Rare Disease Of Children: Family In Kerala To Approach Apex Court Seeking Mercy Killing

A couple, whose children have a rare congenital disease, is preparing to petition the Supreme Court for permission to execute all five of their family members on a compassionate basis because their attempts to keep treating their children have failed.

This district’s Smitha Antony and Manu Joseph, a couple from Kozhuvanal, decided because they were unable to continue treating two of their three children who had Salt-Wasting Congenital Adrenal Hyperplasia (SWCAH).

The most severe kind of CAH, a family of hereditary disorders affecting the adrenal glands that generate vital hormones, is salt-wasting.

Despite being nurses by trade, Smitha and her husband were unable to work because they had to stay at home to provide full-time care for their second and third children.

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In an interview with reporters here, she stated that Santiyo and Santrin had both been diagnosed with SWCAH and that the older one was also ninety percent autistic.

She stated that to raise money for the children’s medical bills and to purchase medications, they sold and pledged their properties.

“We are struggling hard to find means for our daily expenses, for the treatment of the younger children, and the education of the eldest child. As there is no income, life cannot be taken forward,” Smitha said.

The woman claimed that even though they went to the neighborhood panchayat to ask for help finding a job and getting treatment, they received no support.

She also accused the panchayat secretary of failing to forward the relevant documents to the government, despite the committee’s unanimous decision to offer her a job some time ago.

She said that despite her repeated complaints, nothing has changed.

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The woman clarified that no decision had been made regarding the promised job, even though the secretary had later forwarded the file to the government following the Human Rights panel’s interventions.

“So, our family has no option now other than requesting mercy killing. We are now contemplating to approach the Supreme Court and the High Court requesting the same,” she added.

Smitha also said that her family is undergoing severe mental trauma.

Source: PTI