Charlie Gard

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Absolutely sickening to hear that the staff at GOSH having been receiving death threats over this. Unfortunately the parents are now being represented by a pro-life activist barrister who, in my opinion, doesn't have their best interests at heart. :(
 
I know it's a very harsh thing to say, but sometimes I really feel for the method of turning the life support machines off and if the boy keeps on breathing, fair enough, let him go to the US. If not, well, then there wouldn't been much that could been done for him any more.
 
The child is non responsive, entirely unaware, blind, deaf heavily brain damaged and can't breathe unassisted.

I couldn't be so selfish and cruel just so i didn't have to feel the loss of child.
 
atpbx said:
The child is non responsive, entirely unaware, blind, deaf heavily brain damaged and can't breathe unassisted.

I couldn't be so selfish and cruel just so i didn't have to feel the loss of child.
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Indeed, my sentiment also. However, I haven't gone through the same as they have so I can't say for 100% sure that i wouldn't do the same as them.
 
This is such a tragic story, I'm completely of the opinion that the poor child should be left to pass in peace, but then I'm not a parent and I'm probably looking at it too objectively.

To give an example I used to work with a colleague who I noticed had a picture of his son as his desktop wallpaper. When I asked him about it, it turned out that his son only lasted a few days after birth in hospital before dying (I don't remember the details). He did however adamantly believe that the NHS was incompetent and their mistakes lead to his death. He was so adamant and grieving so much over the loss of his son. Now I have no idea if the NHS was at fault but then because of the grief of what happened he's militantly of the opinion that the anyone who works for the NHS is criminally incompetent. I mentioned that my dad works in the NHS though nothing to do with babies or indeed physical care but he continued that my father is part of the problem too.

This is obviously upsetting to me, but I can't imagine the pain of losing a child. He was so blinkered by his grief it was not possible to reason with him at all, a person who otherwise was completely rational and reasonable.
 
I value quality of life, if I knew a treatment might allow him to breath on his own but he would keep all other afflictions I would not want that for my child. In my opinion the urge to keep a child alive should not superseded the terrible quality of life that person would have to endure.

I'm not religious I don't believe we are any different from any other animal or have any special purpose. My logic might be cold and hard but it says that the humane thing to do is let him pass with a dignified end.
 
atpbx said:
The child is non responsive, entirely unaware, blind, deaf heavily brain damaged and can't breathe unassisted.

I couldn't be so selfish and cruel just so i didn't have to feel the loss of child.
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TO add to that..the Docs have no way of telling if hes in pain or not. Thing could be suffering and no way to communicate it.
 
Just saw this:

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/201...ents-angry-babys-lawyeris-head-charity-backs/

Charlie Gard's parents have privately expressed their concern after discovering that the lawyer appointed to represent their 11-month-old son in court heads a charity that backs assisted dying.

Victoria Butler-Cole, who speaks on Charlie’s behalf in court, is chairman of Compassion in Dying, a sister organisation to Dignity in Dying which campaigns for a change in the law to make assisted dying legal in the UK. Dignity in Dying used to be called the Voluntary Euthanasia Society.

The two charities share the same chief executive and media team and trustees – such as Mrs Butler-Cole – can only sit on one charity if they support the aims of the other. Mrs Butler-Cole was appointed to the role by the publicly-funded state body Cafcass which acts in the best interests of children in court cases.
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The irrational/faith based argument is becoming more evident, I wouldn't be surprised if they objected because a lawyer was pro-choice too. She's in support of people with full mental capacity being able to end their lives, that in itself has little bearing on her views re: a baby who can't give any consent. If anything it probably shows she's a compassionate individual who's thought long and hard about the ethical implications of various cases and dealt with them professionally over many years. Seems like she's very suitable to be the guardian/representative of Charlie in this case and the parents are being rather irrational.
 
SiD the Turtle said:
This is such a tragic story, I'm completely of the opinion that the poor child should be left to pass in peace, but then I'm not a parent and I'm probably looking at it too objectively.

To give an example I used to work with a colleague who I noticed had a picture of his son as his desktop wallpaper. When I asked him about it, it turned out that his son only lasted a few days after birth in hospital before dying (I don't remember the details). He did however adamantly believe that the NHS was incompetent and their mistakes lead to his death. He was so adamant and grieving so much over the loss of his son. Now I have no idea if the NHS was at fault but then because of the grief of what happened he's militantly of the opinion that the anyone who works for the NHS is criminally incompetent. I mentioned that my dad works in the NHS though nothing to do with babies or indeed physical care but he continued that my father is part of the problem too.

This is obviously upsetting to me, but I can't imagine the pain of losing a child. He was so blinkered by his grief it was not possible to reason with him at all, a person who otherwise was completely rational and reasonable.
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I've met a few people who have most people in ICU/afterwards who were pretty convinced the person should not have died.

My sister got MRSA and I distinctly remember rather shoddy practices at the time..
 
StriderX said:
One situation: Practically brain dead infant suffering for years with no known cure and no future.

Other situation: Rationally deciding to commit suicide at an age of responsibility by someone else who has no desire to commit murder, a good example being vets having to kill animals... a lot of them can't take that sort of mental abuse.
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where are you getting murder from. handing somone a glass full of barbituates is hardly murder when they know whats in it say thank you and you leave them to drink it and go to sleep.
 
This child is already dead. He should be granted a merciful coup de grâce. Anything less is pure torture.
 
cu3ed said:
TO add to that..the Docs have no way of telling if hes in pain or not. Thing could be suffering and no way to communicate it.
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iirc you can detect pain through brain wave patterns now. im sure they use it in theater to detect if a patient is starting to lose sedation.
 
MichaelAwkward said:
Just saw some footage of "Charlie's Army" and reading some of their comments... what a bunch of idiots. Put them all in the sea.

Stupidity and ignorance are the single biggest factors holding back human civilisation right now. The judicial system needs to end this farce once and for all and stop people using this poor little boy to advance their own agendas (and I'm sadly including the parents in that group at this point - desperate or not).
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wouldn't the best way at ending ignorance not be to shut this down with zero advances made but allow the child the experimental treatment so that if it qworks or fails at least we learn something?
 
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