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Mother of Brain Injured Child Plans Appeal

By David Sharp, The Associated Press
 
PORTLAND, Maine - The legal case in which Maine child welfare officials won the right to make medical decisions on behalf of a brain-injured baby will proceed, even though the state agency has agreed to defer to the mother's wishes.

The teenage mom's lawyer said she will continue to pursue an appeal to the Maine supreme court to overturn a do-not-resuscitate order put in place by child welfare workers.

The mother originally agreed to the order after her infant daughter was severely injured in December. The mother later changed her mind, but child welfare workers won a court order granting them authority to make medical decisions.

The mother's attorney, Scott Hess, said it's important to end any legal uncertainty over whether a parent's wishes can be overruled when it comes to medical decisions.