Parents in court fight against NHS to save daughter's life say, 'We won't let her die'

PARENTS of a critically ill five-year-old have issued an emotional plea to save their daughter's life.

Tafida Raqeeb suffered a brain injury in February and has been on life support since then at the Royal London Hospital.

Doctors in the UK believe it is in her best interests to let her die, but her parents say an Italian hospital has agreed to help her.

The five-year-old's mother, Shelina Begum, is in a legal fight with the NHS to take Tafida to Italy.

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 Mohammed, from Newham, East London, are taking their case to the High Court next month. They need to raise £300,000 for Tafida's treatment in Italy, and more than £100,000 to cover legal fees.

On their GoFundMe page, they wrote: "At present, she shows gradual but very encouraging signs of recovery.

"A team in the Royal London Hospital, where she is being treated, has decided, however, that it would be in her 'best interests' that her life is ended. We, her parents, strongly disagree."

"We believe Tafida should be given the chance of life, and the opportunity to recover, and the Gaslini Children's Hospital ... shares our opinion.

"Doctors there are willing to treat Tafida but the Royal London Hospital is trying to stop us, and is thereby denying our wishes and surely our right as parents to act in what we know to be the best interests of our beloved daughter."

Barts Health NHS Trust, which covers the Royal London Hospital where Tafida is being treated, said in a statement issued last month: "This is a very sad case, for which we are in close contact with the family to offer support.

"Our expert clinicians caring for Tafida Raqeeb have determined, in discussion with additional independent medical experts elsewhere in London, that further invasive medical treatment is futile.

"As such we are ensuring that we keep the family involved and uphold Tafida's best interests, recommending withdrawal of life sustaining treatment and instigating palliative care."