Israel president appeals to Prince Charles to allow girl, 2, to be treated in Middle East
No action can improve the girl’s condition, High Court rules
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Your support makes all the difference.The Israeli president has appealed to Prince Charles to allow a two-year-old Israeli girl with severe brain damage to be treated in Israel after the High Court in London ruled that her life support should be switched off.
The court found last month that no course of action could be taken to improve the girl’s condition, and transferring her could cause her suffering.
Alta Fixsler’s family, who are Ultra-Orthodox Jewish, say their faith means they cannot allow any action that would hasten her death, and are appealing the 28 May ruling.
President Reuvin Rivlin wrote to Prince Charles on Wednesday, imploring him to help bring the girl to Israel for treatment. She is in hospital in Manchester.
“Their religious beliefs directly oppose ceasing medical treatment that could extend her life and have made arrangements for her safe transfer and continued treatment in Israel,” Mr Rivlin wrote in a letter.
“It would be a tragedy if these parents’ wishes could not be accommodated in a way that respects both the law and their religious beliefs.”
The child’s father, Avraham Fixsler, said there were Israeli doctors who were willing to travel to the UK to offer the family their options for treating her. “We believe she is not suffering and we want to have the right to keep her,” Mr Fixler said.
Israel’s health minister last week appealed to the UK government on behalf on the family.
Alta, who was born in the UK, suffered brain damage during birth and has been treated at the Royal Children’s Hospital since.
Last month, a High Court judge ruled that it was “in Alta’s best interests for the treatment that is currently sustaining her precious life now to be withdrawn”.
Mr Justice MacDonald said that transferring the girl to Israel would “expose Alta to further pain and discomfort during the course of transfer for no medical benefit in circumstances where all parties accept that the treatment options now available for Alta provide no prospect of recovery”.
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