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A man in a “vegetative state” will be kept alive after his secret lovers united to oppose a hospital’s bid to remove his life support.
Referred to as YD in court documents, the 60-year-old man entered what is called a prolonged disorder of consciousness after suffering from a bleed to the brain in October 2024.
In August, the Hillingdon Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust asked the Court of Protection for permission to remove his clinically assisted nutrition and hydration, which he needed to stay alive.
Though YD has been breathing independently since March 2025, he received all of his nutrition and medications through a feeding tube.
Without this life support, a doctor concluded he would die within one to three weeks.
However, his two partners, both of whom he has known for over 20 years, have successfully stopped the hospital from doing so after telling a judge about his strong belief in the power of spiritual healing.
The pair, referred to as JG and MB, told Mrs Justice Theis that YD would not have wanted his support to be withdrawn despite his doctors assessing he was in a “vegetative state”.
Despite not having known each other before YD fell ill, Mrs Justice Theis said: “They were each able to independently confirm many common features about YD’s wishes and beliefs. In particular, regarding the depth of his interest in the spiritual world and his limitless curiosity about such matters that he held strong beliefs about.”
Mrs Justice Theis said these beliefs “are likely to be relevant factors that would inform his decision if he had capacity and would be likely to be a factor in him wishing and feeling that he wanted to continue to be provided with clinically assisted nutrition and hydration”.
In the court documents, YD is described by JG – who he has known for 20 years – as “easy to get on with, humorous, determined and unique”.
In her statement, she said she believed YD had not given up on life and “would absolutely want to continue living, with any chance to improve (however small), until he passes away in a natural and unforced way.”
Both she and MB visit YD for six hours each day, with the court documents describing the pair as providing emotional and physical care for him at his bedside.
MB has known YD for 24 years, with the pair having gotten engaged seven years ago and lived with each other for four years.
She described improvements she had observed and considered he was “healing himself”, noting he has been able to squeeze with his hand and lift his wrist.
She said he opens his eyes when she gives him a kiss on arrival and that he can track her with his eyes.
Refusing the trust’s application, Mrs Justice Theis said: “Whilst it is recognised that any awareness on the part of YD, if present, is extremely limited and there may be little or no further improvement and a trajectory of general deterioration it is far from clear that in the circumstances YD is in he would regard his continued existence as a burden.
“There is a strong presumption in favour of preserving life which, in my judgment, having carefully evaluated the evidence in this unusual case, the Trust has not discharged.”
