Parents and doctors in right-to-life clash over brain-damaged baby

DOCTORS ARE embroiled in a High Court life-support treatment dispute with the parents of a brain-damaged baby.

Specialists at King’s College Hospital in London say giving further intensive care treatment to seven-month-old Isaiah Thomas is “futile, burdensome and not in his best interests”.

But Isaiah’s mother Takesha Thomas and father Lanre Hasstrup want treatment to continue. A judge examined preliminary issues at a hearing in the Family Division of the High Court yesterday.

Mr Justice MacDonald made an order barring staff caring for Isaiah, whose family home is in Peckham, south-east London, from being identified in media reports.

He said it was vital that medics were allowed to focus on Isaiah’s care without any distractions publicity might generate.

“We believe that Isaiah deserves his chance to fight for his life and that there is still more that can be done for him,” said Isaiah’s mother after the hearing.

“We do not think it is in our son’s best interests to stop the treatment which is keeping him alive.”

Barrister Fiona Paterson, who is representing King’s College Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, had told Mr Justice MacDonald that Isaiah had been born at King’s College Hospital on February 18 with a severe brain injury thought to have been caused by a deprivation of oxygen.

“Isaiah has been and continues to be ventilator-dependent and currently cared for in the trust’s paediatric intensive care unit,” she explained in a written case outline. “A second opinion has been obtained on Isaiah’s diagnosis, prognosis and possible treatment options.

“Unfortunately, it appears that there are no further investigations or forms of treatment which will benefit Isaiah.”

A further preliminary hearing has been listed for October 13.