A five-year-old boy with a brain tumor, whose parents sparked an international search when they removed him from the hospital against the advice of doctors in order to pursue specialized treatment, completed the less-conventional therapy on Friday, according to hospital officials.
Ashya King spent more than a month receiving proton therapy — an alternative to radiotherapy — at the Proton Therapy Center in Prague. His case received international attention when a British hospital refused to treat King’s medulloblastoma with proton therapy, prompting his parents to remove the critically-ill boy from the hospital.
King was admitted to the Proton Therapy Center in mid-September. While radiotherapy can damage healthy organs and cause especially unpleasant side effects in children, proton therapy is more “gentle,” according to the Proton Therapy Center. King “underwent treatment without any complications, and his condition has visibly improved,” according to a statement from the Proton Therapy Center.
King is eating baby food, sitting up in a wheelchair and reacting “with an interest” to medical providers and his parents, according to the statement. King will continue treatment in Spain, the statement said. King’s Father, Brett King, said he was “happy" about his decision to transfer his son from the British hospital. “It's amazing that I could also show other parents that this high-end device is basically right next door and that all the children in need can get the best care,” Brett King said.
IN-DEPTH
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SOCIAL
— Elisha Fieldstadt