Belgium: The hospital wants to disconnect Marwa, her family demonstrates to gain time

A crowd gathered on Tuesday evening in front of the UZA to defend Marwa’s right to life. Victim of a severe cerebral hemorrhage on November 7 in the middle of a class, the teenager remained without oxygen for ten minutes. While a scan performed last Thursday still showed activity, the hospital declared brain death on Friday, sealing the patient’s fate in the eyes of the medical staff, who rule out any prospect of a dignified existence.

The entourage rejects this definitive verdict. Maïssa Ouass, a friend and classmate present at the gathering, describes concrete signs of life. According to her, Marwa reacts to stimuli: her legs move, her tongue rolls, she seems to hear and feel her environment. These observations lead the family to firmly oppose the discontinuation of ventilation, demanding more time to allow for recovery.

The conflict is taking a legal turn. Mr. John Thoen is concerned about a premature interruption of treatment and points to anomalies in the procedure. Access to the medical file, requested on Friday, has been postponed to this Wednesday, coinciding with the deadline. This timing fuels the mistrust of the loved ones, who feel deprived of a fair chance to challenge the medical decision.

The lawyer is now considering an emergency procedure by unilateral request to block the discontinuation of care or obtain a transfer to another facility. For its part, the UZA invokes professional secrecy but assures that it understands the family’s pain. The hospital calls for serenity while awaiting an independent evaluation scheduled for Wednesday, which will determine the next steps.