Baby Joseph transferred to U.S. hospital

WINDSOR, Ont. – Baby Joseph, the terminally ill infant at the centre of a life-and-death debate between his parents and doctors, has arrived at a U.S. hospital after being transferred from Ontario, the Missouri facility confirmed Monday.

"Our physicians are examining Joseph to determine the best course of action," said Bob Davidson, a spokesman with the SSM Cardinal Glennon Children’s Medical Center in St. Louis, Missouri.

The parents of the 14-month-old child known as Baby Joseph – Moe Maraachli and Sana Nader – have been locked in a protracted battle with the London Health Sciences Centre, which had been caring for the infant.

Joseph has been battling a severe neurological condition since October. Doctors at the Ontario hospital said the baby’s disease is fatal and decided to remove his breathing tube. The baby’s parents believe removing the tube would cause him to choke and die violently. They want Joseph to receive a tracheotomy, which would open his airway and allow him to die at home.

The fight has garnered high-profile media attention.

The U.S. group Priests for Life agreed to pay the full costs of Joseph’s transfer as well as his full medical expenses in the U.S., according to Joseph’s aunt Faith Nader.

"Priests for Life staff toiled through the night for many nights, working in concert with dozens of people to make this possible," the head of the group Fr. Father Pavone said in a statement. "Now that we have won the battle against the medical bureaucracy in Canada, the real work of saving Baby Joseph can begin."

Joseph cannot breathe on his own since he suffers from a severe and fatal neurological disorder. His sister, Zina, suffered from a similar condition and died years ago.

Hospital officials have stated they won’t perform a tracheotomy because it isn’t a palliative procedure, but rather a procedure usually intended for patients who require a long-term breathing machine. Joseph’s parents fought the hospital’s decision in court last month, but the court ordered them to consent to the withdrawal of the breathing tube.