Texas court asked to end abused baby's life support

[babylonsister]

Texas court asked to end abused kid's life support


Jan 17th, 2009 | DALLAS -- A court may decide this coming week whether to end life support for a 6-month-old Dallas baby who has suffered severe brain damage, dozens of bone fractures and numerous scars, allegedly at the hands of his parents.

A physician noted that David Coronado Jr. had 42 skeletal injuries. His hands and feet appeared to have been pulled, twisted and crushed. His skin injuries included bruises and human bite marks, The Dallas Morning News reported in Saturday editions.

A court-appointed guardian for the boy has filed a motion in Dallas County juvenile court asking that doctors at Children's Medical Center of Dallas be permitted to remove the boy from life support. The motion says the parents have not consented to withdrawing the support, but it argues that the move is in his best interests.

His parents, David Cesar Coronado Sr., 23, and Ruthy Marie Chabolla, 22, were arrested Dec. 23 on charges of injury to a child. Bail was set at $500,000 each and they remain in jail.

"Both parents are responsible for long-term, extensive physical abuse to their only infant son," a Child Protective Services report alleged.

more...

http://www.salon.com/wires/ap/us/2009/01/17/D95OVN301_abused_baby/index.html

[liberalhistorian]

1. My God, on an INFANT?

What kind of sick, fucked-up person could even consider such a thing? Fuck the parents' "consent", who should care what those motherfuckers think? Let them sit in jail for the rest of their miserable, worthless lives, they'll still have it better than they gave their BABY, for Christ's sake.

[JerseygirlCT]

12. Yes, regardless of the issues around the decision itself, I'd say

those "parents" have lost any claim to that title.

[glowing]

2. May angels carry this baby boy home, and surround his soul with love his parents

were too stupid to know.

[LiberalEsto]

3. The "parents" should be taken off life support

Permanently.

[Gin]

4. what kind of "say "do they have since "they" caused the child's condition.....

may they feel the pain, at some point, they inflicted on this child....that would be justice.

[ejpoeta]

11. wonder where on the ladder will they be in jail?

i know that pedophiles are the lowest rung. baby killers?

[JerseygirlCT]

13. I wonder if their hesitance is less about the child and more about the

fear of a murder or manslaughter charge once he dies?

[Kookaburra]

5. This breaks my heart

Why? What could have gone so miserably wrong in these 2 people's lives that caused them to abuse their baby like that?

Oh, my heart hurts from this.

[11 Bravo]

6. Surely a video diagnosis by Bill Frist is in order before any final decision can be made.

[ogneopasno]

7. Why is removing the baby from life support in its best interest? It's hard to tell from the article.

[babylonsister]

8. 'Severe brain damage' would be my guess. nt

[Th1onein]

9. What kind of "guardian" requests life support be withdrawn?

This child was abused by his parents, and now he's being abused by our justice system. He deserves to LIVE. Who are we to say that his life is not "quality" because he might have severe disabilities.

I am so SICK of Texas and it's futile care laws. This is heartless and immoral.

[TwilightGardener]

10. At six months of age, I would think it's pretty hard to assess this

baby's neurological state accurately enough to determine the extent of his brain injuries and his future prognosis--infants develop at different rates, neurologically, and also are often able to heal and "rewire" better than older children and adults. I see no harm in giving him a chance for a while, as long as he's not in pain (hard to tell, I know). Who knows what the quality of life can be for an infant his age? I hope the judge refuses. And I hope these "parents" burn in hell.

[awoke_in_2003]

14. It is stories like this...

that make me question my anti-death penalty leanings. I think of how the romans would do it- tie you up in a bag with a couple big dogs and throw you in a river.

[McCamy Taylor]

15. The parents want him on the ventilator so they do not face murder charges.

Then the prosecutor will have to try them for lesser crimes like attempted murder instead and they will get lower sentences. At that point, the family will become the guardians and they will allow the plug to be pulled.

I have seen this myself when I was in practice. One baby with no neurologic function was kept "alive" for over a year---until the abuser (his dad) finally got sentenced for the lesser crime. Then, the family allowed him to die a natural death. I am sure the defense lawyer tells them to do this.

[babylonsister]

16. So first they basically kill this poor baby, then use his

plugged-in body for their own selfish reasons? It must really suck to be a defense lawyer. :(

[bread_and_roses]

17. the nuclear family strikes again (n/t)

[acmavm]

18. ??