Isaiah Haastrup: Parents announce death of 'brave baby boy' after life-support withdrawn

European judges dismiss appeal to keep 12-month-old with 'catastrophic' brain damage alive

(PA)

Isaiah Haastrup, the baby whose parents lost a legal fight over his treatment, has died after his life-support was withdrawn.

An appeal by the parents of the 12-month-old to keep him alive was dismissed by European judges on Tuesday.

Takesha Thomas and Lanre Haastrup, who wanted life-support to continue, took their case to the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) after losing a lengthy legal battle with King's College Hospital.

But judges at the ECHR declared the appeal "inadmissible" following a High Court ruling that further treatment for the baby would be "futile, burdensome and not in his best interests".

Mr Haastrup told the BBC he was "so proud" of his "brave" son after Isaiah had his life-support turned off on Wednesday.

Isaiah Haastrup's mother Takesha Thomas and father Lanre Haastrup outside the High Court in London (PA)

Isaiah suffered from "catastrophic" brain damage, thought to have been caused by oxygen deprivation at birth.

Doctors said he had only a low level of consciousness, could not move, and could not breathe without a ventilator.

King’s College Hospital accepts his condition was partly contributed to by a delay giving his mother an emergency caesarean, but said the main reason was a rare event where her womb ruptured during labour.

The case follows controversy over Charlie Gard, another severely ill baby whose life-support treatment was switched off following a high-profile court battle between his parents and Great Ormond Street Hospital.