A High Court judge has ruled that doctors can stop providing life-support treatment to a brain-damaged 11-month-old, against his parents’ wishes.
Specialists at King’s College Hospital say giving further intensive care treatment to Isaiah Haastrup is “futile, burdensome and not in his best interests”.
Isaiah’s mother Takesha Thomas and father Lanre Haastrup, who are both 36 and from Peckham, south-east London, had fought for treatment to continue.
A judge analysed evidence at a trial in the Family Division of the High Court in London earlier this month.
Barrister Fiona Paterson, who has represented King’s College Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, told Mr Justice MacDonald, who delivered the ruling on Monday that Isaiah was born at King’s College Hospital on February 18 2017 and was severely disabled.
She said nobody could understand the pain and suffering Isaiah’s parents had endured.
But she said overwhelming medical evidence showed that stopping treatment and providing only palliative care was in Isaiah’s best interests.
Doctors told the judge that Isaiah suffered “catastrophic” brain damage due to being deprived of oxygen at birth.
They said Isaiah was in a low level of consciousness, could not move or breathe independently and was connected to a ventilator.
Doctors said Isaiah did not respond to stimulation.
But Miss Thomas told the judge: “When I speak to him he will respond, slowly, by opening one eye.”
She added: “I see a child who is injured. He needs love. He needs care. I have it. I can give it.
“To say it is so poor, it is not worth living, that is not right. It is not their decision to make.”
Mr Haastrup had fought back tears at the trial as he outlined a series of complaints about the hospital to Mr Justice MacDonald.
He said the trust had “harmed” Isaiah at birth, told the judge that a “negligence case” was under way and complained about the way he had been treated.
“There have been failings,” he said. “But for them Isaiah would be at home having a lovely meal with me, with his lovely mum, playing around.”
Mr Haastrup said “everything” was “about full control” for hospital bosses and accused doctors of not taking account of his views or those of Miss Thomas.