Charlie Gard

....poor little boy.....

Thank you for posting the GOSH statement.

I am in awe of the Doctors and nurses of GOSH who treat very sick children with care and expertise. The whole backlash against the staff is quite sickening I feel. I can understand the parents of Charlie wanting to give him the best chance possible, but they've refused to accept the guidance of experts and gone instead to a Doctor in the USA offering experimental treatment. It's almost like a carrot was dangled and I don't suppose we'll ever know how genuine and ethical the motives of the American team were. They were looking on from afar, without access to Charlie's records and test results.

It's right to challenge injustice and even mistreatment, but the parents view that their son's care was in some way negligent because Doctors felt Charlie's condition would not respond to the available treatment is very worrying.

What next? The parents' compensation case against GOSH?

Their pain is great and to lose their son is so sad, but, and this is contentious but it's been said, were they culpable in prolonging Charlie's distress and sickness, even if their motives were driven by love?

Poor baby.

The poor parents now have to face the most heartbreaking part of all this. Whether or not we think they were right in prolonging their son's life in the hope of a cure it's time for everyone to back off and leave them to their grief.

I doubt that will happen though

I agree merlotgran. They have had the most heartbreaking year of their young lives. They deserve our sympathy and understanding. I believe they have been praised in court and by GOSH. For pity's sake let's leave them alone now.

The days when doctors were seen as God have gone, they save lives and they make mistakes.

Respect and deference for authority figures is much reduced. In recent years, I've had more contact with various medical staff and specialists than I'd have chosen. I may simply have been lucky but I have only experienced a very high level of skill, knowledge and support. My questions have been answered. The cardiologist went off to research something dr google had suggested to me about a possible link between medication I take for chronic serious health problems and the reason I was now seeing the cardiologist. He came back with all the relevant facts and spent some time discussing various treatment options.

The truth is, we all make mistakes. I haven't met a medical person who claims not to have done. They also save lives and improve the quality of lives for so many . The people in this situation who seem to think they know better than GOSH are the I'll informed and over emotional gang known as Charlie's Army.

I can't agree that the supporters of the parents are over emotional,

You have been fortunate with your medical treatment , not e eryone has Iam

have you never been in denialday6 ,then you are very lucky sometimes its the only way we can cope with what life has thrown at us.My heart breaks for these young parents,thay did everything in their power to save their precious boy and in their minds they failed.The grief etched on their young faces was heartbreaking to see.Surely we all hope that life will be kinder to them in the coming years

Of course, paddyann, and let's hope the media leave them in peace to grieve.

Just before my husband died a friend was badly injured in a rugby match , in a coma for quite some time , his family were told he would be in a vegetated state for what ever time he had left. I was told how much worse this would have been for my husband than death. Whilst I knew my husband would say the same I wanted him in that hospital bed than in his grave . The injured friend made a very slow recovery, was in a wheel chair but did much in the town and saw his children grow up. His partial recovery was not expected, I still remember my feelings when I met him at meetings. So I can understand why these parents clung to hope , whilst their baby was not in his grave they could still hope for a miracle. They are not guilty of prolonging his poor quality of life .

I feel for these young parents; as I have said before they have been used by others to promote political and religious views which is despicable. The guilty people here, if there are any, are those who promoted the idea that there was some sort of 'cure' for this poor baby; at best there was an arrest of symptoms as his brain damage was irreversible. I would like to think ( but don't hold out much hope) that the press will leave them alone and that the Charlie's Army will leave them alone to grieve.

Once the baby is dead there will be no reason for those protesting to save his life

Some will still find a reason to protest that he died because they think GOSH didn't do the 'right' thing. It's not all going to to away just like that.

My worry in this whole sorry situation is that the family may be encouraged to take GOSH to court. Which will drag on and on. I can't believe they didn't do everything they could for poor little Charlie .

The GOSH statement to the court on 24th July said

"Professor Hirano (“the Professor”), whose laboratory research has an international reputation, is very well known to the experts at GOSH and he communicated with them about NBT treatment for Charlie at the very end of December. In January, GOSH invited the Professor to come and see Charlie. That invitation remained open at all times but was not taken up until 18 July after being extended, once again, this time by the Court."

I would hope in light of this that the parents will not pursue the idea that GOSH left the possibility of treatment too late.

Now there'ss apparently a problem with Charlie's parents taking him home to die - the hospital says his ventilator won't fit through the door...

www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-40716292

Oh dear me how terrible Ana There really must be a way around this .

Some of the money that has been collected could surely be used to get a wider door urgently fitted? It wouldn't take more than a day if a contractor got stuck into it straight away. That would be money used for Charlie's benefit. Do you have do get planning permission to widen a door? Even if it were, provided it didn't break any regulations a sympathetic planning committee could pass it retrospectively if they didn't have any routine meetings in the near future.

Just read a quick online news report and from what I can gather it's not just the door. Apparently the equipment will not fit up the stairs and his parents are desperate for him to be in his own cot. Terribly sad.

When my dear mum came home from hospital (to die) last year. A window had to be removed and replaced to fit the equipment in. It was done and dusted in a day. Having said that my parents lived in a bungalow so much easier.

I think the parents are being a bit unrealistic now, if they expect all Charlie's life-support system to go home with him.

How long has he got without it? If no time at all, then it can't be done - better just to cradle him in the hospital. Poor family...

Is the baby's best interests being served in this latest dispute?

Just listening to the radio 4 news and it would seem it's almost impossible. They are Back in court again this evening . Apparently they would need a specialist nurse to accompany him home.

They have said they will pay all the costs,