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Change Your Life! |
Jodie’s life at the expense of Mary’s: Judgment? |
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August 28, 2000
LONDON (AP) - A judge has ruled that a two-week-old Siamese twin should be separated from her sister, even though she will die in the process - and despite the opposition of the babies' parents. High Court judge Robert Johnson authorized the separation of the twins - known as Mary and Jodie, not their real names - on Friday. A lawyer representing the weaker twin, Mary, is considering whether to appeal the ruling. The twins, who are joined at the lower abdomen, were born Aug. 8 in Manchester, northern England. If the surgery goes ahead, Mary will die. But without it both twins are likely to perish. The operation was supported by the babies' hospital but opposed by the parents, who cannot be identified for legal reasons. In written evidence to the court, they said: "We cannot begin to accept or contemplate that one of our children should die to enable the other one to survive. That is not God's will. "Everyone has the right to life, so why should we kill one of our daughters to enable the other one to survive?" H.J. Baker, the Official Solicitor - who represents minors or adults under legal disability in court proceedings in England and Wales - was considering an appeal on behalf of the doomed twin, his office said in a statement. A decision was expected early in the week. "This is a tragic and complex case," the statement said. |
