US Senate leader urges UK not to take 2-year-old Jewish girl off life support
Chuck Schumer writes to British envoy, after court rules against family petition to have Alta moved to Israel due to doctors decision to turn off machines keeping her alive
JTA — Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer is making the US part of a fight to keep British doctors from taking a 2-year-old Jewish girl off life support.
Schumer, who is Jewish, wrote to Britain’s US ambassador, Karen Pierce, on Wednesday asking her government to prevent medical authorities from making any irreversible moves concerning Alta Fixsler, who has been on life support in a Manchester hospital since her birth due to natal complications.
“I urge that all health decisions that are against the wishes of the family be suspended until the citizenship process is complete and Alta can travel to the US with her US citizen father, Mr. Abraham Fixsler,” Schumer, a New York Democrat, wrote.
Last month, a top British court ruled against the family’s petition to have Alta moved to Israel after medical authorities’ decided to pull the plug on the machines keeping her alive. Taking Alta off life support goes against their religious beliefs, the haredi Orthodox parents said, and there may be hope for Alta recovering. Medical personnel expected Alta to die within days of being born.
The action has been delayed amid further appeals by the parents.
Israel’s government has also urged the British authorities to prevent Alta from being taken off life support and want the family to be permitted to move to Israel.