- Five-year-old Ashya King was taken from hospital by his parents yesterday
- He was taken without doctors' consent and is suffering from a brain tumour
- The youngster needs 24-hour-a-day care and doctors fear for his life
- Police have now launched a hunt for his parents - who have fled to France
- Family friend says they would only have acted 'with good intentions'
- The family belong to the Jehovah's Witness religion, it emerged today
- But it is believed they had not raised any worries about his care
- Police had never dealt with the family, who were unknown to social services
- Boy's devastated grandmother urges her son to return to Britain
A
critically-ill boy could die unless he is found today, police have
warned, after the five-year-old's parents snatched him from a hospital
without doctors' consent.
Ashya King, who has a brain tumour, was taken from Southampton General Hospital yesterday by his parents, Brett and Naghemeh.
The family - including Ashya's six siblings - later boarded a cross-Channel ferry from Portsmouth to Cherbourg and are now believed to be in France.
Police
warned today that the youngster needs round-the-clock treatment and the
battery in his feeding tube will run out in the next 24 hours, causing
his condition to become 'life-threatening'.
Police have said they have serious concerns for
the life of Ashya King, who needs constant medical care, after he was
taken from Southampton General Hospital without consent by his mother
and father, who are now believed to be in France
Asyha, who underwent an operation on a brain
tumour last month, in hospital with his mother Naghemeh in a photo
posted on Facebook by a relative
CCTV footage from the hospital shows Ashya King, who has a brain tumour, being taken by his father
Asyha was taken into hospital a month ago and doctors operated on the tumour, but later updates from the family to friends spoke of continued tests and a 'short life expectancy'.
He had since stayed in the hospital, with his family keeping a bedside vigil until yesterday, when his father failed to return him after telling nurses they were going to a Costa Coffee shop in the building.
After an international hunt for the family was launched today, a police spokesman said Ashya is at 'substantial risk' and there are 'serious concerns for his life' if he cannot be located and quickly taken to a hospital.
The five-year-old is likely to be in a wheelchair or buggy as he is immobile and cannot communicate verbally following an emergency operation last month.
Assistant Chief Constable Chris Shead said today: 'Ashya is in a wheelchair and is fed through a tube. The feeding system is battery operated and that battery will run out today.
'Time is running out for this little boy. We need to find him and we need to find him urgently.'
Appealing directly to the family, Mr Shead said: 'Our message to you is "please take Ashya to the nearest hospital immediately".
'We understand this must be an awful time for you but the most important thing is to get the proper medical care for Ashya. Please work with us to provide Ashya that care.'
Mr Shead said police were not aware of any previous attempts by Ashya's parents to remove him from hospital and officers had not had previous contact with the family.
Photos posted by relatives online show the
youngster in hospital after he underwent an emergency operation for a
brain tumour last month
Ashya's parents Brett, 51, and Neghemeh, 45, who are now being hunted by police after taking their son from hospital
Patricia King, the youngster's devastated grandmother, today revealed he originally went into hospital a month ago with suspected arthritis, but doctors soon realised he had a brain tumour.
She urged her son, Brett, to return to England, saying: 'All I would say to Brett is, please, bring him back.
'We have all been in a terrible state over Ashya's health - it's been a dreadful time for us all over the last month.
THE MISSING SIX HOURS - WHY WERE POLICE NOT TOLD EARLIER?
It emerged today that police were not informed that Ashya had gone missing until more than six hours after he was taken.
CCTV footage showed the boy's father, Brett, leaving hospital with him around 2pm yesterday afternoon.
But police confirmed today they were not informed he was gone until around 8.35pm.
Ashya's family had by then boarded a ferry to France, which was already pulling into the port at Cherbourg when British authorities were notified he had been taken.
Assistant Chief Constable Chris Shead said the issue is 'something we need to look at and needs to be considered further down the line'.
A hospital spokeman said: 'Ashya was a long term patient who was permitted to leave the ward under the supervision of his parents as part of his ongoing rehabilitation.
'When the length of time he had been absent became a cause of concern to staff yesterday afternoon they contacted police after a search of the site and attempts to contact the family were unsuccessful.
'We continue to work closely with police to support the search and investigation and have provided a comprehensive detailed medical report on Ashya to ensure any hospital he is taken to can provide the care he requires immediately.'
She praised her daughter-in-law, saying she had kept a bedside vigil while Ashya was in hospital.
CCTV footage showed the boy's father, Brett, leaving hospital with him around 2pm yesterday afternoon.
But police confirmed today they were not informed he was gone until around 8.35pm.
Ashya's family had by then boarded a ferry to France, which was already pulling into the port at Cherbourg when British authorities were notified he had been taken.
Assistant Chief Constable Chris Shead said the issue is 'something we need to look at and needs to be considered further down the line'.
A hospital spokeman said: 'Ashya was a long term patient who was permitted to leave the ward under the supervision of his parents as part of his ongoing rehabilitation.
'When the length of time he had been absent became a cause of concern to staff yesterday afternoon they contacted police after a search of the site and attempts to contact the family were unsuccessful.
'We continue to work closely with police to support the search and investigation and have provided a comprehensive detailed medical report on Ashya to ensure any hospital he is taken to can provide the care he requires immediately.'
She praised her daughter-in-law, saying she had kept a bedside vigil while Ashya was in hospital.
Mrs King praised her daughter-in-law, saying she had kept a bedside vigil while Ashya was in hospital.
She added: 'I suppose it's up to my son where he takes him - I'm just Ashya's grandmother.
'He's recently got a lot better - he's moving his arms and legs and is beginning to smile and notice the people around him.
'We were all getting more hopeful lately but when the news first broke it was devastating.
'I thought they were at the hospital - I had no idea they had gone anywhere until this afternoon.
'When I heard I thought the people were going to tell me worse news - that he had died already or something.
'I haven't been in contact with Brett and I don't know anything about them running off to France.
'They certainly wouldn't take him away on holiday in his current condition and I doubt Brett would try to get in contact with me now.'
The family's three-bedroom first floor flat was empty today. A neighbour said she believed Naghemeh was from Honduras while Brett works as a property developer.
She added: 'The boys are always beautifully dressed on a Sunday. They wear navy blazers, shirt and tie to school. The boys are always playing football and seem to have lots of friends.'
MailOnline has learned that Brett and Naghemeh King, and their six children, are members of the Fratton Congregation Of Jehovah's Witnesses in Portsmouth.
A member of the congregation, who did not want to be named, said: ‘They are loving, caring parents and very active in our church.
'What has happened to them is desperately sad, they have been under a great deal of pressure as a family. Anyone would be if their child was so ill. But we had no idea that they would do something like this. We are in shock’.
Jehovah's Witnesses in London today released a statement also confirming Ashya's parents belong to the religion.
However the organisation suggested their beliefs may not have anything to do with their disappearance and decision to cease their son's treatment.
Ashya's shocked grandmother, Patricia King, today urged her son to return the boy to Britain for treatment
Police say Ashya, pictured in hospital two weeks ago, could die today if he is not found and given treatment
Police say Ashya could die if he does not receive medical treatment in the next 24 hours
BROTHERLY LOVE: THE TOUCHING VIDEO MESSAGE ASHYA'S OLDER BROTHER, NAVEED, MADE AFTER THE FIVE-YEAR-OLD'S OPERATION
In
a video posted on YouTube last month, Ashya's older brother Naveed King
told how his younger sibling had been diagnosed with a brain tumour and
was undergoing
surgery.
Speaking into the camera in a message directly to Ashya, Naveed said: 'I haven't slept. I've been awake all night worrying. We love you so much. We're all here for you.
'Everyone is praying for you. We just want to see your smile again.'
He added: 'No
kid at the age of five deserves to have a brain tumour. Let's just hope
the doctors know what they're doing and they know exactly where to
operate and what to take out, and they take everything out and you can
be better.
'And when we look back in 10 years' time when you're 15, we can actually see that things have changed for the better. Just because they're bad at one point doesn't mean they'll always be bad. I love you so much. I can't wait to see you.'
Speaking into the camera in a message directly to Ashya, Naveed said: 'I haven't slept. I've been awake all night worrying. We love you so much. We're all here for you.
'Everyone is praying for you. We just want to see your smile again.'
A picture of Ashya with older brother Naveed, who made a heart-rending video for him after the operation
'And when we look back in 10 years' time when you're 15, we can actually see that things have changed for the better. Just because they're bad at one point doesn't mean they'll always be bad. I love you so much. I can't wait to see you.'
'However, we are not aware of the facts of the case nor the reasons for the family's medical choices which are personal decisions.'
'There is absolutely no indication, as far as we are aware, that their decision is in any way motivated by any religious convictions.
'Jehovah's Witnesses are encouraged to seek the best medical treatment for themselves and their children.'
Shocked family friend Wisper Gwena, 43, from Milton Keynes, who has known the couple for five years, discovered in the last six weeks that their son was ill but had no idea the family had fled.
He told MailOnline: 'I knew their son was ill but have no idea what's happened. When I spoke to them they were obviously very concerned about the health of someone they love.
'They are very lovely people. All I know is that if they did something like this it would be for good intentions.
'I have got to know them as people and they are not the kind of family to break the law or anything at all like that.'
Assistant Chief Counstable Chris Shead said the battery in the boy's feeding tube will run out later today
The family boarded a cross-Channel ferry from
Portsmouth after Ashya went missing from Southampton General Hospital
and are believed to be travelling in a grey-coloured Hyundai I800 Style
CRDI (like that pictured, inset), registration KP60 HWK
A
spokesman for Brittany Ferries confirmed the family had travelled on
board its cross-Channel ferry and the company was assisting Hampshire
Police with its inquiries.The spokesman also confirmed the family had declared they were travelling with a child with "special medical needs" at the time of booking.
A relative posted an update on Ashya's progress in hospital on Facebook ten days ago.
The message, signed from 'The King family', said: 'Ashya has been progressing slowly but continuously with only minor problems along the way.
'He is now able to swallow (only liquid things like water and on odd occasions soft yoghurt) but not chew or move his leaps (sic). He can also close his eye lids but still struggles in moving his eyes to look at people or things.
'He is still unable to talk to explain how he feels or what may be hurting him on occasions. As a family we thank everyone who has taken their time in prayer for Ashya to get better and also by the amazing gifts he has received from those prayers!'
The message adds: 'He is still far from being a normal child and still not out of the danger zone of where minor issues could cause severe problems for his brain, so please continue to pray for him to have the strength and to be able to recuperate quickly!'
WHAT ARE THE RISKS OF REMOVING ASHYA FROM HOSPITAL?
Oncologist Professor Karol Sikora, founder of Cancer Partners UK, told MailOnline:
'While it is difficult to speculate without detailed medical notes, it is most likely this young boy is suffering from a malignant (cancerous) tumour of the brain called a glioma.
'While brain tumours are a common type of childhood cancer, affecting around 1,000 youngsters a year, a glioma is very uncommon in a child of this age.
'Southampton General is one of the main neurological centres, so the fact he been referred there indicates the severity of his condition.
'As with Ashya, surgery
is the main treatment for brain tumours, taking place in 80 per cent of
cases. Radiotherapy and chemotherapy may be the next step, if
appropriate.
'He will also almost certainly be taking large doses of steroids to reduce swelling around the brain.
'Side-effects of high doses can include blood sugar (and therefore diabetes-like) complications, kidney damage and even heart failure.
'He will therefore have been having regular blood tests – every other day – to check for these complications.'
'While it is difficult to speculate without detailed medical notes, it is most likely this young boy is suffering from a malignant (cancerous) tumour of the brain called a glioma.
'While brain tumours are a common type of childhood cancer, affecting around 1,000 youngsters a year, a glioma is very uncommon in a child of this age.
'Southampton General is one of the main neurological centres, so the fact he been referred there indicates the severity of his condition.
Ashya was taken from Southampton General Hospital, pictured, without the consent of doctors
'He will also almost certainly be taking large doses of steroids to reduce swelling around the brain.
'Side-effects of high doses can include blood sugar (and therefore diabetes-like) complications, kidney damage and even heart failure.
'He will therefore have been having regular blood tests – every other day – to check for these complications.'
A photo posted on his brother's Facebook profile shows a bravery award Ashya was given in hospital
The message added: 'As part of the King family we would like to thank everyone who has supported us through this difficult time and thank everyone for making the process a lot easier for us to handle by feeding us, helping us with small jobs around the house, by giving us post cards for Ashya and also presents for our little strong boy to enjoy,' the relative wrote.
WHAT ARE THE JEHOVAH'S WITNESSES VIEWS ON HEALTH?
The
Jehovah's Witnesses are a Christian denomination whose 20million global
followers believe traditional Christian churches have deviated from the
true teachings of the Bible.
They believe that the Bible is the word of God and consider its 66 books to be historically accurate.
Jehovah's Witnesses refuse blood transfusions on religious grounds but are open to other medical procedures.
The belief comes from a number of passages in the Bible, including Deuteronomy 12:23: 'Just be firmly resolved not to eat the blood, because the blood is the life, and you must not eat the life with the flesh.'
Followers of the religion say the risks of avoiding blood transfusions are overplayed and point to studies which claim bloodless treatment are becoming increasingly safe.
They believe that the Bible is the word of God and consider its 66 books to be historically accurate.
Jehovah's Witnesses refuse blood transfusions on religious grounds but are open to other medical procedures.
The belief comes from a number of passages in the Bible, including Deuteronomy 12:23: 'Just be firmly resolved not to eat the blood, because the blood is the life, and you must not eat the life with the flesh.'
Followers of the religion say the risks of avoiding blood transfusions are overplayed and point to studies which claim bloodless treatment are becoming increasingly safe.
Police said the family arrived in France at 8pm local time last night and are travelling in a grey-coloured Hyundai I800, registration KP60 HWK.
They were unable to confirm whether a return ferry ticket had been booked, saying it was a line of inquiry.
A spokeswoman for Portsmouth City Council said the family was not known to them.
Detective Superintendent Dick Pearson, of the Hampshire Major Investigation Team, said: 'Ashya needs to be taken to a medical facility for his urgent health requirements as soon as he is located.'
Anyone with information about Ashya's whereabouts should contact Hampshire Constabulary on 101, quoting Operation Aquilion.
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