I think that there is a little more to this story. There was a thread here a day or day about it. IIRC, the child's disease doesn't allow for the lungs and ribcage to grow, so as the rest of the body grows, the lung capacity doesn't keep up with the need for oxygen. It seems that the child will slowly suffocate, even with a ventilator. I'll have to go look it up for sure. I can't rely on my memory here.
I believe you are correct.