Charlie Gard

Prestwich_Blue said:
I've had to take the decision to switch my baby daughter's life support off knowing that there was virtually no prospect of her being able to survive independently. She'd suffered severe oxygen deprivation, massive organ damage and her heart was giving up.

It wasn't an easy decision emotionally of course and thinking about it tortures me every single day. But it was 100% the right thing to do for her sake.

They're situation is slightly different as I understand it but not hugely so. There's no cure and possibly a miniscule chance that he might not get any worse. He's going to die soon anyway

Doctors can be utter arseholes but this should never have been played out in a court in the public glare. Sometimes life deals you a shitty hand and you've just got to deal with it as best you can. They've been very self-centred I think although I obviously feel for them. I suspect they're not going to be able to deal with the aftermath very well.
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Sorry to hear that, terrible thing to have to go through. I totally agree with your last comment. The bit about the poor child being at home or not seems unnecessary. I would want at this stage just to spend what time he had left with him rather than another debate in court. Easy to say when not in their shoes though.
 
I think the parents have had the wrong people speaking in their ears with their own agendas to push which has caused it to be played out in public.

A horrible situation but they are clearly in denial regarding Charlie's condition. Coming out and saying things like he enjoys watching the ipad with them is fantasy. He cannot see, hear or even breath himself.

The American doctor (who has financial interest in the treatment) seems at fault for giving them hope and seems to be what started the whole court case, yet took him 7 months to finally come visit Charlie only to say its too late to help him now.

Unfortunately there is no cure, the experimental treatment would have potentially only prolonged his life without reversing the current affects. He would still not be able to see, hear, eat or breath by himself while possibly being in pain this whole time. GOSH have said they considered the same treatment this American had proposed but deemed it not in Charlies interest to prolong his current situation.

I cant imagine how hard it must be but I would like to think I would put my childs quality of life first. That is no life for anyone, its heart breaking.
 
Agree with you, OP.

It is a very said situation and I feel very sorry for the parents. No doubt if I was in their shoes I would feel very differently, but then I guess that's kind of the point in all this; theirs is a subjective position; the objective ones in all this are the medical experts and the judges.

I think what's most disturbing is the way that the media and social media has almost united against the medical and legal professions (with Trump weighing in to make it even more absurd). There is a growing trend of distrust bordering hatred towards experts, which escalated during the Brexit debate (thanks, Michael Gove) and is rearing its ugly head again. Of course, experts don't get it right 100% of the time, but they're the experts because they get it right most of the time and know more than we do, more than the a bay's parents do and certainly more than the collective non-mind of social media. The Dacre/Desmond/Murdoch papers are just using this as a stick with which to beat the NHS.

The doctors in charge said that this 'experimental treatment' would not only fail but would likely prolong the baby's suffering. He is brain damaged beyond repair with no prospect of a a quality life. It seems that they are the ones who a purely representing the baby's interests (which isn't a criticism of the parents - I completely empathise with them - but of the media and certain politicians).
 
Heartbreaking for everybody concerned but i can see both sides of the argument, the parents don't want to let go and the so called experts think it is cruel on the child being kept alive it's just a tragedy
What a difference in attitude we thankfully have today compared to the mid 60s, one of my Aunties gave birth to a Down's Syndrome girl and cursed every day wishing that she would die yet she wouldn't have her 'taken into care' as they called it in the 60s, they were a totally different breed back then
 
The activists giving staff and visitors a hard time was reported and it turned into a circus, sad story and the parents got sucked into it, it's not their fault I wish them well and the child too obviously.
 
A sad and tragic story. As a parent you would do anything for your children although I think in this case they have gone too far. Going to court to decide where a child will die is, IMO, another poor decision taken by them. Let the poor boy die peacefully and with dignity and remember him for all the right reasons and not because of what a judge did or didn't rule on. My gut is that they are now trying to make some personal gain out of their son which if it is the case is sickening.
 
There are no winners in this sadly. It shouldn't have been played out the way it has, and the medical experts have got to be allowed to do their tough jobs without being subject to the hate mob with death threats. Parents have no rights in this situation and the decision has to be taken out of their hands, if not we get into blood transfusions being refused on religious grounds, treatments being refused in favour of something homeopathic, vaccinations being refused because of hearsay about connections to worse diseases. I understand parents holding onto 1% hope but you have to do the right thing by the little lad. Anyone who has made a similar decision regarding a loved one will know there comes a time when you just have to let go to end their suffering.
 
peace frog said:
cant fault your views,but even if there is a 1% chance for the lad I cant fault the parents for fighting,my daughter was born with about 1/4 of her brain missing due to a blood clot,i even offered to have part of my brain transplanted( hahaha I was desperate at the time)parents will do anything.
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That must have been a heart wrenching time to go through. I hope your daughter has gone on to live a good quality of life? Hope you don't mind me asking.
 
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