Couple wins right to have ill baby girl ventilated

THE parents of profoundly disabled Charlotte Wyatt enjoyed a double celebration yesterday - their daughter’s second birthday and winning the right to have doctors ventilate her in a life-threatening situation.

Delighted Darren and Debbie Wyatt were at the High Court to hear a judge discharge his year-old declaration that doctors would not be acting unlawfully if they decided it was not in the child’s best interests to artificially ventilate her in a crisis.

As they left the London court to hold a birthday party for Charlotte, a statement issued on their behalf said: “Darren and Debbie are very happy that the order what has been hanging over Charlotte for over a year now has been lifted as this has caused a huge strain on their lives.”

Mrs Wyatt, 24, who is heavily pregnant with the couple’s fourth child, and her husband Darren, 33, had asked the judge to lift his order as they said the condition of their daughter has improved to such an extent that she has now “crossed an invisible line”, meaning that the use of artificial ventilation in certain circumstances would be justified.

Despite the gloomy prognosis last year, Charlotte survived against the odds and medical opinion, and is said to have made “remarkable progress” despite serious brain, lung and kidney damage.

The court heard that Charlotte now has a tolerable quality of life, is able to feel pleasure and has “a good smile.”

Charlotte was born three months prematurely, only the length of a ballpoint pen and weighing just 1lb. She has serious brain, lung and kidney damage.

While she has been fighting for life her parents have waged a parallel battle on her behalf in the courts.

At the heart of the case is the question of whether doctors, parents or judges should decide if a seriously ill child lives or dies.

Following her premature birth and several resuscitations doctors described Charlotte’s quality of life as “terrible”.

They said she had no feeling other than continuous pain.

In the absence of consent from her parents Portsmouth Hospitals NHS Trust then asked the courts for an order allowing its doctors not to ventilate her again in the event of another respiratory crisis.

They said they would keep Charlotte alive long enough for Darren and Debbie to get to her bedside.

In October last year the High Court agreed with the doctors.

But the couple, who are committed Christians, refused to give up on Charlotte, saying she was a “fighter” and that miracles do happen.

In June this year they were able to wheel Charlotte in a pram for the first time around the grounds of St Mary’s Hospital in Portsmouth.

It was a moment doctors had thought would never happen.

However, Mr Justice Hedley also said he could not ask doctors to act against their conscience and, therefore, they still have the final decision over Charlotte’s fate.

Charlotte’s case has highlighted the ethical dilemma surrounding extremely premature births.