The fate of a 2-year-old Jewish girl on life support in England could be decided at a court hearing on Wednesday.
Alta Fixsler of Manchester is gravely ill, due to natal complications, and has been on life support since birth. On May 28, the High Court of London ruled that ending Alta’s life is in her best interest, as medical experts do not believe she has a chance of recovering or feeling pleasure. They believe she can sense discomfort.
Her parents said that taking their daughter off life support would contradict their Jewish faith. Judaism commands the preservation of human life and generally forbids actions to end it, however, rabbis, including Orthodox ones, have had diverging opinions on taking seemingly incurable patients off life support.
In the ruling, Justice Alistair MacDonald rejected a petition by the girl’s parents, who belong to Manchester’s ultra-Orthodox community, to have her moved to a hospital in Jerusalem.
More than 40,000 people have signed a petition urging British authorities not to stop life support.
Read more at Times of Israel.
{Matzav.com}
For context, here’s part of the ruling:
He said taking the toddler to Israel would cause her discomfort “for no medical benefit in circumstances where all parties accept that the treatment options now available for Alta provide no prospect of recovery”.
He said her “parents cannot be criticised for having reached a different decision informed by the religious laws that govern their way of life, but applying the secular legal principles that I must… I cannot agree with their assessment and am required to act accordingly”.
As a result, he added, it was “in her best interests for a palliative care regime to be implemented”.
“Justice” Alistair MacDonald is an evil wicked judge who would of been burned to a crisp had he been in Sodom during Abraham’s time! Even though this murderous judge is a gentile, he must abide by the seven Noachide laws! To deny the Parents rights to save their child, is the worst form of torture and abuse. We can only hope this evil judge dies a horrible death.
Hi, “Terri Schiavo.”
This is a very complex situation.
No reason to condemn the judge, who is required to rule according to British law.
And no reason to assume that gradual withdrawal of treatment to a hopelessly brain-damaged, terminally-ill patient necessarily violates the prohibition against murder.
As far as parents’ rights, a child is the ward of the state (in America as well) and parents don’t have the “right” to cause their child harm, no matter what the parents’ religion says. And the state, not the religion, defines what’s called “harm.”
i have read the ruling which is somehow more detailed (further details are withheld) and it is a very difficult situation.
To: Terri Schiavo:
Very well said & to the point!!
is Britain now under Communist rule like Russia that a sick child can not leave the country to be healed somewhere else. HASHEM YERACHEIM
i understand the attitude of the british courts, but they refuse to understand the attitude of people who know whose really running the world. since the Ribono Shel Olam is keeping this child alive, there must be a benefit to the world, even a benefit for those who dont understand that.
I’m surprised the hospital didn’t get rid of the child “legally” with a covid injection.