The parents of a severely ill five-month-old girl are fighting back after the government allegedly tried to have her taken off life support without their permission.
Mary Jane Pierce has been in hospital battling serious health problems ever since she was born 25 weeks premature in April.
The little girl, who has cerebral palsy, is on a ventilator, has frequent seizures, and has already suffered multiple brain bleeds that left her brain damaged.
But parents Justin Pierce and Michelle Arnold are still holding out hope. They said the hospital has been letting them treat Mary Jane with cannabis oil, which has been helping her with her seizures.
“As soon as you give it to her she pretty much opens her eyes almost every time,” Pierce said. “She’ll grab your finger. You tickle her foot, she’ll kick you.”
But the Ministry of Children and Family Development has temporary custody of Mary Jane, and the parents said the province made the decision to end her life.
“They thought that she wasn’t going to make it,” Pierce said. “So the ministry got involved and tried to pull her off life support without our permission.”
According to their lawyer, Jack Hittrich, the baby was scheduled to be transferred to palliative care at Canucks Place on Tuesday morning before a Vancouver Supreme Court Justice granted a last-minute injunction.
Hittrich told CTV News the parents only signed away custody of their daughter under pressure, and they never agreed to have her taken off life support.
“They were told in no uncertain terms that if they didn’t agree [to give up custody], all future children would be apprehended immediately,” Hittrich said.
The lawyer also claims the judge who granted the temporary custody order was not informed about the intent to end the child’s life.
The Ministry of Children and Family Development said it can’t comment on the specifics of the case, but insisted it would never order a child off life support against a parent’s wishes.
“A situation like this is obviously a difficult one for everyone involved – particularly the family,” a ministry spokesperson said in a statement.
“The wishes of biological parents would not be contested.”
It’s unclear why the parents lost custody of Mary Jane; Pierce said they were only told the government didn’t think they were fit to raise a child with disabilities.
The case is scheduled to resume in court next Friday.
With a report from CTV Vancouver’s Maria Weisgarber
