What occurred was a tragedy of almost immeasurable dimension. The judge said that prior to the incident, H had been 'a healthy, happy little boy', adding: 'He was much wanted and much loved by them and by the wider family. 'It is a situation which defies human empathy.' He later added: 'There can be very little, if indeed anything, more painful for an adult human being than being told that it is in the best interest of their child that life support be discontinued. The High Court (pictured) was asked to determine whether or not doctors are allowed to take the boy, who is now one, off the ventilator he has been on since last June Mr Justice Hayden said the changes were 'understandably misinterpreted as indicators of recovery by parents, suffused with inexhaustible hope', praising the couple for their 'enormous devotion' to their son.
However, medical experts disagreed, with one doctor telling the court it was 'unlikely that H experiences either pain or pleasure'. H's parents had argued that there were signs of improvement in his condition, including that their son continues to grow and responds to touch. It certainly was for Mrs A and Mr B in this case.' 'Even a prospect characterised in these terms, however, would be enough for many parents to cling onto. Mr Justice Hayden said: 'The reality from this early stage was that this was a brain injury of such devastating consequence that there was a vanishingly small prospect of survival. The court heard H has been on a ventilator for eight months, cannot successfully breathe for himself and that his brain injury was so severe that ongoing intensive care would not increase his chances of recovery or lead to him going home with his family. However, in a judgment published on Tuesday, Mr Justice Hayden found it was in H's best interest for ventilation to be stopped.
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