THE family and friends of a critically ill young dad have continued their protest about his hospital treatment, while Croydon North MP Steve Reed has backed their campaign.
Marcus' family accuse Croydon University Hospital of "giving up" on the 22-year-old father of two from Thornton Heath, who has a rare brain-stem inflammation.
They started a social media campaign earlier this week, called Please Save Marcus, after doctors told them in a meeting last Sunday (October 19) there was nothing more they could do for him.
Friends, family and people who saw the campaign online staged protests on Wednesday and Thursday evenings this week, while yesterday they marched from Allders, now Croydon Village Outlet in North End, to the hospital on London Road bearing placards reading "treat Marcus", "move Marcus" and "save Marcus".
Marcus' family also met with Steve Reed MP, who backed their campaign. The Croydon North MP later tweeted to say he would raise the family's concerns with NHS managers.
The family said Marcus' sisters were allowed to see him for the first time in six days yesterday. His friends and family, other than mum Sandra, were initially barred from the hospital after the meeting with doctors last Sunday became heated.
Though the family said they were told in that meeting that Marcus would not be resuscitated if his heart stops and he would not be given antibiotics if he had an infection, Croydon Health Services, the trust which runs the hospital, now says he will.
On Friday evening, a spokesman for the trust said staff would resuscitate Marcus should his heart stop beating, will treat him with antibiotics, and will transfer him to a specialist hospital - should a bed become available.
The outcome of a review into Marcus' care, undertaken by an independent expert at the trust's request, is expected to be known next week, he added.
The statement read: "Marcus is extremely unwell and his condition remains life-threatening. Our doctors and nurses are doing everything they can to make him comfortable, and we are continuing to discuss his on-going care with his family, in particular his mum.
"Our most senior clinician has discussed Marcus' care with his mum, and we have invited all family members to visit to be by his side.
"We are caring for Marcus, keeping him comfortable and preventing him from suffering. We want to do as much as we possibly can to support him and Marcus' family at this very difficult time."
