The parents of a five-year-old girl who suffered a devastating brain injury are taking the NHS to court in a bid to save her life.
Tafida Raqeeb's Her parents, Shelina Begum, a 39-year-old solicitor, and Mohammed Raqeeb, 45, who is a construction consultant, want to remove Tafida from the hospital and take her to Gaslini children's hospital in Genoa for treatment.
The previously healthy five-year-old suffered a traumatic brain injury in February and has been on life support ever since at the Royal London Hospital in Whitechapel, part of Barts Health NHS Trust.
The youngster has a burst blood vessel in her brain which UK doctors do not believe she will recover from.
However, mum Shelina Begum, 39, says Tafida still reacts to her voice and is able to raise her left arm.
She told The Sun : "We just need to give her a chance. Tafida is not dying and she’s not in a full coma. She notices when something is in front of her.
"She has survived three surgeries. She just needs time. Her brain is injured but it is not terminally damaged. We will not just let her die.
“We feel so helpless that the decision to treat our daughter has been taken away from us. As parents are we not capable of making a decision in her best interest?”
Shelina and her husband Mohammed, 45, from Newham, East London, are taking their case to the High Court next month and are hoping to raise more than £100,000 to pay for lawyers.
They are also looking for £300,000 to cover the cost of their daughter's 'radical rehabilitation' treatment at Gaslini Children's Hospital, in Genoa, Italy.
Neurologists at the hospital inspected Tafida at Royal London Hospital over video link and recommended rehabilitation and therapy.
However, doctors in the UK are sceptical about the treatment and have refused to sign off on a hospital transfer.
UK medics say there is no way Tafida will survive and advise that her life support be switched off.
Tafida suffered a brain bleed in February as a result of a condition called arteriovenous malformation or AVM.
Her family said she was rushed to hospital for surgery, however this was delayed by five hours because of bed shortages.
Mohammed and Shelina believe this wait may have made her condition worse.
Barts Health NHS Trust told The Sun: “This is a sad situation. Our expert clinicians consider further medical treatment would not improve her condition and would not be in her best interests.
“We recognise how difficult this is for all involved and are seeking the expert opinion of the High Court to ensure the Trust and the family provide the most appropriate care.”
