Isaac and Rebecka May hold a photo of their son, Isaiah, outside the Edmonton courthouse on Jan. 19. They are seeking a court injunction against the decision to end life support for their child born Oct. 24, 2009 in Edmonton.
A severely brain-damaged infant who has become a medical cause-celebre around the globe will remain on life support for at least another few weeks, an Edmonton court ruled Wednesday.
"It definitely gives us some more breathing space," said a relieved father Isaac May.
Wednesday's ruling gives lawyers more time to select medical experts to assess what's best for the infant and delays the matter from returning to court until Feb. 19.
May's son, Isaiah, was born with his umbilical cord wrapped around his neck Oct. 24 in Rocky Mountain House, Alta., about 220 kilometres southwest of Edmonton, after a difficult 40-hour labour.
Deprived of oxygen and having inhaled amniotic fluid and fecal matter, he was taken by air ambulance to the Stollery Children's Hospital in Edmonton, where he has been on a ventilator since. He is fed through a tube and doctors there say there is no hope of recovery. They had urged May and his wife, Rebecka, to disconnect Isaiah from life support.
But they disagreed and sought another opinion. They went to court and initially got a weeklong extension.
"We've definitely had some nervous days but we've had a lot of time to have our cuddles and hold Isaiah too," said Isaac. "It's been all right."
In court documents, the parents pointed to the fact that Isaiah opens his eyes, brings his knees to his tummy and moves his hands, feet and arms.
"He is doing everything they said he would not do," Rebecka, 23, said recently outside court.
"Every time I hold my son and look in his eyes it gives me the strength to face another day," she said.
Both parents are unemployed.
More than 23,000 people from around the world have joined a Facebook site in support of the family, offering prayers for healing.
When Isaiah's parents challenged that decision in court, Fox News, United Press International, the Asian health portal Medindia.com and the religious LifeSiteNews.com were among many other media outlets to report Isaiah's story.
A neonatologist from B.C.'s Victoria General Hospital agreed Wednesday to provide an independent assessment of Isaiah for the court. Dr. Richard Taylor is expected to arrive in Edmonton in the third or fourth week of February.
Rebecka said it's a relief to have medical professionals willing to come to Edmonton. She also had kind words for health-care providers at the Stollery Children's Hospital.
"They remain professional and kind," she said. "We thank them for the care they're giving Isaiah. They're doing an outstanding job. They're very nice."
Rosanna Saccomani, the couple's lawyer, said finding medical experts outside Edmonton has been difficult.
"They are world-renowned and they have demands on their schedules. They have other children they're in charge for their care. They've got surgeries to perform so we're asking them to drop everything to pay attention to this case."
She said she's pleased with the co-operation given her by David Steele, the lawyer representing Dr. Phillipos, and Brent Windwick, the lawyer representing Alberta Health Services and the Stollery hospital.
"It's excellent that we're working as a team on this in the best interests of Isaiah," she said. "I know that everybody is doing their best to move this case along as quickly as possible."
Saccomani said she questions why Rebecka went through 40 hours of labour and four hours of pushing without getting a C-section. She had a full-term pregnancy and Isaiah was healthy until birth.
SOURCE: edmontonjournal
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