Macaroni
21-10-2005, 11:53 AM
The parents of profoundly disabled Charlotte Wyatt today won their latest legal battle over their daughter's medical treatment.
Darren and Debbie Wyatt, from Portsmouth, who are today celebrating Charlotte's second birthday, were at the High Court in London for the ruling given by Mr Justice Hedley.
They had asked the judge to 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 life-threatening situation.
Reading out a detailed ruling in the case today the judge said he had come to the view that "at least at present no further declaratory relief is required".
Mrs Wyatt, 24, who is heavily pregnant with the couple's fourth child, and her husband Darren, 33, say that 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.
A statement issued on the couple's behalf stated: "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".
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.
She weighed just one pound and was only five inches long when she was born three months prematurely at St Mary's Hospital in Portsmouth.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/articles/news/news.html?in_article_id=366086&in_page_id=1770&in_a_source=&ct=5
Darren and Debbie Wyatt, from Portsmouth, who are today celebrating Charlotte's second birthday, were at the High Court in London for the ruling given by Mr Justice Hedley.
They had asked the judge to 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 life-threatening situation.
Reading out a detailed ruling in the case today the judge said he had come to the view that "at least at present no further declaratory relief is required".
Mrs Wyatt, 24, who is heavily pregnant with the couple's fourth child, and her husband Darren, 33, say that 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.
A statement issued on the couple's behalf stated: "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".
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.
She weighed just one pound and was only five inches long when she was born three months prematurely at St Mary's Hospital in Portsmouth.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/articles/news/news.html?in_article_id=366086&in_page_id=1770&in_a_source=&ct=5