfusion. Although the court ruled against Mr Bowen, an anonymous donor paid for Jaymee to have private treatment. However she died a year later. In July this year, Leslie Burke, who has a terminal brain condition, won the right to choose whether he should be artificially fed to prolong his life. Charlotte's case differed from that of Mr Burke is that she is a baby, leaving the court to arbitrate between the views of parents and the medical profession. Seven years ago, a judge overruled Orthodox Jewish parents who were against a hospital's plans not to resuscitate their terminally ill 16-month-old daughter when she stopped breathing. On the other side there is a case of Yvonne Newbold, a mother who won the fight to keep her premature baby boy Toby alive. Toby also had severe breathing problems and required months of ventilation. On 38 separate occasions he almost didn't pull through. His parents argued with doctors so many times to keep going when they felt it's best not to. Every time they managed to save him his mother would watch him scream in agony and asked herself if she had done the right thing. Today Toby is a 10-year-old who has the mental age of an 18-month-old, with life-long serious medical problems. But he is also a boy who enjoys blowing kisses to strangers in the supermarkets. He will never earn his own living and will need life-long care, but he can and does have a positive effect on people. So, how do doctors and judges know they made a good decision letting this kind of children die? Lots of q...