I was browsing around CNN.com, getting my “news on” and stumbled onto this story; Fight over baby’s life support! It’s a sad story, no matter how you look at it! I feel horrible for the mother having to watch her baby struggle with Leigh’s disease, knowing there is no cure. Right now, the baby is on a ventilator, which is breathing for the child. The child cannot eat, speak or see and per medical experts, the baby is suffering painfully.
I don’t know what I would choose to do if ever put in this situation, as the “medical expert” or “mother”. I can’t imagine the decision to choose life over death is easy for either party, honestly.
I guess for me, not having a child and not being in that situation, it’s easy for me to say the child’s suffering isn’t worth keeping him on life support. I, honestly, don’t think I’d want my child to suffer at all and if medical experts told me my child was suffering, I think I’d choose to stop his or her suffering.
At the same time.. I have nephews and a niece that I am very close to. It would be very difficult to be in a situation where this became a decision for our family. It’s absolutely heartbreaking to think about.
What are your thoughts?
Hello. I am Teresa. I am a 30 year old Georgia native and recent Atlantic-Canada transplant. I am also married, but not yet babied and enjoy hobbies like; crafting, photography and cooking. I recently started a small design firm, So Chic Design, where I offer 
6 Comments so far
Leave a comment
I’m not a mother, either; nor am I a medical expert.
That said, I think she ought to let her baby go. She says she wants him “to die naturally”; but he’s being kept alive by artificial means. If he went off the respirator, then the baby would be able to die naturally, IMO.
By shelly on 04.25.07 6:53 pm | Permalink
Shelly, I was wondering if anyone was going to “tap” on the artificial life he’s on vs the natural way he’d pass if off machines! I agree with you!
By Teresa Maree on 04.25.07 7:09 pm | Permalink
I think that is one of the worst case scenarios I can think of when I think of being a mother. I hope that never happens and quite honestly, I don’t have an opinion either way regarding which choice to make for this child… because either choice is devastating.
That is so sad. 
:(
By Helen on 04.25.07 7:13 pm | Permalink
Henny, indeed it is.
By Teresa Maree on 04.25.07 8:30 pm | Permalink
This is such a sad, sad story. As a mother, I think I would have to keep a lid on my grief and do what was best for my baby. In this case, with an incurable disease and a child that is suffering and will not recover, I would want to end his suffering. However, I would request that it be done in a humane way. I would not want to just “pull the plug” and allow the baby to suffer through the last few hours - I would want him heavily medicated, so he would drift into unconsciousness, and that would be that.
Sigh.
By Jenn on 04.25.07 8:31 pm | Permalink
^ I would think that they would medicate before/after taking the baby off of life support.
I know they had my grandmother on morphine before she was taken off life support, and she continued on it until she passed.
But yes, I agree with the above posters. It would be the hardest, most heartbreaking decision… but I think I would opt to end the suffering.
By Ally on 04.26.07 11:39 am | Permalink
Leave a comment