Gohar Ali and his wife Rabia Begum refused to give up hope when doctors said they wanted to stop treating their daughter Fatima, 11, and move her on to palliative care
Fatima Ali, 11, pictured with her father Gohar at their home in Yardley. (Image: Rowan Griffiths / Daily Mirror)
A Birmingham dad took doctors who wanted to end his sick daughter’s treatment to court – and now she is back home with her family.
Medics at Birmingham Children’s Hospital told Gohar Ali they believed more treatment was not in 11-year-old Fatima’s best interests after she was left on a ventilator with complex health conditions.
But the tearful dad and his wife Rabia Begum refused to accept the decision, which could have seen her die within days, and won a court case.
READ MORE: Midlands mum fell ill at luxury Cape Verde hotel – two days later she was dead
Gohar told the Mirror: “I was always going to fight for Fatima, I was never going to give up. I took inspiration from cricketer Imran Khan, who said, ‘You only lose when you give up. If you do not give up, you will win from the most incredible positions’.”
The couple believed Fatima could benefit from continued treatment and she could be allowed to return to their Yardley home, where she lived until 2023 despite a string of earlier hospital admissions.
But in July 2023 Birmingham Children’s Hospital staff proposed she be “one-way weaned” off the ventilator.
Gohar, a taxi driver, remembers: “It was particularly hard for her siblings, who really missed Fatima and always visited her in hospital after school. I would spend every hour I could there, sleeping in a chair.
“I had to make sure I always knew what was happening to her and I would question everything. The nursing staff were so great with her.
“We really appreciated what they did for her but at the same time we had to be there to represent Fatima and make sure she was getting the best treatment possible.”
After Birmingham Women’s and Children’s NHS Foundation Trust submitted an application to withdraw the life-sustaining treatment, Gohar and Rabia fought back.
Fatima as a baby.(Image: Rowan Griffiths / Daily Mirror)
Gohar recalls: “It was exhausting, but that moment when we knew we could bring her home was glorious.
“I had left the hospital that day and I was beginning to think maybe we would not win this. And then the call came when I was almost back home. What I have learned and the message I would give any other parent out there is to keep the faith, remain strong and you can come through all the pain. We remained strong.
“We knew we were a small fish up against a big shark but that did not hold us back – we knew what we had to do for Fatima.”
The family division of the High Court sided with Gohar and Rabia, ruling she should undergo a tracheostomy – a surgical procedure to create an artificial airway – with the aim of long-term ventilation at home.
She underwent the operation in January, was discharged in September and is now readjusting to life at home. The treatment has given her the chance of more years with her family.
Gohar said: “We are so happy to have Fatima back at home. It’s been really tough these past few years but we know that she will continue fighting to survive.
“”Her siblings are looking forward to more joyful times with Fatima and we are grateful to the court for hearing our side of the story and allowing us to spend more time with our precious young girl. One thing we can have now she is back is some stability.
“”And soon we will have a party with all the family and the kids from the neighbourhood to properly welcome her home. “
Emma Bergin, specialist solicitor at Irwin Mitchell, who represented Fatima’s parents, commented: “This is a unique and interesting case about a healthcare decision with the most serious of consequences.
“The court heard lots of medical evidence as well as hearing evidence from the family about Fatima’s life and religious beliefs. In particular the court heard evidence her faith was likely to be strong and would align with her parents, who believed in the sanctity of life and that her treatment should be prolonged as much as humanely possible.
“The judge also considered whether Fatima would derive pleasure from her life and acknowledged that, while she can’t run and play with friends like other children, her family and in particular the attention of her brothers and sisters were sources of pleasure to her.
“We are so happy for the family that we could play our part in bringing Fatima back home and we hope they get to spend some quality time together as a family.
Dr Satish Rao, the chief medical officer at Birmingham Women’s and Children’s NHS Foundation Trust, said: “We recognise this has been an extremely difficult time for the family. Clinical recommendations and decisions are always made in a patient’s best interest.
“”We fully respect the court’s decision and have provided care and support to the patient and her family to enable her discharge home for ongoing care. “.