A major international search was under way yesterday after a five-year-old boy with a life-threatening brain tumour was snatched from a hospital by his parents.
Ashya King, who needs constant medical care, was taken from Southampton General Hospital without doctors’ consent by his parents, Brett and Naghemeh, yesterday. Two hours later the family boarded a ferry to Cherbourg.
Police, who warned of “serious concerns” for Ashya’s life unless he was found within hours, were working with French police in a bid to locate him.
Today, however, there was still no sign of him, his parents or the six siblings travelling with them, as police appealed to the public across Europe for help.
A social media campaign, using the Twitter hashtag #FindAshya, was also launched in a further desperate bid to trace him, while an emotional video posted by his older brother Naveed King emerged on YouTube.
Speaking into a camera last month, Naveed said Ashya was having emergency surgery and described the family’s torment. “I haven’t slept. I’ve been awake all night worrying,” Naveed said. “We love you so much. We’re all here for you. Everyone is praying for you. We just want to see your smile again.
“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.”
An update on his brother’s Facebook page revealed that Ashya had been diagnosed with a stage four brain tumour, the most aggressive and dangerous form.
Hampshire Constabulary, which is leading the search, warned that Ashya’s life was in danger unless he was found soon.
“If we do not locate Ashya today there are serious concerns for his life. He is receiving constant medical care within the UK due to recent surgery and ongoing medical issues,” the force said in a statement.
“Without this specialist 24-hour care Ashya is at risk of additional health complications which place him at substantial risk.
“We are working with our counterparts in France to activate their emergency child rescue alert procedures to locate the family as soon as possible.”
Detective Superintendent Dick Pearson, of the Hampshire major investigation team, said: “He needs to be taken to a medical facility for his urgent health requirements as soon as he is located.
“We have also launched a social media appeal and would urge everyone to share this appeal, particularly if you have friends and relatives in France and bordering countries.”
Police said that Ashya is likely to be in a wheelchair or buggy. He cannot speak and is immobile.
The family were travelling in a grey Hyundai I800 Style CRDI, registration KP60 HWK, and they were still believed to be in France.
Ashya was taken from Southampton General Hospital at around 2pm yesterday by his family, who live in Southsea.
Officers said his parents — Brett King, 51, and Naghemeh, 45, —boarded the cross-Channel ferry from Portsmouth at 4pm.
Police arrived in France at about 8pm local time. They released an image of Ashya being wheeled out of the hospital by his father as well as pictures of his parents.
One girl wrote: #FindAshya he is a very poorly boy, so share as much as possible!!”
Meanwhile, further details of his condition emerged in a Facebook posting by brother Naveed. Posted on August 18, it said that Ashya was “progressing slowly”, adding he could close his eyes “but still struggles in moving his eyes to look at people or things.”
Naveed added: “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!
“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! Lots of love, King family xxxx”
Eric Bouillard, a prosecutor in Cherbourg, told AFP: “We believe he was kidnapped given the circumstances of his departure from hospital as relayed to us by the British.”
Ashya’s brother Naveed King on his profile on the photo blogging platform Instagram describes himself as a Jehovah’s Witness.
Jehovah’s Witnesses refuse blood transfusions on religious grounds but are open to other medical procedures.
Bouillard said: “Even if we cannot treat children against their parents’ wishes—this is a difficulty we have in particular with Jehovah’s Witnesses—we just want to contact them to try and see what happened.”
