Let my daughter die at her home, father pleads
THE FATHER of a seriously ill toddler set to be taken off life-support has pleaded for her treatment to be withdrawn at home.
Alta Fixsler’s parents sought to reach an agreement with the Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust following a legal battle to take her out of Britain for treatment, but were unsuccessful.
The trust has decided that the Manchester toddler’s treatment should be withdrawn either in pediatric care or a local hospice, the JC understands. It was concerned about trolley accessibility and feared the family’s offer to move house would cause delays.
Speaking to BBC Radio 4’s Today programme, Alta’s father said bringing the toddler home was “something that we wanted from day one when the doctors said she is not going to live more than a few hours.
“This is what my wife asked and this is what our wishes are,” he said. “Alta should be home.”
Labour peer and scientist Robert Winston said those who choose to involve courts in palliative disputes “inevitably end up with a struggle.”
“Of course, the parents will want one thing. The court will want another thing. Then there’s the question of who pays for the care, so it’s a very big problem,” he told the JC.
He added that hope can sometimes mean parents are “shackled to something which cannot be resolved.”
Alta suffers from catastrophic brain injuries and has been under the care of the NHS trust since birth.
The Supreme Court refused last month to overturn an earlier ruling allowing her transfer into palliative care. The European Court of Human Rights rejected another appeal by her family this month.
The strictly-Orthodox family has argued that ending her life-sustaining treatment would go against their faith, but doctors say she has no chance of recovery and is in constant pain.
She has been granted a visa so she could be transferred to the US with her father — who is a citizen — so she could receive care in the country.
A spokesperson for the Manchester hospital said last week: “We recognise that this is an incredibly difficult and distressing time for Alta’s family and we will continue to support them. Due to patient confidentiality, we are unable to comment further.”
The case has drawn wide media coverage and interventions from prominent public figures such as former Israeli President Reuven Rivlin.