A five-year-old who has been in a coma since June may have his or her breathing tube permanently removed, according to a decision by a judge on the Quebec Superior Court.
The parents of the child have been sued by the Sainte-Justine hospital because they won’t allow the procedure unless the institution has a plan to reintubate the child if something goes wrong.
According to the hospital, the boy can breathe on his own and that continuing to intubate him will only injure him more.
In the case that the infant is unable to breathe on his own, according to the hospital, the child should receive end-of-life treatment.
Since being discovered at the bottom of the home pool on June 12, the boy has been in a coma.
According to the hospital, the breathing tube won’t be taken out until after the parents have had an opportunity to appeal the decision.
A lawyer for the parents says they are studying the decision and have not decided whether to appeal..
Despite the objection of the boy’s parents, the Montreal hospital may remove the breathing tube.
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