Charlie Gard

The Melanie Phillips article and the one by the paediatrician provide good summaries of the impact of the input from the American doctor. It's shocking that the doctor from the US gave the impression his treatment could help Charlie, when that doctor failed to respond to invitations from GOSH to examine Charlie, to read his medical notes, as early as December, less than three months from diagnosis. He still hadn't done this when he gave evidence via video link. Only when "invited" by the Judge did he fly to the UK and undertake a more professional assessment. It was then it was acknowledged he was financially invested with the treatment.
This kind of involvement by an 'expert' is usually avoided in family court hearings, where evidence from treating medics and from one agreed, independent expert, is the norm.
These parents look increasingly ill. Neither they, nor their precious child have benefitted from their circumstances being reported in such distorted and inaccurate ways, especially by the US media. The same goes for Charlie's Army, their input and influence can't simply be dismissed because it's unpalatable

The fact is that the parents left alone with no help from the state or NHS would have lost Charlie months ago.
Their position from the beginning was a weak one being utterly dependant on the NHS to keep Charlie alive.
I don't know how it ever came to pass that he became 11 months old. It has increased their suffering it has made the rest of their life harder to bear than if nature had taken its course and he had died straight away.

I wish they would stop playng GOD in the NHS and saving every child that gets born even if they are so disadvantaged that they cannot survive on their own.

They are experineced enough to know which children can be saved and I'm sure they don't overlook any chance but Charlie, who can't breathe should have been allowed to die.

This article by a paediatrician gives the professional view and makes interesting reading alongside Melanie Phillips's article.

Judge's ruling re. hospice care

www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-40745988

Thanks Baggs, I clicked your link in the end. After a couple of eye ops I prefer the printed word. Good article as you said.

devorgilla, I got a link to the article via Twitter. It appeared to come direct from melaniephillips.com

About ignoring the support groups.

Thank you Annie, I agree.

Great post nightowl, I ignored the support groups, of no interest

A very powerful article by Melanie Phillips.

I still think the very dodgy groups that supported them are a side issue. A very unfortunate side issue, and one that actually damaged the parents' cause (as evidenced by the Melanie Phillips article).

The simple fact is that the parents had their parental responsibility overruled by the courts and no longer had the power to make any decisions about what they felt was best for their child. This is surely one of the most oppressive things that state can do to parents and is quite rightly a last resort. It is usually and quite rightly exercised only when parents pose a real threat of harm to their child. I do not believe these parents did pose that level of risk but that's just my opinion, the important thing is to try to imagine how that must feel. From this comes their desperate fight using all the publicity they could muster - if I felt wronged by the state or the powers that be, and felt powerless to challenge that, and felt time was running out for me to do so, I too would go on Facebook, go to the papers, shout as loudly as I could in the hope that someone would listen to my desperate plea and help me to put it right.

It is not their fault that this attracted these far right crazies from the US and I have never read or seen anything that suggests they have agreed with their tactics. So I refuse to give any of my attention to those unspeakable groups who will surely drift away and latch on to some other cause as soon as Charlie's little life comes to an end. And I refuse to allow them to distract me from what matters which is how Charlie can receive the best end of life care possible and how his parents can be helped to go forward without him.

Their parents are there with them devongirl.

I think that Connie's mother was at Charlie's bedside when they were in court the other day.

Not only that, Devorgilla, I feel that will delay their healing process and alienate people. It really is time they let go, now. Where are their parents?

Yes; very good article.

I can't help feeling that, as no new news has come out, the judge has made the decision and it is all happening now without the media circus. I hope the parents can have the precious time they desire with their child, no matter how short and will reflect afterwards on the best way forward. I rather fear though that they will take GOSH to court and will try to reclaim the costs from the NHS, a path I fear will not bring them the 'justice' they think it will.

A very powerful article and I agree with what Melanie Phillips has said.

Baggs, is that article in The Times?

Melanie Philips on where the real guilt of this case lies. Very good article.

They are very distressed and perhaps not thinking rationally at the moment.

Oh fgs, that is terrible!! after all the devoted care from GOSH!

What I heard about finances on R4 this morning was the parents would pay for private doctors & nurses, presumably from the charity fund, then bill the NHS as they feel it had let down their son.

jollyg have I understood you to mean the parents age asking the NHS to pay the hospice bill?

I heard on BBC4 this AM, that [now after time ,13.36, for the judgement] the parents , if he goes to a hospice, and has specialised care, the parents are going to bill the NHS, the cost paid by them.

Something quite wrong there, sadly

Poor little lad

I think devongirl, it means the judge will step in and take the decision for them. That was my understanding when I heard the round up of events from the court last night. So, if they have been unable to get a specialist, then I expect he will make an order that the child is removed to the hospice and all artificial aids withdrawn. Drugs will be administered to make sure he feels no pain.