Because she would likely never have the chance to run and play like other children, doctors decided that it was in her best interest to let her die.
We received the information about Charlotte Wyatt by email today, and we've been asked as a group to help get the message out about her plight. All BlogsForTerri Blogs are encouraged to look into this matter and help get Charlotte the attention MSM attention she deserves(hopefully the life-kind of media attention).
Eighteen months ago, Charlotte was born premature, with severe health problems. She had to be resuscitated three times. (She is not on a resuscitator, although she does get help from an oxygen tent.) Six months ago the hospital caring for Charlotte sought permission not to resuscitate her again -- over the vehement objections of her Christian parents-- and a British High Court judge ruled on the side of the hospital.
The hospital said that Charlotte was deaf and blind. But she can now see and hear.
The hospital said that Charlotte would die of an infection over the winter. But she's still alive.
Now hospital sources "admit the 18-month-old baby may live on for 'a considerable time' — potentially years rather than months."
Charlotte's parents went back to court a month ago to ask the judge to allow Charlotte at least some time (even if only five days) on a ventilator if she needs the help again. The judge delayed his decision a month.
Now it has been a month, and there has been a defeat in the courts.
It wasn't enough. Justice Hedley was glad that little Charlotte could see, hear, respond and smile, but believed his former ruling should continue to hold--- no resuscitation. This on hearing from the majority medical opinion--- the same opinion that last autumn held that she was permanently blind, deaf,and unresponsive, and would never survive the winter--- that she was 'terminally ill' and therefore any aggresive treatment would be pointless.
Who to believe? In this case it seems obvious. You have a little girl fighting for her life, and she has proven to the world her life is not dead-ended. You have her parents who want to fight with her till the end, till all hope is gone. And the doctors, who consider it in her best interest to die. Note that these are the same who judged for David Glass that he had no hope and his "best interests" lay in "allowing" him to die.
There is a caveat in the judge's ruling-- he notes that this new decision is not open-ended and is subject to review. What evidence will he need, I wonder, to decide in her favor?
But Charlotte hasn't given up, and we won't either. SHE NEEDS OUR HELP!
Background Information For Bloggers and Blog Readers:
Charlotte in the MSM
Baby 'should be allowed to die'
BBC News--04/20/05
Life-or-death day for baby Charlotte
The Times--04/17/05
Charlotte in the Blogosphere
Charlotte Wyatt
UK Commentators--04/19/05
Baby Charlotte to Get Ventilator Verdict This Week?
MediaCulpa Blog--04/19/05
Life Or Death Decisions This Week
Slobokan's Site O' Schtuff--04/17/05
Source: BlogsforTerri
Parents fight on for baby's life
Charlotte was born with brain, lung and kidney damage
The parents of a severely brain-damaged baby have vowed to fight on after a High Court judge ruled she should be allowed to die if she stops breathing.
Darren and Debbie Wyatt said they were "disappointed" by the judgement but welcomed the judge's recognition that Charlotte's condition had improved.
The couple, from Portsmouth, will now take their 18-month-old daughter's case to the Court of Appeal.
The High Court upheld a ruling allowing doctors not to resuscitate Charlotte.
Only today we heard from the trust that she had put on significant amounts of weight over the last four weeks
Charlotte's parents' solicitor
In a statement on their behalf, solicitor Richard Stein said: "Darren and Debbie are very disappointed that the judge has confirmed that as things stand, Charlotte will not be ventilated in the event she requires it.
"He did, however, recognise that her condition has changed significantly - in fact, it continues to improve.
"For example, only five weeks ago, there was evidence before the judge that she was badly malnourished and only today we heard from the trust that she had put on significant amounts of weight over the last four weeks."
However Charlotte's grandmother Mrs Julie Wyatt, from Tamworth, Staffordshire, said she did not think doctors should resuscitate her granddaughter if she stopped breathing.
She told BBC News: "I don't think she would ever be able to walk or maybe even eat properly on her own even though she is being spoon-fed at the moment, just tiny bits.
Subject to review
"I don't think she would grow up to be a perfectly healthy child. I think she would be a lot of work for the parents.
"Myself, I'm trusting the hospital decision at the moment because I've seen the care they've given her and I know they love her, they've been with her 17 months of her life and I think they love her and they don't want nothing to happen to her.
"They are not withholding any treatment at all and I do believe that if they don't resuscitate her, it is for Charlotte's best interests, to be quite honest."
Mr Justice Hedley said that the new order was open-ended and remained subject to review.
Doctors said Charlotte has "no feelings other than continuing pain", and earlier the court had heard how experts believed her life was "intolerable".
But the Wyatts believe Charlotte is improving.
She was born three months premature at St Mary's Hospital, Portsmouth, in October 2003, with serious brain, lung and kidney damage.
In October last year doctors at the hospital won the legal right not to resuscitate her.
Can You belive the Grandmother, I can't
i don't understand why anyone would want this little baby to suffer anymore than she has. she's never going to live the quality of life that she has the right to. it's just like people who keep their pets around for decades because they don't want to deal with the loss, it's really selfish. i think it's more humane to let her go. her body is a prison and she's probably miserable. if her parents were to put her best intrests first then it wouldn't be a question of what to do. there is no way i would let my child suffer from the moment she's born 'til she eventually passes on. what kind of life is that?? and why would you want to continue it?? PUT HER OUT OF HER MISERY!!!!!!
Charlotte - the dignity and value of people are not dependent upon their suffering or joy, health or sickness. Murder, as you've suggested, is never justified - it is immoral - and is not compassionate. Who are we to decide the value of life and who should live or die?
Charlotte can now see hear and smile, i think her parents are doing an amazing thing and i would liek to praise them for being so strong. I think charlotte is fighting for her life and proving to the world that she is not dead ended to not help her now would be in humane.
I think Charlotte should be allowed to live. Ok, she may be an ill kid but who's to say that in three, four, five years time she won't be as healthy as others. She's stayed alive for this long, she's a little fighter and to just pull the plug on her like you would on a computer if it had crashed would be a phenominal injustice.