Joseph Maraachli, the boy whose family refused to accept a Canadian hospital’s recommendation to remove his breathing tube and allow him to die, is now breathing on his own without the assistance of a mechanical ventilator.

Joseph Maraachli, the boy whose family refused to accept a Canadian hospital’s recommendation to remove his breathing tube and allow him to die, is now breathing on his own without the assistance of a mechanical ventilator. The family flew back to their home in Ontario last week, one month after Joseph received a tracheotomy at a children’s hospital in St Louis, Missouri.

The 15-month-old with a progressive neurological disease became the centre of an international end-of-life debate when Ontario doctors refused to do a tracheotomy because they considered it invasive and not recommended for patients who need a long-term breathing machine.

The family refused to accept the recommendation, catching the attention of the Catholic pro-life group Priests for Life, which funded treatment in the US. Frank Pavone, national director of Priests for Life, said he considers the case a “victory over the culture of death.” He says that Joseph “has gained benefit from his tracheotomy, is breathing on his own, and is going home to live with his parents.”

It is not clear how much time the family have with Baby Joseph. “It’s really an unpredictable condition,” Pavone said. “Our mission to save Baby Joseph was never based on any prediction of the future, but rather on the value of his life here and now.” ~ CNN, Apr 22

“Baby Joseph” returns to Canada, breathing on his own
Jared Yee
Canada
futile care

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