Charlotte battle continues

The father of a desperately ill baby today presented new evidence to prove his daughter should be given the chance of life.

Darren Wyatt, 33, claims that a ruling allowing doctors not to ventilate 15-month-old Charlotte if she has critical difficulty breathing effectively condemns her to die.

A judge decided last October that she was in such pain after being born three months premature that it was "not in her best interests" to be kept alive artificially.

But today Mr Wyatt said he had dramatic new evidence which shows that her condition has improved since the previous court decision.

He said he had tapes and photographs showing Charlotte was getting better.

Speaking as an emergency court hearing began, he said: "For the first time she is focusing. She is following objects moving in front of her with her eyes and if a light is shone, her eyes flicker." In the High Court the family's lawyer urged the judge to overturn the order allowing doctors to withhold life-saving treatment which was granted in the expectation that the girl would not survive the winter.

Today David Wolfe told Mr Justice Hedley: "The position has now moved on." He said Charlotte now enjoys "good days," her need for oxygen has decreased and she can be taken out of her oxygen box and sat in a chair breathing through a face mask. She can be stimulated and receive physiotherapy.

"These were things that were never happening before," said Mr Wolfe.

"Charlotte can be startled by a loud noise and generally has roving eye movements. She can frown and grimace but not smile.

"She is responding to a limited extent to light and sound."

Charlotte weighed one pound and was five inches long when she was born.

She had serious brain damage as well as major liver and kidney problems, was fed through a tube, needed a constant supply of oxygen and was given months to live.

When doctors at St Mary's Hospital in Portsmouth were granted the court order last year it was bitterly opposed by Mr Wyatt, a chef, and his 23-year-old wife Debbie who are committed Christians.

The couple have disagreed with doctors over the baby's care regime.

Today Mr Wyatt explained why he wanted the court to suspend the order and let independent medical experts examine the baby.

"I have the evidence but the doctors who have seen her with their own eyes don't want to admit the truth," he said outside court.