On Thursday, I wrote a comment about the decision by the Ontario Superior Court to withdraw the ventilator from 13 month old, Joseph Maraachli. This is not a case of euthanasia but it is an injustice that will effect Ontario citizens because the Judge decided that the decision of the doctors and the hospital is upheld against the reasonable decision of the family.All the family is wanting to do is bring Joseph home so that he can die in the care of his family.
A group of people who are supporting the Maraachli family are having a vigil for Baby Joseph and his family starting at 9 am on Monday, February 21, at the corner of Wellington and Commissioners in London Ontario (near the hospital).
Link to the Save baby Joseph facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/Save-baby-Joseph/142316562497565
the father seems selfish, asking for procedures on a dying baby. Any god would want the child to dye in peace. You really should present both sides on the story - shame on you alex.
ReplyDeleteThe father is far from selfish. All the family wants to do is bring their child home so that they can care for him and love him before he dies.
ReplyDeleteA trach is required to accomplish this.
The procedure is not difficult, it is not extraordinary and it has few complications.
The baby is dying anyway, no one is questioning that, why shouldn't the family be allowed to care for the baby in his dying days?
How can you even say that he is selfish? Would you want your child to die in white hospital rooms? Even more so, would you want your child to be basically murdered in a hospital? No, let the baby die at home, in the arms of his parents. This is why I can't stand people. They need to stop trying to control everything. Who is to determine who is worthy of living and dying? Especially someone so pure and innocent.
ReplyDeleteOh Alex, we are all going to die one day...I guess we should all have our throats slit opened during our last moments to be moved to a place so that someone alive can be happy.
ReplyDeleteLet the poor boy die in peace, without medical interventions, in the arms of his family. The place, is frankly, irrelevant.
You again fail to present all sides of the debate.
This is the same man that said on radio a few days ago that the hospital was going to kill his son with an "injection of CO2", do you think he is terribly manipulative or just a little delusional?
ReplyDeleteI am also curious what you know about tracheostomy, have you had one?
Alex, I challenge you to be honest and honorable, please resist the urge to advance your personal views and present all sides of the story.
Dear Alex
ReplyDeletePlease give your readers the truth about tracheostomy complications in children.
Pediatric tracheostomy and
associated complications
1. Paul T. Gaudet M.D.1,
2. Alter Peerless M.D.2,
3. Clarence T. Sasaki M.D.2,
4. John A. Kirchner M.D.2
A retrospective analysis of 123 pediatric tracheostomies reveals an overall complication rate of 33%. Immediate complications were present in 12% or 15 patients. The most frequent immediate complications were pneumomediastinum and pneumothorax. Delayed complications occurred in 24% or 30 patients. The most frequent delayed complications were subglottic stenosis, fused vocal cords, and tracheal granuloma. Four patients died because of tracheostomy-related complications. Age, underlying disease, and prior endotracheal intubation had a high degree of correlation with complications. The use of a mechanical respirator following tracheostomy did not appear to be significantly related to complications. Fifty percent of the delayed complications in this series were regarded as being unrelated to the tracheostomy or the trachesotomy tube itself.
So...your a doctor then Alex?? To say the father is far from selfish shows a lack of your ability to assess the situation. Correct me if I'm wrong--but you have no medical training right?? You say that a trach is not extraordinary--i disagree--for a dying person it is an invasive/suffering prolonging procedure--you seem to have a problem with accepting God's will for this child, as do the parents. A trach is not required to provide palliative measures for this child--narcotics/sedatives will do the job and be less invasive, with less risks of prolonged suffering/complications associated with a trach. FYI--I am prolife--and against euthanasia--in my opinion you have exploited this family and should be ashamed of yourself. I agree this child should go home to die--naturally--this means no trach. I believe that only God can create life--and only he should be able to end it naturally--the Doctors are trying to do what is in the child's best interest--and if you believe in an afterlife--then you know as well as I do--that this child is going to a better place--for anyone to force him to be here beyond God's will--is only being selfish and controlling--and faithless. People like you turn people off from organized religion. The older and wiser I get--the more I see this--people using religion to justify unethical/immoral behaviour.
ReplyDeletedying is part of living--the sooner you and others accept this--the better off society will be. Death is not a dirty word--it is a natural part of life that someday will happen to each and every one of us. I pray that God enlightens you and helps you to see the harm you have done in his name. I saw a video in which the father accuses the dotors of murdering his baby--does this man know he is risking a slander suit?? Allowing natural death to occur is not murder or euthanasia--willfully taking of a person's life is. I doubt the Doctor's will file a slander suit--they are more then aware that this family is already grieving and are acting the way they are because of the grief--they can't think logically about the situation. If you really want to help this family you need to start the ball rolling to get them the palliative care they deserve and stop exploiting them.
"the father seems selfish.."
ReplyDeleteWhat a liberal comment. However, a woman who sleeps around, gets pregnant, and just wants to destroy the inconvenience is the model of a progressive saint. What is wrong in the hard-wiring of these people's brains? That father and mother are the epitome of great parents - willing to go to any lengths for the health and comfort of their babies.
Alex. Great demonstration. "a dozen or so supporters of the family attended a vigil", as per CTV. I see lying, manipulation and deceit ain't working so well for ya.
ReplyDeleteI don't expect you to put this on your blog, you are a "moral crusader" without ethics or integrity.
Alex, would you care to explain how the performance of a tracheostomy will somehow solve the neurological and mechanical issues that created the need for a ventilator, to which the current ET tube is attached and the trach will need to be as well?
ReplyDelete"the baby is dying anyway"...you are misguided alex. Allowing the family to have needless procedures on a helpless baby to serve their own needs is wrong. Caring for the baby would be letting him dye peacefully in their arms without further intervention.
ReplyDeleteSomeone should remind the father that God did not make ventilators.
Print the full story Alex, please show some integrity and don't be a coward.
come on Alex, put in the trach complication data I sent you. Tell the truth...a 3% mortality rate and so on.....nor "it has few complications"...
ReplyDeleteIf you are going to be a crusader, at least be an honest one!! Alex, honesty and integrity are all that matter in life. A true man does not censor the truth and hide behind a blog - tell both sides of the story with facts and honesty....
You will serve the father better with facts, rather than using him while he is vulnerable to advance your agenda.
I have a son not much older then Joseph and can't imagine the pain they must be feeling! Why not let them take him home so that his mother can hold him close to her heart as he takes his last breaths! I'm praying for their family, no one should have to watch their baby die n to have to do it twice must be unbearable. I'm so sorry for their loss. May God be with them.
ReplyDeleteAlex, come on now buddy. Be a man and give some honest content to the public. Put the real trach data in.
ReplyDeleteDo you not find it hard to sleep when you are being dishonest and spreading mis-information? Integrity, Alex, integrity.
Come on Alex, step up and be honest. Tell the whole story. A father who is more interested in media coverage than being with his dying son. Honesty and integrity Alex. You'll feel better about yourself!
ReplyDeleteThis is an increasingly typical case of coerced euthanasia. There is no difference between Doctors asking the Parents to let a baby die, and an emergency responder telling a parent to stop trying to save a drowning child. Murder is murder.
ReplyDeleteIt is an unnecessary procedure that provides no benefit to the child (no positives) and can only cause discomfort (definite negative)
ReplyDeleteWhat part of "not in the best interest of the child" is so difficult to understand? Definite negatives and no positive at all for the child=not in the childs best interest.
You Alex and others have been claiming the parents want to bring the child home to love him and surround him with love while he dies. What exactly does geography have to do with love or the ability to love?
As far as medical care the best piece of real estate to occupy is a hospital bed. Experienced expert care providers and specilaists and professionals at the ready around the clock 24 hours a day and seven days a week.
What exactly is this fixation with geography? Is the only good or proper death a death that takes place in the home?? As far away as possible from experienced expert professional care as possible?
Or perhaps you are more interested in funneling money with no accountability and no public accounting into some bank account you have created claiming it will be used for a legal defense fund.
The child likely won't live long enough for that money to be used to fund expensive and protracted legal battles.
But that reality doesn't stop you from aggressively soliciting for donations. Didn't take long for profiteers and opportunists to start passing the hat and there won't be any public inspection or scrutiny of how you spend the money. Very sad.
Considering this time the tragic case of a baby is being exploited for money making it is even more repulsive than the profiteering and opportunism of the Schiavo case.
It is an unnecessary procedure that provides no benefit to the child (no positives) and can only cause discomfort (definite negative)
ReplyDeleteWhat part of "not in the best interest of the child" is so difficult to understand? Definite negatives and no positive at all for the child=not in the childs best interest.
You Alex and others have been claiming the parents want to bring the child home to love him and surround him with love while he dies. What exactly does geography have to do with love or the ability to love?
As far as medical care the best piece of real estate to occupy is a hospital bed. Experienced expert care providers and specilaists and professionals at the ready around the clock 24 hours a day and seven days a week.
What exactly is this fixation with geography? Is the only good or proper death a death that takes place in the home?? As far away as possible from experienced expert professional care as possible?
Or perhaps you are more interested in funneling money with no accountability and no public accounting into some bank account you have created claiming it will be used for a legal defense fund.
The child likely won't live long enough for that money to be used to fund expensive and protracted legal battles.
But that reality doesn't stop you from aggressively soliciting for donations. Didn't take long for profiteers and opportunists to start passing the hat and there won't be any public inspection or scrutiny of how you spend the money. Very sad.
Considering this time the tragic case of a baby is being exploited for money making it is even more repulsive than the profiteering and opportunism of the Schiavo case.
It is an unnecessary procedure that provides no benefit to the child (no positives) and can only cause discomfort (definite negative)
ReplyDeleteWhat part of "not in the best interest of the child" is so difficult to understand? Definite negatives and no positive at all for the child=not in the childs best interest.
You Alex and others have been claiming the parents want to bring the child home to love him and surround him with love while he dies. What exactly does geography have to do with love or the ability to love?
As far as medical care the best piece of real estate to occupy is a hospital bed. Experienced expert care providers and specilaists and professionals at the ready around the clock 24 hours a day and seven days a week.
What exactly is this fixation with geography? Is the only good or proper death a death that takes place in the home?? As far away as possible from experienced expert professional care as possible?
Or perhaps you are more interested in funneling money with no accountability and no public accounting into some bank account you have created claiming it will be used for a legal defense fund.
The child likely won't live long enough for that money to be used to fund expensive and protracted legal battles.
But that reality doesn't stop you from aggressively soliciting for donations. Didn't take long for profiteers and opportunists to start passing the hat and there won't be any public inspection or scrutiny of how you spend the money. Very sad.
Considering this time the tragic case of a baby is being exploited for money making it is even more repulsive than the profiteering and opportunism of the Schiavo case.
Courage of conviction......not found in the title anonymous
ReplyDeleteIf God wants this child to die, He will call this child according to His timetable. Not yours, mine or the government.
ReplyDeleteAt the moment the child is still alive. God has bigger plans in store for him and his family. Perhaps he will serve as a testimony to our Lord. And make you a believer.
Alex baby - come on now. stop being a media whore and tell the truth. Cleanse yourself you sinner!
ReplyDeleteBy the way, $2,000 bucks is a joke that will only buy the lawyer for less than a day. That is right up there with the massive 9-person vigil!!
Do you need more honest trach data...? Are you not even a little embarrassed or ashamed?
Alex, oh Alex....where are you...
ReplyDeleteTime to start telling the truth Alex...remember what your mother taught you about honesty...
Oh Alex, come on now...."a big disappointment", try a big kick in the nuts.
ReplyDeleteCome on now Alex, make your mamma proud and start telling the truth brother!
Anonymous should have the courage to identify him/herself and work on his spelling.
ReplyDeleteRick Austin
London,Ont.
You are only presenting one side of the story. Shame on your for using this poor family to further your cause.
ReplyDeleteThe family is obviously not in the right state of mind to make the right decision.
If they only want to take him home to die in peace why are they requesting to take him to a new hospital?
What if the baby dies en route to the new hospital or their home?
I understand people think it is their "right" to do whatever they want with their own child, but in Canada there are laws to protect the best interest of those who can not make those decisions themselves.
Parents can not legally refuse blood transfusions or chemo therapy for their children...the same logic applies here: parents can not refuse medical treatment for their child that is deemed sound. They have had EIGHT experts and the supreme court of Canada review this case.
Stop giving the family false hope and encourage them to attempt to move on as best they can and end this selfish media circus.
As much as the Anonymous writer doesn't deserve to be printed because that person is being rude and ridiculous, the fact is that when you compare the possible complications from a trache to the certain death of removing the vent, the issue of the trache is moot.
ReplyDeleteFurther to that, this is an issue of who decides.
If doctors and hospitals become the sole arbitors of how and when you die, I say "look out"
The parents of this baby have the right to decide to bring him home. Why should they be forced to have their child spend the last period of his life with them in the hospital? Physicians can be quite skilled medically but still have no sense of the preciousness of an individual soul. They do not have the moral authority or spiritual understanding to make this choice against the wishes of the parents. Only the Lord knows the profound love of these parents for their baby. Likewise the Lord also knows intimately the souls of those who make light of the family's suffering and presume to judge them.
ReplyDeleteThe parents of this baby have the right to decide to bring him home. Why should they be forced to have their child spend the last period of his life with them in the hospital? Physicians can be quite skilled medically but still have no sense of the preciousness of an individual soul. They do not have the moral authority or spiritual understanding to make this choice against the wishes of the parents. Only the Lord knows the profound love of these parents for their baby. Likewise the Lord also knows intimately the souls of those who make light of the family's suffering and presume to judge them.
ReplyDeleteAnonymous poster: whatever point you are trying to make is lost in the excessive posting and your constant need to be the messenger of God. Clearly God has told them to bring their baby home.... see, it's easy to claim that you know what God wants.
ReplyDeletep.s. It's quite simple to argue that since God created man, man's creations are in fact God's creations. Your saying that this isn't true is just you trying to be a messenger of God, but YOU ARE NOT =)
Dear Alex,
ReplyDeleteI have read much out there and I do agree that the family has to be honest as do you.
1. The family and media is implying that the family went through it with their daughter but they have failed to say that even after the trach, their daughter died in a hospital which is ultimately what they are saying they don't want and yet they go on and on about how their daughter died surrounded by love and in dad's arm but omit the in the hospital.
2. They are claiming they want a second opinion but they have had a total of 10 opinions. 9 from here in Canada( including the famous Hospital for sick children on Toronto) and most recently the children's hospital in Detroit. There must be a medical reason that the hospital that was willing suddenly changed there mind after reviewing over 1000 pages of Joseph's medical record. It does kind of make you go Hmmm. I find it curious how not one doctor or medical personal who has reviewed the medical file and seen Joseph has said that they want or believe that the trach should be done.
3. This is a money grab for the family as the mom is on disability and dad is not working so they are asking the public to fund their lives
4. They took the hospital to court to force a judge to order a doctor to perform a surgery they don't believe is warranted, simply because the parents say so. I don't believe either of them have medical training. I think this is leading us into very dangerous territory where we are telling doctors to make decision not based on medical knowledge, experience and expertise but rather on public opinion and even that without full disclosure.
5. Why don't the parents consent for the doctors to speak to the public? Since they have chosen to take it to the public then you should be honest with the public about the whole story.
6. I believe that the parents are getting misguided advice by people like your self who are just seeking to further their own agendas. Why is it that none of you have explained to the parents that the baby will on suffer due to palliative care.
7. Parents are concerned about the security but they are the ones who caused it to be necessary by telling half-truth and getting the public riled. Do they have no sympathy for the other families in the same unit let alone the hospital. Their child is not the only one suffering and they are causing more strain on families going through similar circumstances. the hospital has an obligation to all their patients. When you all start inciting people in an emotionally charged situation and not give them all the facts there will be a level of danger created and thus requiring the hospital to act in a manner to ensure the safety of all it's patients and families and staff.
Please for the sake of the family and most importantly Little Baby Joseph do the right thing.
Dear Alex
ReplyDeletePlease take a look at this local report and please share with your supporters.
http://www.am980.ca/Blog/NathanSmith/BlogEntry.aspx?BlogEntryID=10209633
In response to Wheezie,
ReplyDeleteWho has the say over the child, the hospital or the parents? That is the question.
If a trach was done on their child, who died years back, then what is the difference here?
I do not think people like Alex use religion at all to promote unethical/immoral behaviour. Are you saying all the thousands of people , religious or not, who are in support of the parents, are immoral or unethical? I think you were a bit much in your comments.