The father of a severely disabled child at the centre of a life-support dispute has paid an emotional tribute to his son after he died just hours after doctors withdrew treatment.
The parents of one-year-old Isaiah Haastrup had fought against an application by King’s College Hospital in London to move him to palliative care.
Isaiah’s father, Lanre Haastrup and his mother Takesha Thomas’ ‘last resort’ appeal to the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) in Strasbourg, France, was dismissed on Tuesday.
Severely disabled Isaiah Haastrup, who was at the centre of a life-support treatment dispute has died, his father said. These pictures were taken just hours before he died
The child’s life support machine was switched off after his parents lost a legal battle. Mr Haastrup posted updates as Isaiah’s fight for life continued
Mr Haastrup confirmed his son’s death on Facebook last night
Isaiah died at 7.50pm on Wednesday, hours after being removed from life-support, Mr Haastrup said on Facebook.
And the grieving father posted a series of tributes to his son.
He said: ‘I’m am proud to have been your father and I’m sorry I couldn’t protect you. I am proud of you son.’
And alongside a picture of him cradling the child in a hospital room, he said: ‘Lord!! We thank you for Isaiah’s life.’
He had earlier posted heartbreaking updates on his son’s desperate fight for life, counting down each hour the child breathed without life-support machines.
Mr Haastrup then posted: ‘Isaiah died at 7.50pm. Thanks for the support.’
The parents asked the ECHR to intervene after losing two legal battles in England.
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.
The heartbroken parents were pictured caring for their son in hospital yesterday
Severely disabled Isaiah Haastrup, who was at the centre of a life-support treatment dispute, died on Wednesday
Isaiah’s father, Lanre Haastrup and his mother Takesha Thomas’ ‘last resort’ appeal to the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) in Strasbourg, France, was dismissed on Tuesday
The couple, pictured here leaving court last month, said on Wednesday that judges had not listened to their arguments
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 to overturn Mr Justice MacDonald’s decision.
They then made a written application to the ECHR as a ‘last resort’, which was declared ‘inadmissible’.
Mr Haastrup said on Wednesday that judges had not listened to their arguments.
He slammed the judge’s decision, telling The Guardian: ‘Surely, this is not sufficient to say our goodbyes to our son; we would require a reasonable period to spend with Isaiah.’
He added: ‘The ECHR decided to abandon justice and instead prioritised the fierce urgency of killing Isaiah.
‘We were not given the opportunity to present our case which we were entitled.’
He said the ECHR had ‘demonstrated’ that it was ‘little more than a figurehead’.
‘No thorough reasons for their decision [were given], which suggested that the court was not fair-minded and going by its judgment, does not need to hear us before dismissing our case,’ he added.
‘Therefore, we are disappointed with the ECHR not for the dismissal but for the failure to hear our argument before the dismissal, particularly as the ECHR is the court of last resort.’
PARENTS’ FIGHT FOR BABY ISAIAH
Isaiah was born at King’s College Hospital in London last February and suffered brain damage after a medical emergency meant he was deprived of oxygen during his birth.
His mother Takesha Thomas had to undergo an emergency Caesarean after her womb ruptured, and Isaiah was delivered with no heartbeat and not breathing and had to be resuscitated.
An expert paediatric neurologist said he was ‘as near to death as it is possible to get’ and the High Court heard the lack of oxygen caused a ‘catastrophic’ level of brain damage which left him profoundly disabled.
Doctors said he needed a ventilator to breathe, could not move independently or respond to stimulus and had a ‘low level of consciousness’.
Isaiah Haastrup’s father Lanre Haastrup and mother Takesha Thomas leave the Royal Courts of Justice, London
If he had any awareness of pain or pleasure he was likely to be experiencing pain, the court was told.
Doctors suggested taking him off life support six days after his birth, after tests revealed the damage to his brain.
Miss Thomas, 36, told the court she accepted Isaiah was severely disabled but insisted she was willing to care for him for the rest of his life.
She told the court her faith as a Pentecostal Christian meant she believed God should decide who lived or died.
She said Isaiah responded to her voice and touch, and to his favourite cuddly toy or cartoons.
Isaiah has remained on life support at King’s College Hospital and a judge previously said there had been a breakdown in trust between the parents and his medical team.
Mr Haastrup, a lawyer, said Isaiah’s brain damage was the fault of medical failings during his birth and the family launched a separate legal action against the hospital for alleged clinical negligence.