Twelve-year-old Nancy couldn’t walk, talk, eat or drink.
The little girl, from Essex in the UK, was born blind and suffering from hydrocphalus, meningitis and septicaemia, and had to be fed, watered and medicated through a tube.
UK newspaper The Mirror reports the girl needed 24-hour hospital care because of her severe disabilities; despite heavy medication, Nancy would spend hours screaming in pain.
Nancy’s mother Charlotte Fitzmaurice, 36, and father David Wise, 47, met the ethics board at Nancy’s hospital to beg them to put an end to Nancy’s suffering. While doctors agreed to stop feeding her, they could not withdraw all fluids – which meant it would take Nancy months to die.
Charlotte Fitzmaurice. (Screenshot via The Sunday Mirror)
“There was no way I was going to let her stay in extreme pain for months”, Charlotte told The Mirror.
So the devoted mother, who years ago gave up her nursing job to become Nancy’s full-time carer, went to court to fight for the right for her daughter to die.
“At the end of the day she really didn’t have any sense of awareness of the fact that I was her mum,” Charlotte told The Mirror.
“She go to the point where even the smallest amount of liquid going through her tube would mean she would scream for hours, days even.”
“The light from her eyes is now gone and is replaced with fear and a longing to be at peace,” Charlotte said in a statement read out in court. “Today I am appealing to you for Nancy as I truly believe she has endured enough. For me to say that breaks my heart… But I have to say it.”
Watch The Mirror’s interview with Charlotte below. Post continues after video:
Justice Eleanor King granted Charlotte’s request on 7 August, in a landmark decision that was fully supported by doctors at the hospital treating the girl.
Nancy is the first child breathing on her own, not on life support and without a terminal illness who has been allowed to die.
Handing down her decision, Justice King said: “The love, devotion and competence of Nancy’s mother are apparent… In her own closed world she has had some quality of life. Sadly that is not the case now.”
Nancy’s fluids were withdrawn following the decision and the little girl died 14 days later on August 21, a day Charlotte calls “the hardest of my life.”
Charlotte and Nancy’s father, David Wise, 47, have shared details of their daughter’s case because they believe the life-or-death decision they made should not have to be made in court.
The pair, who had been separated, have now rekindled their relationship and are in the midst of setting up The Nancy Wise Fund, to help parents fund their children’s funerals.
Charlotte tells The Mirror: “It shouldn’t have to be a mother’s decision to end a child’s life, I believe hospitals and parents should be able to decide without mothers or fathers going to court.
“I want parents to know it’s OK to want your child to be at peace, it doesn’t mean you love them any less.”
Story tips and ideas: Please email grace@mamamia.com.au
[post_snippet id=324408]
Top Comments
I myself had to make this decision twice,
but in many ways I was lucky my children were discovered during my pregnancy's so my husband and I could think about this and to make our discussion a little easier I had experienced my mother going through what Charlotte has gone through except her children,my brother and sister didn't pass away until 29yrs & 42yrs We would visit them regularly and It up set me so much especially after my two we found it very hard and that's why they should let euthanasia be made legal as it is so hard watching your family suffer day after day and it's not only the children it's the parents as well cause it has destroyed my parents and their relationship
What a horrible situation to be in as parents. My heart goes out to them and I only wish the laws were in place that their little girl could have had her death sped up with euthanasia and an overdose of morphine (or something). 14 days sitting there watching your child die - heartbreaking, but at least it was better than the original sentence of "months". I hope the parents know their little girl is saying "thank you" So so very sad