For the second time in less than a year, U.K. doctors are seeking to euthanize an 11-month-old boy against the wishes of his parents.
Doctors from King’s College hospital in London testified in court Monday that young Isaiah Haastrup’s condition would not improve, having suffered severe brain damage due to complications at birth, The Guardian reported. Opposing those doctors in court was Lanre Haastrup, the boy’s father and a lawyer, who is representing himself to stop the court from ordering his son’s death. Doctors claim that continued medical care is not in Isaiah’s best interests.
Isaiah is currently on life support and is essentially unresponsive. He suffers severe dystonia, cerebral palsy, spasticity and epilepsy. He cannot breathe unassisted, and doctors say his condition has not substantially changed since his birth and is not likely to change. A medical specialist showed that while Isaiah’s body has grown, his head has not, indicating that his brain is not growing either.
“We always take account of the views of parents,” the specialist said, but “the needs of the child are paramount.”
Haastrup and the boy’s mother, Takesha Thomas, argue that their son could benefit from further treatment and improve enough to be cared for at home. Haastrup claimed that his son had responded to cuddling from he and Thomas, and pushed for doctors to perform a tracheotomy so that Isaiah could be put on life support at home.
Doctors, however, claim there are too many risks in the procedure. They also told the court that given Isaiah’s unresponsive state, there is no way to know whether or how much he is suffering, and so euthanasia is in his best interests.
“You have not seen Isaiah being cuddled and stroked by mummy and daddy,” Haastrup told the judge.
The case is very similar to that of Charlie Gard, an 11-month-old who was refused proper medical treatment in July, despite his parents’ protracted legal battle.
Gard’s parents battled with U.K. courts to seek treatment for their son in the U.S., but were barred from traveling. Chris Gard and Connie Yates eventually withdrew their second appeal to seek treatment for for Gard, as his health had deteriorated past the point of improvement during the delay caused by the court’s intervention.
Gard’s case sparked international outrage on the family’s behalf. President Donald Trump and Pope Francis both offered to help Gard before his death.
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