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2-year-old Israel Stinson with his mom Jonee Fonseca

SACRAMENTO, California, June 8, 2016 (LifeSiteNews) – Baby Israel Stinson has begun to show improvement now that he’s receiving medical treatment outside the U.S., his family’s attorneys have said.

The toddler was airlifted to an undisclosed hospital in a foreign country May 21 from Kaiser Permanente Medical Center in Roseville, CA, where he had been declared brain dead in mid-April.

The little boy’s transfer followed a weeks-long legal battle over his condition, during which his family searched for a facility to take him and provide treatment in the interim as they worked to secure long-term care for him. The dispute involving the legal definition of brain death began after Israel suffered two severe asthma attacks in April, the second resulting in cardiac and respiratory arrest.

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Israel’s parents, Jonee Fonseca and Nate Stinson, have maintained throughout that their son is alive, fighting in both district and federal court to keep the Kaiser facility from removing his life support.

The family’s attorneys with Pacific Justice Institute (PCI) and Life Legal Defense Foundation (LLDF) were in the process of federal appeal when Israel Stinson’s transfer to the overseas hospital came through.

“Israel is getting treatment and is showing improvement,” PCI attorney Kevin Snyder stated last Friday, according to a report from AMI Newswire.

The family is not disclosing the two-year-old boy’s location to maintain privacy.

While Kaiser’s doctors declared him brain dead within 24 hours of his arrival there, having performed brain function tests against the family’s wishes, two experts testified in court on their behalf that Israel’s condition was not consistent with brain death. And following the little boy’s arrival at the current hospital, a neurologist and pediatric specialist determined after examining him he was not brain dead.

Israel’s mother Jonee Fonseca said in a statement after his transfer that her son had suffered complications prior to his being moved from Kaiser that the hospital did not inform them of.

“It is amazing that we were able to get Israel out of there just in the nick of time because the previous hospital failed to notify us of many complications Israel had that we were unaware of,” Fonseca wrote on the family’s GoFundMe page roughly 10 days into his stay at the overseas facility. “Israel came to this new hospital with a pneumonia, ulcers, and was in need of a blood transfusion so very bad.”

She said as well that Israel had been cured of these, and that at the new hospital he’d “been given incredible care.” Fonseca wrote further that both of the surgeries Israel needed, to remove his breathing and feeding tubes, had been performed, and that he was getting proper nutrition.

The family continues to request prayers and financial support for Israel’s care and treatment at the interim facility, and to help with bringing him home for long-term care.