A judge ruled Wednesday that baby Isaiah James May will be allowed to stay on life support at the Stollery Children's Hospital for a few more weeks to give lawyers time to seek medical experts for an assessment of the child's condition.
Madame Justice Michelle Crighton ruled to put the case of the May family's battle against Alberta Health Services (AHS) to keep their son on life support over until Feb. 19.
Neonatologist Dr. Richard Taylor from Victoria General Hospital is now on board for an assessment, and a pediatric neurologist from the Mayo Clinic is also in talks to get involved.
Rebecka and Isaac May have continued to argue their son continues to make improvements.
"He's lifting his head a lot more and his movements are getting bigger and quicker," Rebecka said Wednesday.
The couple says they are hopeful to see more improvements in their son within the next few weeks.
Bio-ethicist Arthur Schafer says the couple is doing the right thing by challenging the doctors' decision.
"Physicians sometimes get things wrong. Hospitals sometimes make mistakes. When the issue is one of life and death parents sometimes want to get a second opinion," said Schafer.
A letter sent to the parents by Alberta Health Services on Jan. 13th stated that the boy's doctors believed all medical procedures had been exhausted. They informed the parents that the boy will never recover from a severe lack of oxygen at birth.
Isaiah was born in the Rocky Mountain House Hospital after a difficult 40-hour delivery. On Oct. 24th, the boy was airlifted to hospital and admitted for treatment. The boy was then placed on a ventilator in the hospital's neonatal intensive care unit.
Rebecka said medical staff informed the family that "Isaiah would not grow." But in court documents, the woman noted that Isaiah has "continued to grow since his birth and now weighs ten pounds eleven ounces."
More than 24,000 people have joined a Facebook group supporting the parent's continued efforts to keep their son on life-support.
With files from Bill Fortier
