Society

Baby's parents must agree to treatment

By Yang Wanli (China Daily)
Updated: 2010-02-09 07:34

A Beijing hospital that is offering medical treatment to a baby girl abandoned by her parents because she suffered life-threatening birth defects said yesterday that her parents' agreement is crucial for surgery.

The girl, who suffers from a congenital defect that blocks the anus, along with other illnesses, has been taken to Beijing United Family Hospital for medical treatment.

However, surgery cannot be done without agreement from the parents, a press official from the hospital told China Daily yesterday.

The baby, named Xi Wang (Hope), was born in Tianjin and diagnosed with proctatresia and heart disease shortly after birth. Her parents left her in a hospice care hospital and refused to give her any medical treatment.

"I saw her story on tianya.cn last Wednesday evening and I couldn't sleep. Four of my friends and I decided to come to Tianjin and save the baby," Chen Lan, a volunteer, said in her blog.

Chen and a friend took the baby from the hospice care hospital and brought her to Beijing United Family Hospital for treatment. She revealed in her blog that Xi Wang is stronger and healthier now due to the medical care.

The latest photo of baby girl Xi Wang, who was abandoned by her parents because she suffered life-threatening birth defects.

"She was very thin and reduced to skin and bones. But now she can drink milk every two hours and has more energy to laugh and cry," Chen said.

Doctors said the baby's case was not severe and could be cured with surgery, so Xi Wang would probably be as healthy as the other babies, Chen said.

However, persuading the baby's parent has been hard work. According to the Beijing News, the baby's parents only allowed the volunteers to take care of the baby for a week.

"But without the consent of the parents, surgery still cannot be done," said Sun Di, press official of Beijing United Family Hospital.

Guangzhou Daily reported that volunteers in Tianjin had tried to persuade the baby's father to send her to hospital but he refused and claimed that he didn't want his daughter to suffer more pain from the medical treatment.

A notice was released on the website of the China Association of Social Work Child Welfare League of China, saying that they had dispatched volunteers to talk to the child's parents and vowed not to give up hope. "Her parents gave life to her. Do they have the same right to take the life away?" the notice read.

According to the Law of the Protection of Juveniles in China, parents who abandon or harm a child will be deprived the right of custody. But Xi Wang's father paid all the cost for her treatment in Tianjin, the Beijing News reported.

A netizen named Qiqiu commented on Chen's article, saying that to send the baby for surgery might not be what the baby wanted. "Perhaps Xi Wang may suffer more pain for the rest of her life," said Qiqiu.

(China Daily 02/09/2010 page3)