Baby Joseph Dies Peacefully at Home With Family

For Immediate Release: Baby Joseph Dies Peacefully at Home With Family

Baby Joseph Dies Peacefully at Home With Family


Baby's life extended for seven months after hospital refused to perform a tracheotomy

Contact: Kristina Hernandez, 703-373-0632; khernandez@crcpublicrelations.com

ST. PETERSBURG, FL., Sept. 28, 2011 -- The Terri Schiavo Life & Hope Network wishes to express their grief for the Maraachli family on the death of their baby, Joseph Maraachli ("Baby Joseph"). Baby Joseph passed away last night.

"It was a privilege and an inspiration for me to meet the Maraachli family and see their dedication to care for and love their precious boy, regardless of his disability," said Bobby Schindler, the brother of Terri Schiavo and Co-Executive Director of Terri's Life & Hope Network. "All the parents wanted was to bring their baby home. By their example, they showed the world what it means to love unconditionally. May we all learn from their example."

This past February, Schindler traveled to London, Ontario Canada, on two occasions to join the family of Baby Joseph, who at the time was pleading with the London Health Sciences Centre to bring Baby Joseph home so that he could spend his remaining days with his family. The Canadian hospital, along with the courts believed it would be best to terminate Joseph's life, despite the wishes of his parents, and refused to perform a common tracheotomy that would extend his life.

 After many weeks of public pressure, London Heath Sciences Centre released Baby Joseph and he was taken to SSM Cardinal Glennon Children's Medical Center in St. Louis.

The successful tracheotomy was performed at the St. Louis hospital and Baby Joseph was released, spending the last seven months being cared for by his family.

The Terri Schiavo Life & Hope Network was established by the family members of Terri Schiavo to protect the rights of people with cognitive disabilities. It has communicated with and supported more than 1,000 families, and has been involved in hundreds of cases since Terri's Death. Terri's Life & Hope Network was the recipient of the Gerard Health Foundation Life Prizes Award for their efforts in protecting the value and dignity of the profoundly brain injured.


May he rest in peace. I am praying for all, his family and their friends, that they may also find peace and comfort in the Lord.

God bless!