I agree with you, but from what I've read about this Baby Joseph case it seems that the Canadian doctors refused to do the tracheotomy because it isn't really an effective "treatment" for the child at all. I think the only purpose of it is to enable the child to breathe without a ventilator.
I think that the real problem we are looking at here in this case is that it isn’t whether the procedure would help or not, but whether the parents have a right to determine the best way to treat the child. They understood that the condition was fatal and wanted to have his last days at home. From what I understand, they were even willing to pay for the procedure themselves.
When Obummer care is in full swing in the USA we will be facing the same issues. We will not be able to determine our own treatments even if we are willing to pay for them ourselves. God help us.