After several months and efforts by American anti-abortion groups, Joseph was transferred to a Catholic hospital in St. Louis, Missouri, where the procedure was performed.
[3] His parents, Moe Maraachli and Sana Nader, immigrated to Canada from Lebanon in the 1990s, settling in Windsor, Ontario.
[3] At the Michigan hospital, he was diagnosed with a metabolic brain disease that the doctor said would make him developmentally delayed, and was treated, his health reportedly improving.
[4] The parents disputed the conclusion that Joseph was in a persistent vegetative state, saying he responded to being tickled and jostled when he felt discomfort.
[3] The family wanted a tracheotomy for him, believing it would allow him to breathe on his own, and thus be taken out of the hospital so he could "die peacefully with mom, dad at home.
"[4] The doctors at the hospital refused to perform a tracheotomy because they said it would needlessly protract Joseph's death and increase the risk of infection, pneumonia, and other complications.
[4] On January 22, the Board released its decision, holding that the course of action in the child's "best interests" would be "removal of the endotracheal tube without replacement, a Do Not Resuscitate order and palliative care.
[4] They decided to appeal the Board's decision in the Ontario Superior Court of Justice, retaining a lawyer, Geoff Snow, through legal aid.
[4] On February 28, the London Health Services Centre put out a media release, stating it was willing to transfer Joseph to his home but would remove the ventilator once he was there.
[6] Handelman confirmed that the hospital had made such an offer, but objected to its public disclosure, stating it had been presented during confidential negotiations.
[15] The family retained another lawyer, Claudio Martini, on March 5, and he announced the following week that they planned to file an appeal of the Superior Court decision.
Priests for Life announced it had secured a jet which was standing by to immediately fly the family to any American hospital willing to care for Joseph.
"[21] Doctors at the SSM Cardinal Glennon Children's Medical Center diagnosed Joseph with Leigh's disease, a rare neurometabolic disorder which causes the degeneration of the central nervous system.
[20] The doctors at the SSM hospital said the tracheotomy they performed gave Joseph a more stable airway, extra mobility and comfort, and protected his lungs.
However, the Vancouver Sun reported that he was positive about the outcome of his and others' efforts, and said he didn't think about when his son would die, but left that up to God.
Maraachli had a message for Joseph: "I made a promise to my son: I will give you back your human rights and dignity if you pass away or not...Fly and tell God about what happened with you and about the doctor that tried to kill you.
[30] The international anti-abortion community rallied around the family, offering support and money to help pay for the medical costs.