Father fights mother over baby's life

http://www.cnn.com/2009/HEALTH/11/02/uk.baby.life.support/index.html?eref=rss_topstories

In London, England there is a baby with a severe birth defect called CMS. Because of this birth defect RB (the baby) is not able to breath on its own and must be connected to a respirator. The mother and doctors feel that the baby should be disconnected from the respirator because its life is "miserable, sad and pitiful." The first time the baby was taken off of the repirator it lasted 40 minutes, 30 minutes the second time, and only 5 minutes this last time. But the father says that the baby, now one year old, is able to play and recognize its parents and respond to the world around it. The Mayo Clinic said, "different forms of CMS vary widely in their symptoms, from mild to severely disabling. With accurate diagnosis and appropriate therapy, even potentially fatal forms can usually be treated successfully." So, there is another doctor coming Saturday to evaluate RB. One possible solution is a tracheostomy.

In my opinion this is a very tricky situation. I see both sides of the issue, but don't really feel comfortable saying "this is my opinon" without witnessing the situation first hand. I feel that a person would be able to tell by seeing the child if it is just miserable or if it is actually there. From what I have read I believe that the child is actually there because it doesn't sound like it is completely out of it and just unconsious to the world around it. I feel that having another doctor come to evaluate the baby is a good move because he may be able to help RB. I think a tracheostomy is kind of extreme, but if it is the only option and will help RB I think that step should be taken. I think it complicates the situation that the parents are divorced, but also explains why they are on separate sides of the issue. I think all opinions from all doctors and parents should be taken into consideration and after further careful analyzation a decision should be made. If the decision is made to disconnect the child it would be very sad, but best for the child if it is never going to be able to fully respond to its environment. But I am leaning towards letting the child get older and seeing where the future leads. If the child is kept connected to the machine and one day becomes stronger he could have a life that would have other whys been taken away from him. So, I believe that before a decision is made his case needs to be carefully evaluated and CMS needs to be understood by all involved.