Baby’s parents lose appeal

THE parents of seriously-ill Charlotte Wyatt yesterday lost the latest round of their battle to overturn a court order allowing doctors not to revive the 22-month-old if she stops breathing.

Darren Wyatt, 33, and his wife, Debbie, 24, who have been told by the hospital treating their daughter that she has made “remarkable progress”, failed to persuade the Court of Appeal that the order should now be rescinded.

Doctors at St Mary’s Hospital, Portsmouth, won the right in October not to resuscitate Charlotte after arguing her brain and other organs were so damaged she had “no feeling other than continuing pain”.

Charlotte was born three months premature, weighing just 1lb. The judge who made the order said “any further treatment (was not) in her best interests.”

Against the odds and medical opinion, she survived the winter. In April, Charlotte’s parents failed to have the October judgement overturned, leading to today’s proceedings.

Lords Justices Laws, Wall and Lloyd rejected the appeal. But they said a review of the case should be “accelerated”, with a directions hearing next month.