Supporters of the boy's parents, who unsuccessfully fought to prevent the boy from receiving blood transfusions from vaccinated Kiwis, hold a vigil outside Starship Children's Hospital as the critically ill baby undergoes potentially life-saving heart surgery. Video / NZ Herald
The baby at the centre of a stand-off over the use of vaccinated people’s blood has been discharged from Starship children’s hospital and will continue to recover at home, the Herald understands.
The parents’ lawyer Sue Grey confirmed to the Herald this afternoon that Baby W recovered “much faster than expected” and she understands he’s now back at home with his family.
“The family and Baby W team would like to thank the amazing public and expert support from all over New Zealand and all around the world,” Grey said.
Anti-vaccination mandate protestors outside the Auckland High Court as a case is heard over the supply of blood to a four-month old baby in Starship who requires urgent surgery. The mother of the baby - Samantha Savage-Reeves outside the High Court
New Zealand Herald photograph by Alex Burton 30 November 2022
The lifesaving heart surgery took place on December 9. Baby W was born premature and had an obstruction in his right ventricle and needed an operation to fix it.
The surgery reportedly took half a day and was successful. Baby W’s father stayed with him through the night and his mother went home to care for their other children and to sleep.
This could signal the end of an intense battle between the family of the baby and health officials that became a cause célèbre for anti-vaccine activists and has drawn global media attention.
The family's lawyer, Sue Grey. Photo / NZME
His parents wanted the surgery to go ahead but opposed their child receiving transfused blood from vaccinated donors. Instead, they wanted blood used from unvaccinated people they had sourced.
On the December 7, Justice Ian Gault ruled in favour of health authorities who had sought court guardianship of the baby boy to enable the surgery to go ahead.
Justice Gault delivered his ruling after a lengthy hearing on December 6, where Te Whatu Ora-Health New Zealand and Grey locked horns in the High Court at Auckland as anti-vax protesters gathered outside.
Te Whatu Ora Auckland interim director Dr Mike Shepherd told the Herald in a statement extra security measures had been implemented at Starship to ensure clinical teams could continue to provide patient care and allow families to visit their loved ones.
Protesters gather outside Auckland City Hospital and the neighbouring Starship children's hospital on the day of Baby W's surgery Photo / Michael Craig
Auckland health authorities confirmed they trespassed one person from hospital facilities after tensions rose and protesters gathered outside Starship hospital to protest.
The day before the surgery, on December 8, police uplifted the critically ill baby so he could prepare for his surgery after his parents objected to doctors’ and officers’ attempts to carry out the operation.
In an emotionally charged video, four police officers in stab-proof vests spoke to the family about the need for medical checks before the surgery.
The video shows an officer saying the baby needs the procedure as soon as possible, as another walks toward the baby to take him.
The mother, crying, says “please stop”, and the baby’s father steps in and starts calling the officers “criminals”.
“You guys are criminals, you are criminals, you are conducting a criminal act here,” he said.
Grey had earlier told the Herald the issue hadn’t gone away just because the operation had been completed.
“It is a much bigger issue about the lack of informed consent and the lack of respect of the medical system for the views of the patient,” she said.
“We have got to have a bit of time and a deep breath and obviously the priority is getting baby back home and healthy but there are certainly a lot of medical issues and legal issues that need a good look.”
