Close X
Thursday, November 28, 2024
ADVT 
National

Chilliwack Parents Drop Fight To Treat Baby With Cannabis Oil As She Breathes On Her Own

The Canadian Press, 17 Sep, 2015 11:25 AM
    VANCOUVER — Parents of a severely ill baby girl in British Columbia have dropped a court action seeking greater control of her care, including the right to treat her with cannabis oil.
     
    Justin Pierce and Michelle Arnold withdrew their application to share custody of their five-month-old daughter with B.C.'s Ministry of Children and Family Development on Wednesday.
     
    The parents' lawyer, Erin Haupt, says Mary Jane Pierce has been breathing on her own without a ventilator for two weeks and the parents are hopeful they can bring her home someday.
     
    The ministry obtained a temporary custody order in August, and Haupt says the province is still planning to make the order permanent.
     
    But she says the protection hearing won't likely be held for several weeks, allowing the parents time to show they can be good caregivers to Mary Jane.
     
    The baby was born premature at 25 weeks and has been in hospital ever since with serious health problems including seizures, which the parents say were helped by the cannabis oil treatment.
     
    The family's court battle began in August when the ministry moved to remove the baby's ventilator and place her in palliative care.
     
    Pierce and Arnold, who live in Chilliwack, B.C., won a temporary injunction to keep her on life support. At a subsequent hearing, the ministry agreed not to take her off the machine without the couple's consent.
     
     
    A lawyer for B.C. Women's Hospital told court last month that the cannabis oil did nothing to alleviate the girl's seizures and might have instead increased them.
     
    Penny Washington said the extensive medical treatments were taking a toll on Mary Jane, who has cerebral palsy and suffers bleeding in her brain.
     
    "In my view, it's becoming inconsistent with human dignity," she said.
     
    But Haupt said on Wednesday the girl has made remarkable progress in the past two weeks. She still needs some support to breathe, but no longer needs the ventilator.
     
    "The parents are very excited that she is getting better and better, and they want to show that they can be parents, so that's how we're proceeding," she said.
     
    "It's fantastic, given a couple weeks ago we never thought we'd be in this position. They are very, very hopeful that she will at some point be able to be discharged."

    MORE National ARTICLES

    Man Charged With Second-Degree Murder In Death Of Nova Scotia Police Officer Catherine Campbell

    Man Charged With Second-Degree Murder In Death Of Nova Scotia Police Officer Catherine Campbell
    Halifax police say Christopher Calvin Garnier is also charged with indecently interfering with a dead body

    Man Charged With Second-Degree Murder In Death Of Nova Scotia Police Officer Catherine Campbell

    Manitoba Government Is Pledging More Money To Help Syrian Refugees

    Manitoba Government Is Pledging More Money To Help Syrian Refugees
    Premier Greg Selinger says $200,000 is being given immediately to groups helping the refugees on the front lines overseas.

    Manitoba Government Is Pledging More Money To Help Syrian Refugees

    'Culture Days' At SFU To Mark 101 Years Of Indians In Canada

    'Culture Days' At SFU To Mark 101 Years Of Indians In Canada
    Canada will celebrate "Culture Days" during an ongoing exhibition at the library of Simon Fraser University in Burnaby from September 25-27

    'Culture Days' At SFU To Mark 101 Years Of Indians In Canada

    Secretary Panicked When She Found Richard Oland's Body: Son's Murder Trial Hears

    Secretary Panicked When She Found Richard Oland's Body: Son's Murder Trial Hears
    "I saw two legs protruding on the floor. I panicked. I went downstairs to get somebody," Adamson told Dennis Oland's trial in the Court of Queen's Bench.

    Secretary Panicked When She Found Richard Oland's Body: Son's Murder Trial Hears

    NDP, Tories Deal Pre-Emptive Strikes Against Liberals Before Economy Debate

    NDP, Tories Deal Pre-Emptive Strikes Against Liberals Before Economy Debate
    The New Democrats and Conservatives didn't wait for their leaders to take to the debate stage — both parties launched pre-emptive strikes against the Liberals in the run-up to Thursday's leaders' showdown on the economy.

    NDP, Tories Deal Pre-Emptive Strikes Against Liberals Before Economy Debate

    Countdown Begins To The Spectacular 6th Annual DARPAN Extraordinary Achievement Awards

    Countdown Begins To The Spectacular 6th Annual DARPAN Extraordinary Achievement Awards
    Taking place September 18 at Aria Banquet and Convention Centre in Surrey, the Red Carpet rolls out at 6.30pm which will see 700 of Vancouver’s top social and business elite in the South Asian community.

    Countdown Begins To The Spectacular 6th Annual DARPAN Extraordinary Achievement Awards

    PrevNext