Lankford, Colleagues Urge Biden to Advocate on Behalf of Two-Year Old Girl’s Life

WASHINGTON, DC — Senator James Lankford (R-OK) today joined Senators Marco Rubio (R-FL), Mike Lee (R-UT), Ben Sasse (R-NE), Steve Daines (R-MT), Josh Hawley (R-MO), Lindsey Graham (R-SC), Mike Braun (R-IN), Jim Inhofe (R-OK), and Ted Cruz (R-TX) to send a letter to President Biden urging him to advocate to British Prime Minister Boris Johnson on behalf of Alta Fixsler, a two-year-old girl who is currently on life support in the United Kingdom where a British High Court has ruled to allow the hospital to suspend her medical treatment despite her family’s religious objections. Due to a severe brain injury, Alta Fixsler is at the Royal Manchester Children’s Hospital Pediatric Intensive Care Unit. Alta’s father, an American citizen, and her Israeli mother, have pushed to continue her medical treatment. Hospitals in the United States and Israel have agreed to accept Alta as a patient, and an organization has agreed to provide Alta’s transportation free of charge.

“We are profoundly troubled that the child of an American citizen is being treated this way in a country with whom we have a deep alliance and special relationship,” the senators wrote. “As parents, it is Mr. and Mrs. Fixsler’s right to fight to keep their daughter alive. It is unacceptable that people in government think they, not parents, should decide what is in the best interest of a child, even in a matter of life and death.”

You can view the text of the letter HERE or below. 

Dear Mr. President:

We write to express deep concern about the treatment of Alta Fixsler, a 2-year-old Jewish girl who suffers from a severe hypoxic ischemic brain injury and is currently a patient at the Royal Manchester Children’s Hospital Pediatric Intensive Care Unit in Manchester, United Kingdom. Due to her serious medical condition, Alta is currently receiving respiratory treatment to keep her alive. The Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust asked a British High Court to rule on whether to allow Alta to remain on life-support or to discontinue her medical treatment against the will of her parents. The judge ruled against the Fixsler family and decided to allow the hospital to remove Alta from the treatment that is keeping her alive.

Consequently, the family has made additional plans for their child to receive treatment outside of the United Kingdom, at no cost to the British government. Alta’s parents are Israeli citizens and both Israeli President Reuven Rivlin and Health Minister Yuli Edelstein have weighed in with the British to ask that Alta be transported to Israel – where a clinic has agreed to accept her as a patient. Furthermore, VitalOne, an international air medical transport organization, is prepared to do a full medical transport at no cost to the British government or the family. Additionally, the girl’s father, Mr. Abraham Fixsler, is also an American citizen. It would be possible for Alta be transported to a medical facility in Haskell, New Jersey that has also agreed to accept her as a patient so she can remain on life-sustaining treatment. Alta’s parents’ fervent desire is that their daughter be relocated to a country of their own citizenship that allows her to receive treatment.

We are profoundly troubled that the child of an American citizen is being treated this way in a country with whom we have a deep alliance and special relationship. As parents, it is Mr. and Mrs. Fixsler’s right to fight to keep their daughter alive. It is unacceptable that people in government think they, not parents, should decide what is in the best interest of a child, even in a matter of life and death.

Equally disturbing is the utter disregard shown by the High Court for the religious objections raised by Alta’s parents. The Fixsler family’s religious beliefs as Orthodox Jews forbid Alta from being disconnected from a ventilator. The High Court argued that, “Alta is not of an age, nor in a condition to have knowledge of and to adopt her parents’ values.” Therefore, her parent’s religious objections had no bearing on the Court’s decision. This is unacceptable.

It is unconscionable that the British government is usurping the role of parents and disregarding the sincere religious objections of the family. We urge you to advocate to Prime Minister Johnson on behalf of the Fixsler family.

Sincerely,

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