Life-or-death day for baby Charlotte

Times Online ^ | 4/17/05 | Sarah-Kate Templeton

[eeevil conservative]

THE PARENTS of a severely brain-damaged baby who has survived against the odds will find out this week if a court order allowing a hospital to let her die will be lifted. Last October Charlotte Wyatt was given just months to live after St Mary’s hospital in Portsmouth won the right not to provide life-saving treatment if her condition deteriorated.

But now hospital sources admit the 18-month-old baby may live on for “a considerable time” — potentially years rather than months.

At present, Charlotte is in an oxygen box most of the day to to ensure she has sufficient supply and to stop her breathing contaminated air. She can only come out for short spells when her parents visit. However, her breathing has improved: if the 60% of oxygen she needs from the artificial supply could be reduced to 30%, she would be able to go home with the aid of an oxygen mask.

Her survival has confounded predictions by doctors who told the High Court last autumn that she would catch an infection during the winter that would prove fatal if the hospital did not resuscitate her. Ventilating Charlotte would be “purposeless and intolerable to her” and she should be allowed to pass away peacefully, they said.

After lasting the winter, however, she was observed by her parents, Darren and Debbie Wyatt, from Portsmouth, to have limited sight and hearing. They returned to court in March to ask for the “do not resuscitate” order to be lifted. The court’s judgment is due this week.

The Wyatts asked that if Charlotte’s condition declined to the point that she needed resuscitation, she should be put on a ventilator for at least five days to give her a chance of survival.

A medical report commissioned by the couple’s solicitors confirmed that Charlotte was no longer in constant pain and that she had started to respond to lights and sound. But doctors at St Mary’s still believe ventilating Charlotte would not be in her best interests as it would only postpone her death and prolong her suffering.

This weekend a hospital source said: “It would be inappropriate to ventilate Charlotte as this could do her more damage and it would serve no purpose. Our clinicians have made a very considered judgment and I cannot imagine that the court will change its mind.”

Charlotte, who was born prematurely weighing just 1lb, will remain seriously disabled. Although her lungs have got stronger since October, her brain has not grown.

Data obtained under the Freedom of Information Act shows that even before this latest court hearing in March, the legal action has cost Portsmouth Hospitals NHS Trust, which runs St Mary’s, about £115,000.

The dispute has taken a huge emotional toll on the Wyatts and the doctors caring for Charlotte, who is now being treated by her third paediatrician because of the strained relationship between the family and hospital staff. This weekend Carol Glass, a friend of the Wyatts, said: “With the right treatment, Charlotte could live on.”

[eeevil conservative]

THANK YOU!! GREAT JOB!! This is INSANE! They are going against this baby's PARENTS! This is their baby! what right does a court have, to impose and ORDER the DEATH of someone's infant? Welcome to the WONDERFUL world of UNIVERSAL HEALTH CARE! Then GOV'T ("the people") pays your medical bills, then the GOV'T ("the people") gets to pull your plug! Nice, huh? And Hillary says she is PRO-CHOICE? NOPE-- SHE IS PRO-DEATH!

[IleeneWright]

I found THIS on that man, 68 year old Spiro Nikolouzos
in Houston, where the hospital wants to remove all life sustaining measures against his wife's wishes.

(*Please note the TWO different CRITERIAS which could implement involuntary euthanasia!)

I'll look for something with more info.


Spiro Nikolouzos

A patient's inability to pay for medical care combined with a prognosis that renders further care futile are two reasons a hospital might suggest cutting off life support, the chief medical officer at St. Luke's Episcopal Hospital said Monday.

Dr. David Pate's comments came as the family of Spiro Nikolouzos fights to keep St. Luke's from turning off the ventilator and artificial feedings keeping the 68-year-old grandfather alive.

St. Luke's notified Jannette Nikolouzos in a March 1 letter that it would withdraw life-sustaining care of her husband of 34 years in 10 days, which would be Friday. Mario Caba-llero, the attorney representing the family, said he is seeking a two-week extension, at minimum, to give the man more time to improve and to give his family more time to find an alternative facility.

I hate to say it, but this is a result of the law that BUSH created when he was Governor! Did he know that NO OTHER HOSPITAL would be willing to take on another hospital's patient, when he wrote this? Because THAT'S exactly the problem that these people in Texas are now facing!

How about a law which states hospitals can't REFUSE to take a patient from another hospital, so these families can have a fair shake at saving the lives of their loved ones!

I'm just absolutely FUMING right now!

[Lexinom]

Where there's life, there's hope.

[DaoPian]

I wish we had kept the Pope's brain alive.

[maine-iac7]

Her ability to respond to loud noise and track the movement of a colourful toy is in contrast to her condition last October when she was almost wholly unresponsive and required almost constant sedation.

how could she improve if her brain 'had not grown? and

Fed continuously through a tube, she is seriously undernourished

How is she seriously malnourished if being fed the proper nutrients?

I have friends whose doctors told them, in mid pregnancy, that their coming baby had NO brain...and recc. abortion. They refused. They took the matter to the Lord.

Their "brainless" daughter is now on the honor role in high school

[Sun]

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[Fam4Bush]

*ping*

[Fam4Bush]

"At the same time, I don't think that the courts have the right to kill patients (ala Terri Schiavo)."

Exactly...

Try this thread. A *little* different perspective. It seems to me as though this court, also, has that end in mind. As far as why they haven't tried another hospital, I don't know. Kind of looks like a financial issue....this baby needs a fund.

[Fam4Bush]

"At the same time, I don't think that the courts have the right to kill patients (ala Terri Schiavo)."

Exactly...

Try this thread. A *little* different perspective. It seems to me as though this court, also, has that end in mind. As far as why they haven't tried another hospital, I don't know. Kind of looks like a financial issue....this baby needs a fund.

[cgk]

BABY CHARLOTTE UPDATES (Current as of 7/18/05)!

(pinging the original posters on the thread as well as my Pro-life/pro-BABY ping list which is coming back online.)

-----------------

Charlotte Wyatt's Blog!

18 July 2005

Charlotte Comes Outside!

Recent Picture of Charlotte and Darren

Last Friday, for the first time in her life, Charlotte was taken outside (on the hospital grounds) for about half an hour. The Daily Mail has taken some pictures of this event, and those of you from England can see it in the paper news. Hopefully they will put the article on-line soon also. (There are a few mistakes in this article. . .)

Darren and Debbie are very happy with how she is doing, and last Saturday, although Charlotte had slipped out of her oxygen for about five minutes before Darren came by, she was still fine, and it was a great encouragement to them. He then played with her for a long time, blowing in her face, and watching her gurgle and smile at him. For about an hour she was on the nasal prong machine (which the hospital has started using again!), and then she was for about fifteen minutes with the oxygen mask.

[cgk]

Pro-life/pro-BABY ping! Update on baby Charlotte in post #30...

[cgk]

04 August 2005

New pictures

Charlotte is on 35-40% oxygen, but she is doing much better and goes on nasel prongs for some time every day. Here are some pictures taken in the last two weeks.

On nasel prongs:







Daddy and Charlotte

---

Hannah, 2:55 PM |

01 August 2005

Outside!

Here is a picture of Charlotte's first outing on 15 July. She is going out again tomorrow, and we are looking forward to putting pictures and video footage of that up here.

We are still waiting for the court date-- three more weeks? but our main hope now is for her to come home. Darren and Debbie are taking the final steps toward that, as their solicitor and independent experts now agree it is the best course of action. They've asked for another meeting with the hospital; which we hope will take place soon.

As Darren said in court, yes, we do belive in miracles. Charlotte has proved to be our miracle.

---

Hannah, 8:22 PM |

29 July 2005

Update on Charlotte

The court date is continually being postponed, but little Charlotte is getting better by the day and we are looking forward to the time when she can come home. On Wednesday she was for 7 hours on nasel cannula, a huge step in the right direction.

We have a new home-made video of Charlotte in the hospital, narrated by Darren, here. Many thanks to Blogs for Terri for hosting this for us.

---

Hannah, 10:21 PM |

[Donna Lee Nardo]

Thanks for updating this thread about baby Charlotte, cgk.

This is excellent news.

More prayers for Charlotte in the hopes that she will soon be reunited with her family at home -- where she belongs -- and that her miracle healing will continue.

[NYer]

Data obtained under the Freedom of Information Act shows that even before this latest court hearing in March, the legal action has cost Portsmouth Hospitals NHS Trust, which runs St Mary’s, about £115,000.

There it is! Euthanize anyone who costs the state money.

Catholic Ping
Please freepmail me if you want on/off this list

[skr]

Thank you so much for the update, especially the pictures! Pink, yellow and blue are particularly becoming on Charlotte. When I was her age, I certainly didn't have her lovely head of hair! Prayers will continue for the family.

[visualops]

God is Good.

[oceanperch]

Why is the baby in the hospital?
Why can't the parents do the tube feedings and O2 care at home. Many of us do high level care at home for a fraction of the cost.

It is not hard to learn all the care needs but is a full time commitment.

If the baby was at home then perhaps this would not be a court issue. Since now being in a hosp. the baby is essentially under the hosp. full time care and policies.
If the baby were to be cared for at home with the same medical needs done by Mom and Dad then they would be the custodial care or responsible party for the child.

So can someone explain to me why the baby after 18mos needs 24hr hosp care and has not been transitioned to home care?

I support the parents in the survival of their child but I get frustrated about cases like is when no one addresses why parents don't assume the care providing and want a hosp to be a long term facility.
Either find an appropriate long term care facility that cares for the severly disabled or take your child home and provide the care yourself.

Then perhaps the COURTS would not have to be involved.

[Alamo-Girl]

Praise God!!! Thank you so much for the ping!

[Salvation]

Praying for life and for this family!