The Joseph Maraachli case refers to an international controversy over the life of Joseph Maraachli, commonly known as Baby Joseph, a Canadian infant who was diagnosed with a rare progressive and incurable neurological disorder called Leigh's disease. After Canadian doctors refused to perform a tracheotomy, calling the procedure invasive and futile, Joseph's parents fought to have him transferred to the United States, arguing that while Joseph's disease was terminal, a tracheotomy would extend his life and allow him to die at home. 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. The successfully-obtained procedure extended Joseph's life for several months. Joseph died on Tuesday, September 27, 2011, at his home. History Background Joseph Maraachli was born on January 22, 2010. His parents, Moe Maraachli and Sana Nader, immigrated to Canada from Lebanon in the 1990s, settling in Windsor, Ontario. In 2002, the couple's 18-month-old daughter, Zina, died from a degenerative disorder. After undergoing a tracheotomy, she was taken home and cared for by her parents for her final six months. Then when she was near death, her parents took her back to the hospital, hoping to make her as comfortable as possible. Moe Maraachli once repaired computers, but gave up this work to take care of his wife Sana, who has lupus. The couple depended on Sana's disability payments and support from her family. Beginning of medical issues When Joseph was around three months old, his parents said they noticed he couldn't eat or breathe properly, and he wouldn't open his eyes or cry. In June 2010, they took him to a hospital in Michigan, a few miles away from Windsor, which is located directly on the Canada–United States border. 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. However, in the car on the way back from a family trip to Toronto in October 2010, he stopped breathing, so he was rushed to an emergency room in Ingersoll and later transferred to the London Health Sciences Centre (LHSC) in London, Ontario. Parents and doctors disagree Tests and examinations on Joseph were carried out by eight specialists over a few weeks following his transfer to the LHSC. The doctors concluded that he was suffering from