Donald Trump offers help for terminally ill baby Charlie Gard.

[Eleanor]

it seems that when he was born he seemed quite normal but his condition has deteriorated..

And The Doctors and The Courts have been messing about for months while depriving his parents of the right to decided.

[misty]

And The Doctors and The Courts have been messing about for months while depriving his parents of the right to decided.

Therein lies the problem. The doctors kept him alive & continued to keep him alive, despite his perceived suffering & his parents' anguish. If the Science is available to help him further then why are the UK Doctors & Courts allowed to play God & decide how & when he is to die?

[Eleanor]

Therein lies the problem. The doctors kept him alive & continued to keep him alive, despite his perceived suffering & his parents' anguish. If the Science is available to help him further then why are the UK Doctors & Courts to play God & decide how & when he is to die?

That's what makes me feel sick about the whole awful business.  His parents have had absolutely no say in the matter.

[sadie]

It would be interesting to see how posters see the Charlie Gard situation....I have every sympathy with the parents but it seems its time to let the poor boy go.

My heart tells me one thing but my brain tells me another


We have gone thru this ourselves.  Our lovely little boy had an incurable brain cancer.

He was only nine and had been so full of energy and life until this damned Medular Blastoma hit him.  We were Company Insured for medical treatment and he had the best treatment that money could buy, with the best brain  surgeon and radio therapy .... but as we feared it came back after only a few months of not good, but reasonable time bought from these treatments.

This time it showed on the spine and we were told that it would be thru his body.   However it could be delayed a little with further (painful) treatment, but it would get him in the end.

We loved him dearly but decided that to keep him alive would be for us, and us alone, because we just didn't want to face life without him.   Further life held nothing for him except pain and bed.  It would have been selfish for us to keep him alive in the circumstances


We made the dreadful  decision for no further treatment ... and brought him home where we nursed and loved him until he passed away a couple of months later.



I think that we made the right and unselfish decision ... BUT each case is unique and i wouldn't like to pass judgement on the parents of Charlie Gard

[slartibartfast]

If they know best then why did they treat him in the first place, why keep him on a ventilator? There are many children who suffer all the conditions you have listed but they aren't condemned to die simply because the underlying cause is deemed incurable.

The first reaction is always to try and save a life. Once you have started it is much more difficult to stop.

[misty]

The first reaction is always to try and save a life. Once you have started it is much more difficult to stop.

I just find it so hard to understand why the Doctors & Courts will not agree to end  life when a person wants to die because of a terminal illness, yet refuses to continue care for Charlie when there is a glimmer of hope.
 Ashya's parents must feel truly relieved they broke the law for the sake of their son yet the NHS are still refusing to provide basic follow-up care. Plenty of money to pay the lawyers - truly disgusting reflections of care in our country.
http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/youre-still-failing-him-parents-10462249

[Eleanor]

The first reaction is always to try and save a life. Once you have started it is much more difficult to stop.

I can see only too clearly how they got where they are.  But Parental Rights are far too easily disposed of.

[Tim Invictus]

My heart tells me one thing but my brain tells me another


We have gone thru this ourselves.  Our lovely little boy had an incurable brain cancer.

He was only nine and had been so full of energy and life until this damned Medular Blastoma hit him.  We were Company Insured for medical treatment and he had the best treatment that money could buy, with the best brain  surgeon and radio therapy .... but as we feared it came back after only a few months of not good, but reasonable time bought from these treatments.

This time it showed on the spine and we were told that it would be thru his body.   However it could be delayed a little with further (painful) treatment, but it would get him in the end.

We loved him dearly but decided that to keep him alive would be for us, and us alone, because we just didn't want to face life without him.   Further life held nothing for him except pain and bed.  It would have been selfish for us to keep him alive in the circumstances


We made the dreadful  decision for no further treatment ... and brought him home where we nursed and loved him until he passed away a couple of months later.



I think that we made the right and unselfish decision ... BUT each case is unique and i wouldn't like to pass judgement on the parents of Charlie Gard

Wow .... so powerful and sad. I am sorry your little man didn't make it and I admire your strength to do the right thing for his sake. Quality of life and dignity in life should be the guiding factors rather than the anguish of the poor loved ones having to suffer the loss.

I think little Charlie's parents should let him go in peace.

[sadie]

My heart tells me one thing but my brain tells me another


We have gone thru this ourselves.  Our lovely little boy had an incurable brain cancer.

He was only nine and had been so full of energy and life until this damned Medular Blastoma hit him.  We were Company Insured for medical treatment and he had the best treatment that money could buy, with the best brain  surgeon and radio therapy .... but as we feared it came back after only a few months of not good, but reasonable time bought from these treatments.

This time it showed on the spine and we were told that it would be thru his body.   However it could be delayed a little with further (painful) treatment, but it would get him in the end.

We loved him dearly but decided that to keep him alive would be for us, and us alone, because we just didn't want to face life without him.   Further life held nothing for him except pain and bed.  It would have been selfish for us to keep him alive in the circumstances


We made the dreadful  decision for no further treatment ... and brought him home where we nursed and loved him until he passed away a couple of months later.



I think that we made the right and unselfish decision ... BUT each case is unique and i wouldn't like to pass judgement on the parents of Charlie Gard

Video of Ashya as he was in January 2017, about to return to school.   Do hope that he contunued to improve.

https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2016/jan/04/ashya-king-goes-back-to-school-full-time

As far as I am aware, there was no such treatment as proton therapy over 40 years ago, when our son died.

It is especially good that the work and love that The Kings put in finding and accessing this treatment, has not only benefitted their little boy, but also brought three centres for proton treatment to the UK.  Hopefully many more lives will be saved.

Well done The Kings   and all good wishes for the continued recovery of Ashya

[sadie]

Wow .... so powerful and sad. I am sorry your little man didn't make it and I admire your strength to do the right thing for his sake. Quality of life and dignity in life should be the guiding factors rather than the anguish of the poor loved ones having to suffer the loss.

I think little Charlie's parents should let him go in peace.

Thank you for your kind words Tim

[stephen25000]

It would be interesting to see how posters see the Charlie Gard situation....I have every sympathy with the parents but it seems its time to let the poor boy go.

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2017/jul/03/donald-trump-offers-help-for-terminally-ill-baby-charlie-gard

20

Well, this is one of the rare times we agree.


I think , unfortunately, Trump's offer, is more to do with his public image.

[Holly Goodhead]

Well, this is one of the rare times we agree.

I think , unfortunately, Trump's offer, is more to do with his public image.

You're so cynical!  DT is a father of 5 and grandfather to more so hopefully he just empathises with the parents plight and his support is genuine.

It's such a sad case.  Apparently the parents are both carriers of the faulty gene which leads to the condition and little Charlie is the 16th case known about worldwide so its obviously very rare.

I think the crux is whether or not Charlie would suffer any pain etc by having his life prolonged and undergoing the experimental treatment which according to all the medical evidence so far seems to suggest there's little or no chance of any success.  If it could be shown he wouldn't suffer then I don't see why the parents wishes cannot be granted as it may further understanding of the condition and help others if not Charlie.

[stephen25000]

You're so cynical!  DT is a father of 5 and grandfather to more so hopefully he just empathises with the parents plight and his support is genuine.

It's such a sad case.  Apparently the parents are both carriers of the faulty gene which leads to the condition and little Charlie is the 16th case known about worldwide so its obviously very rare.

I think the crux is whether or not Charlie would suffer any pain etc by having his life prolonged and undergoing the experimental treatment which according to all the medical evidence so far seems to suggest there's little or no chance of any success.  If it could be shown he wouldn't suffer then I don't see why the parents wishes cannot be granted as it may further understanding of the condition and help others if not Charlie.

Maybe I am Holly.

I just don't trust Trump.

[Holly Goodhead]

Maybe I am Holly.

I just don't trust Trump.

I would need to meet with him, DT, and talk with him face-to-face to form my own opinions.  Very few people are all bad or all good.  DT's children seem to be a credit to him a fact even HC acknowledged.  Compare what we know about his children and the likes of the Ecclestone sisters and Chloe Green who seem to swan about doing sfa other than spending Daddy's money and getting involved with bad or mad boys!

If Charlie can be taken to US for pioneering treatment and it is a success then it would clearly be a big coup for the US and DT.   

[Eleanor]

The Child is the product of his Parents.  No one has the right beyond them, no matter what they think..  They will see to him if they are allowed to do so.
But then they should be allowed to do so.