Give our son a chance to fight for his life, parents beg court
THE family of a brain-damaged baby boy are locked in a legal battle with doctors who want to withdraw life support.
Seven-month-old Isaiah Thomas was left fighting for his life following complications during his mother’s labour in February, and now has to be fed through a tube and kept on a ventilator to survive.
During a hearing at the High Court yesterday, doctors from King’s College Hospital said they had been unable to find treatments which will benefit the little boy.
Specialists at the London hospital claimed that any further intensive care treatment would be ‘futile, unduly burdensome and not in his best interests’.
Speaking after the hearing in London, Isaiah’s mother, Takesha Thomas, vowed to continue the battle to keep her son alive.
The stylist, 36, said: ‘We believe that Isaiah deserves his chance to fight for his life and that there is still more that can be done for him. We do not think it is in our son’s best interests to stop the treatment which is keeping him alive.’
The court battle echoes the plight of Charlie Gard, who died in July just days before his first birthday. The death of the little boy – who garnered wide support from the public as well as backing from Donald Trump and the Pope – came after a judge ruled that his parents, Connie Yates and Chris Gard, could not take him to the US for treatment they believed would be lifesaving.
Following a lengthy legal wrangle between the family and Great Ormond Street Hospital, where Charlie was cared for, it was ruled that life support should end and he be allowed to die with dignity.
Although Isaiah’s organs are able to grow naturally, he cannot breathe himself for a prolonged period because messages are not correctly processed by his brain, so he relies on a ventilator.
In the family division of the High Court, Mr Justice MacDonald was told that Isaiah was born by emergency caesarean section at King’s on February 18 with a severe brain injury. It was thought to have been caused by oxygen deprivation after a delay in spotting that his heart rate had dropped significantly for approximately 27 minutes.
Barrister Fiona Paterson, representing King’s College Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, said: ‘Unfortunately, it appears that there are no further investigations or forms of treatment which will benefit Isaiah.’
Solicitor Anne-Marie Irwin, representing Isaiah’s family, said outside court: ‘This is a very sad and sensitive situation involving a very ill young boy.
‘The family wishes to ensure his treatment continues and believes that there is still more that can be done to help him.’
A further preliminary hearing has been listed for next Friday.