A life or death decision

Three appeals judges in London ruled Friday that doctors may operate to separate Siamese twin girls -- killing one to spare the life of the other. This is in protest of the Roman Catholic parents who said that they wanted to leave the infants' fate to "God's will."\n The twins, Jodie and Mary, are joined at the lower abdomen. Doctors say that the two -- born Aug. 8 at St. Mary's Hospital in Manchester -- will only survive for another few months.\nThe surgery means death for Mary, who cannot survive without her sister Jodie. Their heads are at opposite ends of their connected bodies, and their legs at right angles from each side. Jodie has a functioning heart, lungs and liver, and her organs must bear the extra strain of supporting both her and Mary.\nJustice Alan Ward told Fox News that he lost sleep over the case. \n"It has been excruciatingly difficult. One's heart bleeds for the family."\nBut he stated, summarizing the judgment of the court, "Though Mary has a right to life, she has little right to be alive. She is alive only because -- to put it bluntly but … accurately -- she sucks the lifeblood of Jodie and her parasitic living will soon be the cause of Jodie ceasing to live." \nThis isn't the end. The parents will be allowed to appeal to the House of Lords -- where a continuation of the appeals process might lead to the death of both children.\nIf the case ends up in the European Court, "it could take a very, very long time," said Michael Zander, a legal expert at the London School of Economics.\nDr. James O'Neill of Vanderbilt University is one of the world's leading specialists in Siamese twins. He told ABC News that as each day goes on, Jodie will get weaker. The first step will be the "collapse of the kidneys, intestines and the liver before moving to impact the coronary system and, ultimately, the brain." \nThe parents have refused to give doctors consent to do the operation, saying that God and not the doctors should decide whether and for how long they live.\n"We believe that nature should take its course. If it's God's will that both our children should not survive then so be it," they said.\nEach side has an argument. \nIn an interview with BBC news, Dr. Richard Nicholson, editor of the Bulletin of Medical Ethics said the consideration should be given to the people who would have to live with the decision.\n"The courts will not have to live with the decision, the doctors won't, but the parents will," he said.\nDr. Harry Applebaum, a surgeon at Kaiser Permanente Hospital in Los Angeles, is one of the few doctors in the world who has carried out an operation to separate Siamese twins. He told BBC news he believes nature should not be allowed to run its course. \n"We can('t) just allow things to go on as they are or we (w)ould have got rid of all physicians long ago. If we left things to run their natural course, we would probably all die by the age of 30 from infectious diseases," Applebaum said. \nWhat if these were your children? Would you want the courts to decide their fate? Or would you decide for yourself? The parents say it is morally and legally wrong to sacrifice one of their children for the other. Instead, they are willing to have both die.\nSeparation means certain death for Mary; it is Jodie's only chance of surviving.\n"In this situation we do have a person (Jodie) who can function normally following an operation," said Applebaum. \nThe decision for the three judges was certainly difficult. It was a no-win situation. But in the end, saving one life is better than killing two.