UPDATE: The Canadian courts have granted Baby Isaiah’s family another three weeks for medical assessment by the lawyers – http://www.lifesitenews.com/ldn/2010/jan/10012706.html. The case has garnered international interest and their Facebook page has grown from 5,000 members to over 25,000 within a week.
The Canadian government-run healthcare system has decided that saving one little boy’s life is not worth it -“medically” or “ethically”.
“There is no hope of recovery for Isaiah,” reads a letter from Alberta Health Services delivered to Isaiah’s parents and dated one week before the health care system intended to pull the plug on the baby it has determined irreparably brain damaged.
“Your treating physicians regretfully have come to the conclusion that withdrawal of active treatment is medically reasonable, ethically responsible and appropriate,” the letter states. “We must put the interests of your son foremost, and it is in his best interests to discontinue mechanical ventilation support.”
In two days, on January 27th, a Canadian court will either pull the plug on Baby Isaiah’s life or grant him an extension to see if he gets better – he suffers from possible brain damage after being born with the umbilical cord around his neck.
Court of Queen’s Bench Justice Michelle Crighton gave Isaiah’s parents one week, until Jan. 27, to find an independent expert – to determine if or when the baby should be taken off life-support.
But Baby Isaiah is showing signs of improving.
”He is doing everything they said that he would not do. Every day he does something new. So that helps us to fight,” the baby’s 23-year-old mother told CBC News. “His eyes dilate. He opens his eyes. He moves his limbs. He’s growing. He’s gaining weight. He’s living. They told us he would never do any of that.”
Is this what healthcare will look like if the Obama Administration gets its way? That’s what the parents of the Healthcare for Gunner coalition say. They are all parents of disabled children and are worried about the affects of government-run healthcare on the care, if any, that will be given to their kids.
Sam Sansalone’s daughter escaped near death the hands of Canadian doctors who needed to save resources rather than perform life-saving cardiac surgery. And Barbara Farlow, mom of Annie, who died after 80 short days of life at a Canadian hospital after a “do not resuscitate order” was given without her parents’ consent, sees the same thing happening to Baby Isaiah.
Barbara is currently in touch with Baby Isaiah’s family and is working to try to figure out how to save the little boy’s life.
Want to help? Go to Baby Isaiah’s Facebook page (http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=167085117294&ref=ts) and see what you can do. And please pray for the family and Baby Isaiah.
