UCSF Benioff Children's Hospital Oakland (Calif.) said Sept. 17 it transferred a patient to an unnamed facility after officials decided not to take action to remove the infant from life support, The Mercury News reports.
Six-month-old Kingston Holmes was admitted to the hospital after suffering a severe brain injury from cardiac arrest Aug. 5. Since the injury, Kingston has been using a machine to help him breathe.
However, Kingston's parents reportedly received a letter from the hospital stating officials planned to turn off the machines keeping the infant alive at 1 p.m. Sept. 17.
Protesters arrived at the scene Sept. 17 urging the hospital to delay any action on the case, the report states.
A UCSF Benioff Children's Hospital Oakland spokesperson told The Mercury News in a prepared statement the hospital would not speak about the child's specific care circumstances, citing patient privacy laws.
"As in all situations in our hospital, the decision to limit or withdraw life support is not taken lightly. From the time a patient enters the hospital, our clinical teams work with families to discuss the patient’s care planning, prognosis, chance of survival, and opportunity for second opinions and transfer to another hospital," the statement read. "At the same time, every effort is made to allow the family time to grieve, while still recognizing that certain patients are, unfortunately, sent to us in such grave condition that they will not benefit from additional care."
However, the spokesperson said in a follow-up statement Sept. 17 that the hospital transferred Kingston to another facility at the family's request.
"While we are not able to provide further details, our hearts are with the family," the statement said.
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