A distraught mother who claims health bosses threatened to arrest her if she took her severely disabled daughter home has opened her heart about the “embarrassment and anger” of battling for her loved one’s future.

Mother-of-three Jackie Kucharski, from Wednesfield, is involved in a High Court legal battle to get her 20-year-old daughter Maria 24-hour care at home instead of Wolverhampton City Primary Care Trust’s (PCT) preferred option of confining her to a nursing home for the rest of her life.

In a letter to the family, health bosses even admitted they want her to go into a nursing home, which costs £195,000 a year instead of a home care package, which they estimate would cost the Trust more than double at £421,000.

Former carer Mrs Kucharski, aged 51, complained in official documents to the High Court that a senior PCT director had threatened to get her arrested if she tried to take Maria home after she had been admitted to West Park Hospital, in Wolverhampton, for an assessment of her needs. That claim is denied.

Even though doctors are backing the family’s request, the young patient is now stuck in the hospital’s rehabilitation unit under a court order until the High Court decides her fate.

Mrs Kucharski said: “Can you imagine how hard and cruel it is for a mother to be told the police will be sent round if she does what she thinks is best for her child?

“The PCT has delayed court proceedings time and time again saying more witnesses need to be called, but it just means they don’t have to pay the extra money for Maria to have carers at home.

“My daughter is only 20-years-old with the mental age of a child. She needs to be around family and young people not stuck in a nursing home because it is cheaper.

“My husband Eugene and I want what is best for her, we are her flesh and blood, but I don’t believe the PCT feel the same way.

“They want to dump Maria in a care home with elderly people because it saves them money, but I am made to feel like the criminal with threats of arrest.”

Maria was a happy, normal child until diagnosed with a brain tumour at the age of 12.

But complications during a nine hour operation left her in a coma for six months, only to wake severely handicapped and totally dependant on others.Maria needs constant care as she is incontinent, prone to dehydration as she has no sense of thirst and has difficulty communicating.

Oncologist Dr Martin English, from Birmingham Children’s Hospital, is supporting the Kucharski family and told the High Court “the ideal solution would be for additional support to be provided to Mr and Mrs Kucharski at home so that Maria can continue to benefit from their expertise and live in her own home with support.”

Jon Crockett, chief executive of Wolverhampton PCT, said: “This is a complex case as Maria has extensive clinical needs that require the support of specially trained nurses.

“In March 2009, a Court Order provided that Maria should be admitted to hospital for an assessment of her future care needs by a team of experts. Mr and Mrs Kucharski gave their consent to this.

“On June 30, Mrs Kucharski applied to the Court of Protection for an order that Maria be discharged from the hospital and the PCT provide care for Maria at home. The application was opposed by the Official Solicitor, who represents Maria’s best interests, who considered that it was in her best interests to remain in hospital until a decision about her long-term care can be made.

“The PCT cannot make a decision on the future provision of Maria’s care until further information from expert witnesses has been provided.”