Alta Fixsler was brought to Israel to be laid to rest Wednesday in Jerusalem. The two-and-a-half-year-old Alta was disconnected from the ventilator at a UK hospital and passed away after a lengthy legal battle.
"The plan was to bring her to Israel and take care of her here," her father, Avraham Fixsler, said at a funeral at Har HaMenuchot Cemetery. "She came to Israel in another way. She is here and this is her place. Now it will be good for her. We did not leave her for a moment. We believe we did the right thing in the struggle against her being disconnected from the devices."
According to a news report here, Avraham said in his eulogy: "Alta, we wanted you the way you were. You were important, precious and sweet, the whole family loved you. You were a pleasure to us. We are strong. There may be people who are ashamed of such a child, we will not forget you."
Alta was born with a rare malformation that impaired her brain function, She passed away on Tuesday after being disconnected from the ventilator at a Manchester hospital, following a lengthy legal battle waged by her parents in England and her relatives in Jerusalem.
Last month a UK court ruled to disconnect the toddler from respirators. However, her family was given the right to appeal further to the Supreme Court. Despite the appeal, however, the decision remained the same.
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Alta is the daughter of Chaya and Avraham Fixsler, Israeli citizens living in Manchester. Last summer a UK court was required to decide whether to reverse its decision to disconnect Fixsler from the ventilator. Her parents in England and her relatives in Jerusalem asked for help from the state and called for her to be brought to Israel to save her life.
"We are not looking to fight, we just want to take care of our daughter," Avraham, Alte's father, told News at the time. "We want her alive and I think Israel has the power to sort it out. We will not move from here and we will not leave her either." Goldie Greenwald, the toddler's aunt, was furious at the court decision. "It would not have happened here in Israel," she claimed. "What right do they have to ensure a death? Give us our citizen, she does not belong there."