Mary Jane Pierce's parents drop cannabis oil crusade
5-month-old baby with cerebral palsy remains in BC Women's Hospital
Parents of a severely ill baby girl in care at BC Women's Hospital in Vancouver are no longer seeking the right to treat her with cannabis oil.
Justin Pierce and Michelle Arnold have withdrawn their court application asking for greater control of treatment for their five-month-old, Mary Jane Pierce, who has cerebral palsy.
Arnold and Pierce both have epilepsy, and take cannabis oil, and they believed the oil could help their daughter.
They allege that officials from the Ministry of Children and Family Development pressured them into giving up custody of their baby.
The girl was born prematurely at 25 weeks with serious health problems, including brain bleeding, cerebral palsy and severe seizures.
Lawyer Erin Haupt, who represents the parents, said Mary Jane has been breathing without a ventilator for two weeks and her family hopes can bring her home someday.
Last month, the couple won a temporary injunction in B.C. Supreme Court preventing doctors from taking their baby off life support.
A protection hearing is expected in several weeks to determine whether the Ministry of Children and Family Development's temporary custody of Mary Jane becomes permanent.
With files from The Canadian Press