Thoughts of staff with parents as baby Isaiah dies after treatment legal battle

Doctors and nurses say their thoughts are with the parents of a 12-month-old boy who has died following a life-support treatment dispute.

Isaiah Haastrup's death has been announced by his father, Lanre Haastrup, in a Facebook post.

Mr Haastrup and Isaiah's mother, Takesha Thomas, became involved in a legal battle after bosses at King's College Hospital in London said the severely disabled little boy should be allowed to die.

A High Court judge had given doctors permission to provide only palliative care to Isaiah against the wishes of Mr Haastrup and Miss Thomas.

Mr Justice MacDonald analysed evidence at hearings in the Family Division of the High Court in January.

Specialists at King's College Hospital in London had said providing further intensive care treatment was futile and not in Isaiah's best interests.

Mr Haastrup and Miss Thomas, who are both in their 30s and from Peckham, south-east London, subsequently failed to persuade Court of Appeal judges and judges at the European Court of Human Rights to overturn Mr Justice MacDonald's decision.

A spokesman for the King's College Hospital trust said the thoughts of staff were with Isaiah's parents.

"Isaiah Haastrup suffered an irreversible brain injury following a rare and life-threatening obstetric emergency during his mother's labour," said the spokesman.

"Since birth he had been fully dependent on life support with no prospect of improvement, and throughout we actively sought to engage and involve Isaiah's parents in his care.

"The best interests of our patients must always come first.

"The trust always provided Isaiah with the very best care and the decision to apply to the court to withdraw treatment was only made after careful consideration and after consultation with the family.

"In Isaiah's case, the High Court ruled that overwhelming expert and independent medical opinion supported the declaration sought that withdrawing treatment was in his best interests.

"Subsequently, neither the Court of Appeal or the European Court of Human Rights reversed the original decision of the High Court."

He added: "We recognise that this has been an extremely difficult time for Isaiah's family as well as those involved in his care since birth.

"As Mr Justice MacDonald wrote in his judgement 'no one can imagine the emotional pain of the parents'.

"The thoughts of everyone at the trust are with them."