A baby who is fighting for his life, but who was just hours from being pulled off life support at a Canadian hospital has been rescued after a team of non-profit groups rushed the infant to the U.S. for treatment.

Thirteen-month-old Joseph, who is currently kept alive by a respirator, arrived in the U.S. early in the morning on Monday, March 14, just hours away from becoming a victim of the Canadian national health care program.

The infant is terminally ill and the Canadian government would not authorize additional care. The child was airlifted to the Cardinal Glennon Children’s Medical Center in St. Louis, Missouri — which agreed to provide treatment requested by Baby Joseph’s desperate parents. Joining the hospital to save the baby were a number of non-profits, including the American Center for Law and Justice and Priests for Life.

“We’re extremely pleased that this hospital, a leader in healthcare for children, has stepped forward to care for ‘Baby Joseph’ at such a critical time,” said Jay Sekulow, chief counsel of the ACLJ. “In representing the family’s interests in the U.S., we were able to assist in a number of vital areas – including assisting in the facilitation of the transfer of ‘Baby Joseph’ to the Missouri hospital as well as working to ensure there were no legal impediments in the transfer process.”

“Priests for Life staff toiled through the night for many nights, working in concert with dozens of people to make this possible,” said Father Frank Pavone said in a statement. “Now that we have won the battle against the medical bureaucracy in Canada, the real work of saving Baby Joseph can begin.”

The boy suffers from a rare, progressive neurological disease which, Canadian doctors say, has left him in a vegetative state beyond recovery. They say the illness is irreversible and wanted to remove his breathing tube. His parents appealed to Canadian courts, but the hospital’s decision was upheld.

The baby’s parents believe removing his breathing tube would cause him to choke and die violently. They want Joseph to receive a tracheotomy, which would open his airway and allow him to die quietly at home. They did not rule out the possibility of his recovery — which Father Pavone believes is a very real possibility.

The family has asked for prayer for their little boy.