Posted on 08/04/21
| News Source: The Guardian
A Manchester hospital may withdraw life support from a seriously brain-damaged child after the European court of human rights rejected an appeal by the girl’s family.
The decision was “devastating” for the parents of two-year-old Alta Fixsler, said lawyers for the family. They “only want to see every option explored to try and save their daughter’s life”, the lawyers added.
Alta, who was born in the UK, is the subject of a legal battle between Manchester University NHS foundation trust, where she has been cared for since birth, and her ultra-Orthodox Jewish parents, who say withdrawal of treatment is against their religious beliefs.
Alta suffered a catastrophic brain injury at birth, and doctors treating her say she has no prospect of recovery. She has no “conscious awareness”, cannot see or hear, and is in constant pain, according to medics.
Following a supreme court ruling that Alta could have her life-sustaining treatment withdrawn, the child’s parents took their appeal to the ECHR, arguing such a move was against their Jewish faith and their rights as parents.
In a letter sent to the Fixslers on Monday evening, the ECHR said it rejected their appeal and agreed with the UK court’s decision to allow the withdrawal of life-sustaining treatment and place Alta on end-of-life care.