We’re heartbroken after hearing hospital staff laugh as our five-year-old son’s life support machine was turned off
A FAMILY have told how they were left heartbroken after hospital staff were heard laughing as their son's life support machine was turned off.
Muhammad Ayaan Haroon, five, tragically died earlier this month after years of battling with his health.
His dad Haroon Rashid, 41, said the horror process was made so much worse as medical staff stood behind a thin curtain laughed as the five-year-old's life support was switched off.
Haroon has laid a complaint against Sheffield Children's Hospital for laughing in the room as crying family members watched Ayaan, as he was known, take his last breaths.
Bosses at the hospital have now promised to thoroughly investigate the heartbroken family's claims.
Ayaan has a rare genetic condition called Hace 1, which caused developmental delays, and also fought respiratory illnesses his whole life.
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The wee boy from Sheffield was rushed to hospital on March 5, as he was struggling to breathe.
His life support was turned off on March 13.
Haroon, a taxi driver and father-of-four said: "When the machine was switched off at 2.30am we had a lot of family members there.
"There was laughter coming from staff members. We were so upset.
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"There was no one else on the ward apart from staff and one other small child behind the curtain from us.
"Surely the staff knew Ayaan's machine was about to be turned off. They continued laughing after my relative asked them to stop.
"A child's life was coming to an end."
The dad continued: "We don't know how we will live without him now our son is gone.
"We don't want this to happen to any other child or any other family.
"It was highly insensitive. We are living with our son's loss but we are very, very angry about [how] the staff behaved."
Haroon and his wife Fakhra Dibi, 45, have now called for an investigation.
It touches on a number of concerns, including the "inappropriate" behaviour from staff while the family were saying their final goodbyes.
We are living with our son's loss but we are very, very angry about [how] the staff behaved
Haroon Rashid
Ayaan is being remembered by his loved ones as a youngster who always had a smile on his face, who loved to be picked up and enjoyed children's shows like Cocomelon and Hey Duggee.
His father said all of the staff at his school came to pay their respects at his funeral.
Dr Jeff Perring, the medical director at Sheffield Children's NHS Foundation Trust, expressed his condolences and said the family's complaint would be thoroughly looked into.
He said: "I wish to express my deepest condolences to Ayaan's family for their loss.
"The death of any child is tragic and I know that my colleagues who treated, and came to know, Ayaan during his short life will share in expressing these condolences.
"The loss of a child while they are a patient at Sheffield Children's is something we take very seriously.
"Our colleagues pride themselves on providing the best clinical and pastoral care for all children and young people who need it.
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"We have received Mr Rashid's complaint, which is very detailed and complex.
"There will be a thorough internal investigation of the care and treatment Ayaan received at the hospital between 5 and 13 March which will cover the concerns raised in Mr Rashid's complaint."