Death of Alta Fixsler

Alta Fixsler was a British girl with Haredi Jewish parents, who died after her life support was removed, following a best interests case.

Birth

Fixsler was born on 23 December 2018, 34 weeks into the pregnancy, to Abraham and Chaya, via an emergency caesarean section, after Chaya suffered from a significant placental abruption. She was born without a heartbeat and after successful resuscitation attempts she remained with a severe hypoxic brain injury.

In 2021, a judge ruled that it was not in Fixsler's best interests for Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust to continue providing treatment. Her parents had argued that it was against their religious beliefs to contribute to her death, and they were able to transport her to Israel to continue receiving treatment. After the Supreme Court concurred with the ruling, they appealed to the European Court of Human Rights, which rejected the appeal.

Fixsler's life support was removed in a hospice on 18 October 2021, and she died three hours later.