The family of Hyacinth McIntosh, 54, whose life support was removed despite their protests, has slammed the decision. They say it was a violation of her right to life and religious beliefs. The court ruling that led to her death defied her direct wishes. According to UK-based advocacy group Christian Concern, she was taken off life support and denied hydration.
A Court of Protection ruled last November that McIntosh’s life support could be stopped. Court documents state the woman had been in a coma since May when she experienced a heart attack followed by severe brain damage. As a result, she died on 25th December 2024. Her family repeatedly objected to the withdrawal of artificial hydration. They pointed to her Christian faith and deep convictions on “the sanctity of life.”
McIntosh’s daughter, Shanika Davis said “How my mother died was beyond cruelty.” She added, “There was no dignity or respect, and we refuse to believe it was in her ‘best interests’ to die.” Davis criticized the hospital and the courts for disregarding her mother’s wishes. The woman was kept alive by artificial ventilation and nasogastric feeding until 14th December.
These measures were removed under court orders, despite protests from her family. Physicians estimated she would expire within a few days, but McIntosh reportedly continued to breathe independently for 11 days before her passing. Her daughters described how her mother’s oxygen saturation remained between 95 percent and 100 percent.
She says this was a clear sign of her resilience. “Doctors and judges condemned her to a cruel death from dehydration,” she stated. They explained that the family was blocked from alternative care options due to court-imposed reporting restrictions. The woman’s Christian faith meant she would have wanted to remain on life support, leaving the outcome in “God’s hands,” according to her children.
However, The King’s College Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, who removed the Christian mother’s life support, defended their actions. An authorized spokesman said continuing treatment was not in McIntosh’s best interests. However, the family received support from Professor Sam Ahmedzai, a well-respected expert on the topic. The retired palliative care physician and contributor to National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) guidelines on end-of-life care, does not believe in the denial of hydration
In evidence presented to the court, he said the practice was “cruel, inhuman, and degrading.” Ahmedzai argued, “There is no justification for withdrawing nasogastric hydration and feeding in such a case.” He raised the point that removing the NG tube after ventilation withdrawal was “unnecessary and unusually cruel. “Chief executive of the Christian Legal Centre, Andrea Williams, said there are troubling implications of this case.
“This story raises the specter of how vulnerable patients and families will be treated under any ‘assisted dying’ legislation. Good law protects life, does not blur boundaries, and should never promote death,” she expressed. McIntosh’s family is fighting to have her official cause of death listed as dehydration, but they have been told that it will not appear on her death certificate.