Posted on 03/17/2011 10:20:39 AM PDT by wagglebee
Baby Joseph Maraachli, the 14-month-old Canadian infant who was denied the medical procedure in his country, will get a tracheotomy either today or tomorrow that will allow the child to live another 6 months.
Joseph was rescued late Sunday from the Canadian hospital by Father Frank Pavone of Priests for Life, who paid for a private specialized medical plane to take the boy to SSM Cardinal Glennon Childrens Medical Center in St. Louis, Missouri so he could have the medical procedure before his parents take him home, where he will likely die soon from a degenerative neurological condition.
A team of specialists at the Catholic hospital have evaluated Joseph, who was in serious but stable condition, on arrival from London, Ontario Health Sciences Centre. In a statement released earlier this week, Dr. Robert Wilmott, Cardinal Glennon Hospitals chief of pediatrics, said Joseph likely will have a tracheotomy performed by the end of this week to facilitate his transition to a skilled nursing facility.
His parents want the tracheotomy done so he can die at home with his parents and family rather than at a hospital. Dr. Robert Wilmott, Cardinal Glennon Hospitals chief of pediatrics, said Joseph likely will have a tracheotomy performed by the end of this week to facilitate his transition to a skilled nursing facility.
The terminally ill child is expected to get the procedure done either today or tomorrow and Moe Maraachli, Joseph’s father, told the St. Louis Post-Dispatch he just wants to take his son home “and let him breathe.”
“Let me take him home and let him breathe. If he will die, he will die because he’s sick, naturally,” he said. “I fight for him because that’s my job for my son. He’s never given up, because I’ve never given up.”
Meanwhile, Moe says he plans to catalog the events of what has happened with Jospeh for a potential book that can help other parents of disabled children learn how they can fight for proper medical care and treatment for their little ones.
Pavone talked about the rationale behind helping the infant.
We’re not saying that people should be kept alive at any cost. Nor are we saying that theres any specific treatment plan here that we’re imposing, Pavone said. What we’re saying is Give the baby reasonable care and listen to the parents who want to give the baby a second chance in an American hospital.
The family of Terri Schiavo understands the plight of a patient denied medical care and Terris brother Bobby Schindler has been helping Josephs parents get him to the United States from Canada. He applauded the rescue and is glad Joseph will be receiving proper care.
This is a great victory for Baby Joseph, his family and for all the people and organizations that were committed to helping this precious child, he said. I’m just delighted that a groundswell of support began once we met with the family in Canada, and thankfully, Priests for Life followed with their help. Not only is this significant for this child but for all the medically dependent whose lives are at risk of health care rationing.
Schindler added: Baby Joseph was hours from being pulled off life support at LHSC before his situation made national headlines, forcing the hospital to cease its efforts to end the babys life. Fortunately, through the advocacy of various organizations and countless people, Baby Joseph was transferred to SSM Cardinal Glennon Childrens Medical Center in St. Louis.
Joseph has been at London Health Sciences Centre in London, Ontario, since October with a rare deteriorating condition that is not improving. The doctors who have cared for him want to remove his breathing tube but Moe Maraachli and Sana Nader took their battle to court to allow the tube to be removed at home, so the boy can die surrounded by his family.
A Superior Court judge in London, Ontario, dismissed the request of the Canadian couple to overturn a decision requiring the removal of their babys breathing tube in a hospital instead of at home.
Joseph cannot breathe on his own since he suffers from a severe and fatal neurological disorder. His sister, Zina, suffered from a similar condition and died years ago.
Perfectly stated!
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If that is what is meant to be, it means that Joseph will have that much more memories of his loving parents to take to heaven with him.
What is this disease?
My heart breaks for this little boy and his family.
May God bless and protect them all.
I mean, come on, a tracheotomy...they do those things out in the field!
Give the kid a trache and send him home to die with his parents...but oh no, we got to remove the breathing tube and be done with him.
Give these people an inch they take a mile.
I think this whole episode makes Canada looks mighty small and it sure gives the whole notion of socialized medicine an odor.
Coming to America real soon.
Poor little guy... may his final days be at least somewhat comfortable.
God Bless Baby Joseph and the Maraachli family.
I’ve been there with losing a child... they take a part of your soul with them.
I am praying for Baby’s full & unconditional recovery, perhaps through the intercession of JPII.
God bless this child, Fr. Frank, the parents, the doctors, nurses & everyone who is making his final days more comfortable. May his case convert the hearts of many.
Innocent babies are the acceptable outlet for the ambient cruelty of atheistic modern culture.
“I mean, come on, a tracheotomy...they do those things out in the field!”
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Well, the problem of course was that no dim-bulb Canadian bureaucrat, could locate the clause authorizing this simple procedure in the 7,643,121 pages of regulations. That, and they couldn’t locate form T543-234L-6Y1.
Trust me, the talentless overseers who make a career out of telling the truly productive what to do, LOVE this kind of arcane nonsense, even if it kills people.
bttt
Give the baby reasonable care and listen to the parents who want to give the baby a second chance in an American hospital.
Well said. Now please dear God please tell me that we are sending them the bill. I tell you between this and the giving 6 thousand per student to go to a private school which are all very good feel good ideas, but conservatives have to realize that we have a 15 trillion dollar debt too.
I don’t know the specifics in this particular case, but much of the world class care that Cardinal Glennon provides here in St. Louis is wholly supported by Catholic charitable efforts.
I think it very unlikely that American taxpayers will have to pay a dime for Joseph’s care.
“Innocent babies are the acceptable outlet for the ambient cruelty of atheistic modern culture.”
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In a much more literate culture, that would make one hell of a bumper sticker.
Well done.
Thank you for the post. As you both know I am 100 percent pro life and like this idea but the cost is the only thing that I wanted ensured that we did not pay and you proved that we aren’t which is great. Makes this story even better.
I read on a medical blog that they were speculating Sandhoff disease.
After I looked it up, it makes sense to me.
You can google it.
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