Rome, Italy, Dec 3, 2009 / 13:41 pm
A British couple elected on November 10 to discontinue medical care for their son of 13 months of age. "RB" suffered from congenital myasthenic syndrome and, his doctors said, would only live a short life on artificial respiration and feeding tubes.
Irene Gemeno, of the Scottish Edinburgh Napier News, reported that "RB", as he was referred to in order to protect his identity and that of his parents, could barely, if at all, move his limbs or breathe due to limitations resulting from the neuromuscular condition, but his brain appeared to be healthy.
Doctors, however, advised that he wasn't expected to live beyond three years of age and would never shed the artificial support for basic body functions.
According to the boy's father, the child was able recognize relatives and made an effort to play, but his doctors said it was impossible to know if these responses were involuntary or a result of the child's will.