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Boy needing urgent cancer surgery vanishes - judge Boy needing urgent cancer surgery vanishes - judge
(about 3 hours later)
A 10-year-old boy who has jaw cancer and needs urgent surgery has vanished, a High Court judge has said.A 10-year-old boy who has jaw cancer and needs urgent surgery has vanished, a High Court judge has said.
Mr Justice Mostyn said the boy, who has not been identified, is Polish and could be in Poland with his parents, whom he urged to comply with doctors. Mr Justice Mostyn made a written order stating efforts should be made to find the boy, whom he said was Polish and could be in Poland with his parents.
Details of the case emerged in a ruling following hearings in the Family Division of the High Court in London. He granted an application, made by an NHS trust, allowing doctors to perform surgery on the boy to remove a tumour.
A doctor has told the judge the boy will die a "brutal and agonising death" if a tumour is not removed "very soon". A doctor said the child - who was not named - will die a "brutal and agonising death" without surgery.
Surgery request Details of the hearing emerged in a ruling following hearings in the Family Division of the High Court in London.
Mr Justice Mostyn said the boy, who had lived in England with his parents for two years, was at risk of "serious harm" and the risk was growing each day. 'Frightened and fearful'
An NHS trust with responsibility for the boy's care had asked the judge to rule that specialists could perform surgery. Mr Justice Mostyn said doctors believed the boy, who had lived in England with his parents for two years, was at risk of "serious harm" and the risk was growing each day.
The boy's parents preferred to treat him with "Chinese medicine", doctors said. He said there was evidence the boy had left his home with his mother two weeks ago, and that the boy's father had boarded a ferry bound for France in the past few days.
The judge said there was evidence the boy had left his home with his mother two weeks ago, and that the boy's father had boarded a ferry bound for France in the past few days. One doctor said the prospect of him growing up was "completely impossible" without surgery.
'Given chance' The paediatric oncologist said the boy's parents were "very frightened and fearful", worrying that he would be disfigured by surgery and preferring to treat him with "Chinese medicine".
Surgery could last as long as 12 hours and would require skin and bone from the boy's leg to rebuild his jaw bone, the judge said in his ruling.
It could result in "lameness", would leave the boy needing false teeth, and he could develop a "lopsided appearance", he added.
'Ghastly, agonising, death'
Mr Justice Mostyn stated: "I give full weight to the wishes of (the boy) as well as those of his parents.Mr Justice Mostyn stated: "I give full weight to the wishes of (the boy) as well as those of his parents.
"It is a strong thing for me, a stranger, to disagree with and override the wishes of (the boy) and his parents."It is a strong thing for me, a stranger, to disagree with and override the wishes of (the boy) and his parents.
"But I have absolutely no doubt that (the boy) must be given the chance, a very good chance, of a long and fulfilling life rather than suffering, quite soon, a ghastly, agonising, death.""But I have absolutely no doubt that (the boy) must be given the chance, a very good chance, of a long and fulfilling life rather than suffering, quite soon, a ghastly, agonising, death."
Mr Justice Mostyn said he had made an order saying efforts should be made to find the boy.Mr Justice Mostyn said he had made an order saying efforts should be made to find the boy.
The Polish embassy in London was being alerted, he added.The Polish embassy in London was being alerted, he added.
The judge referred to the boy and his parents by initials only and did not name the NHS trust.The judge referred to the boy and his parents by initials only and did not name the NHS trust.