Skip to content
Search

Latest Stories

Asian teen wins posthumous appeal against NHS

Sudiksha Thirumalesh, who suffered from a rare disorder, was involved in a legal battle with the NHS trust against being placed in end-of-life palliative care.

Asian teen wins posthumous appeal against NHS

A 19-year-old, who died from a rare disease, has won a posthumous appeal against the National Health Service (NHS) trust to travel abroad for an experimental treatement in hopes of extending her life.

Sudiksha Thirumalesh, an Asian-origin teenager who suffered from a rare mitochondrial disorder, was involved in a legal battle with the NHS trust against being placed in end-of-life palliative care. She died following a cardiac arrest last year.


Sudiksha's family continued the legal fight on her behalf, arguing for patients' rights to decide their treatment course. A Court of Appeal judgment on Wednesday could impact future cases involving patients in similar situations.

Court documents revealed that Sudiksha was determined to explore clinical trials in North America or Canada. However, there were disagreements between her family and the medical experts over what was in her best interests.

The Court of Appeal ruled that Sudiksha had the mental ability to express her treatment wishes.

"The decisions in this case related to Sudiksha, who, notwithstanding her terrible illness, was studying for A levels before contracting COVID, which led to her long-term admission to ICU," stated the appeal judgment, presided over by Justice Eleanor King, Lord Justice Rabinder Singh, and Lord Justice Jonathan Baker.

"She was a 19-year-old young woman who was fully conscious, was not suffering from any mental illness or brain damage, and was communicating freely with both her family and the medical team caring for her. Whilst distressed on occasion, it was in the context of specific treatment. She was clear at all times in expressing her wishes, namely that she wanted to be provided with all active care possible, to try experimental treatment, and to 'die trying to live,'" the judgment read.

The court noted that all who interacted with Sudiksha agreed that she was a "remarkable" young woman who was "hardworking, determined, and resilient."

"The declaration of incapacity having been set aside, the presumption of capacity applied. It follows that, in my judgment, this remarkable young woman had the capacity to make decisions in relation to her medical treatment and therefore had her wish to 'die trying to live,'" Lady King noted as she granted the family's appeal.

(With inputs from PTI)

More For You

Voices of Faith - Day 2: A profound confluence of spirituality, music, and dialogue

Barnaby Rogerson in conversation with Anthony Sattin (L) on day 2 of Voices of Faith

Voices of Faith - Day 2: A profound confluence of spirituality, music, and dialogue

Mahesh Liloriya

The second day of Voices of Faith unfolded with an enchanting blend of music, philosophy, and intellectual exploration at the Barbican Centre, London. This inaugural festival, curated by Teamwork Arts—the force behind the Jaipur Literature Festival (JLF) and JLF London—has been made possible by the Kamini and Vindi Banga Family Trust, with the support of Tech Mahindra. Eastern Eye and Garavi Gujarat serve as the official media partners, amplifying the festival’s reach and resonance.

Session 1- Echoes of eternity: The timeless notes of Kabir

Keep ReadingShow less
starmer-immigration

Speaking at the Organised Immigration Crime Summit, Starmer said the government is working to restore order to the immigration system.

UK returns 24,000 illegal migrants since July, highest in eight years

THE UK government has returned over 24,000 individuals with no legal right to remain in the country since July, marking the highest rate of removals in eight years, prime minister Keir Starmer said on Monday.

Speaking at the Organised Immigration Crime Summit, Starmer said the government is working to restore order to the immigration system.

Keep ReadingShow less
'Aga Khan dedicated his life to service, peace, and pluralism'

Baroness Patricia Scotland speaks at an Iftar dinner held at the Ismaili Centre in London (Photo: The Ismaili National Council for the United Kingdom)

'Aga Khan dedicated his life to service, peace, and pluralism'

THE outgoing head of the Commonwealth has paid tribute to the late Prince Karim Aga Khan, describing him as a visionary leader whose lifelong dedication to service, peace, and pluralism has left a lasting impact on the world.

Speaking at an Iftar dinner held at the Ismaili Centre in London last Wednesday (26), Baroness Patricia Scotland, who steps down as Commonwealth secretary general on 1 April, reflected on her personal connection with the Aga Khan, recalling their meetings during Commonwealth Day celebrations at Westminster Abbey.

Keep ReadingShow less
Starmer-Trump-Getty

Trump has suggested the possibility of a 'great' trade deal that could help the UK mitigate the impact of tariffs he has pledged to introduce. (Photo: Getty Images)

Starmer, Trump talk trade deal progress in 'productive' discussion

KEIR STARMER and Donald Trump spoke on Sunday about ongoing UK-US trade negotiations, with Downing Street describing the talks as "productive."

Since leaving the European Union, the UK has been working to secure a trade agreement with the United States. Successive British governments have pursued a deal, but it has remained elusive.

Keep ReadingShow less
Myanmar-quake-rescue-Reuters

Rescuers carry the body of a victim during search and rescue operations, following a strong earthquake, in Bangkok, Thailand, March 30. (Photo: Reuters)

Myanmar earthquake death toll rises to 1,700, UK pledges £10m in aid

RESCUE efforts continued in Myanmar as residents searched for survivors in collapsed buildings in Mandalay, two days after a 7.7-magnitude earthquake struck the country. The disaster has killed at least 1,700 people in Myanmar and 17 in neighbouring Thailand.

The quake hit near Mandalay on Friday afternoon, followed minutes later by a 6.7-magnitude aftershock. The tremors caused widespread destruction, damaging buildings, bridges, and roads in the city of more than 1.7 million people.

Keep ReadingShow less