The parents of a desperately ill baby boy are to beg a judge to give him a chance at life.

Doctors have told little Midrar Ali’s parents he will never recover from a brain injury and it would be kinder to let him die.

They are asking a court to sanction removing life support from Midrar, who will be three months old on Wednesday.

But his parents are adamant Midrar is improving and plan to fight the application by Manchester’s St Mary’s Hospital, saying: ‘We will never agree to end the life of our son.’

Doctors have told little Midrar Ali’s parents he will never recover from a brain injury and it would be kinder to let him die - but they are determined to fight

Doctors are asking a court to sanction removing life support from Midrar, who will be three months old on Wednesday

The case has echoes of baby Charlie Gard, whose parents fought a similar battle in 2017, and of five-year-old Tafida Raqeeb, whose parents recently won the right to take her to Italy for treatment.

Midrar’s mother Shokhan had a normal pregnancy but complications during birth meant her baby’s brain was starved of oxygen, said his father Karwan Ali.

Bio-medical scientist Mr Ali, 35, said: ‘Everything was totally fine until his birth. The umbilical cord came out first.

'When Midrar came out, they resuscitated him with chest compressions and drugs and they heard his heart beat after eight minutes. He was taken to intensive care.

‘Midrar was in a coma, but after 43 days we noticed his eye beginning to open.

‘We have videos of him moving his finger. And he responds when we place our hand on his chest. He tries to turn his head and stretch his chest. He’s trying – he just needs more time.’

The parents are adamant Midrar is improving and plan to fight the application by Manchester’s St Mary’s Hospital

Midrar’s mother Shokhan had a normal pregnancy but complications during birth meant her baby’s brain was starved of oxygen

Mr Ali, and his 28-year-old wife have an elder son, aged two, and the family, of Manchester, keeps a round-the-clock vigil at Midrar’s bedside.

He said: ‘They need to give Midrar a chance. But the hospital has closed all the doors on us, they say there is no hope, his brain is dead. They say his movements are just reflex, not brain activity.’

The Family Court in Preston, Lancashire, is due to hold a preliminary hearing in the case tomorrow.

St Mary’s Hospital has been asked to comment.