Charlie Gard potentially granted US residency by congress to fly to US for treatment!

[JohnBrown1917]

The U.S. cherishes the right of individuals to determine their own fate in such matters. The idea of a socialized medical system employing the dreaded "death panel" is so nightmarish to many that the moral majority fall on the side of the parents, no matter how misguided that may be. They're involved because the parents asked, quite publicly, and some questions of morality cannot be ignored.

On the bright side of all this it is an experimental treatment which, if successful, could help others after a proven human trial.

Courts already decided he wont be going to the US.

[Floopa]

That's not the point. It's not the hospitals choice to end his life if this is true. It would be the parents making that decision for their child. And these parents, unlike you (who i am guessing has no kids), want to do everything they can to help him.

you do not understand how europe works, evidently.

child rights supersede parental rights, and if a child is unfit to make a decision, that decision is made by that child's doctors. also, the court ruled in favour of the hospital because it's GOSH ... Not just a typical NHS hospital, it's GOSH. GOSH said there is no cure, so there is no cure. anyone saying "but US dr said X!" - GOSH tried it, it didn't work.

[WskyDK]

You can pretty easily tell who is a parent, and who isn't in this thread. I shall join the fray for a moment.

As a father of 2, there is NOTHING I wouldn't do if I thought it could save or help my kids. whether it is 1% 100%. It is what we do. It is not always rational, but it is how we are wired. the parents raised close to 3million dollars, so no cost to the taxpayer. The parents acknowledged that they know it is not a cure-all but they also know there is a chance it will work, and 99 out of 100 parents would do it in a heartbeat.

People can talk about it being a PR stunt all day long, but that is a small-world view on it.

I have two kids of my own, and if every doctor who saw my child and was familiar with the disorder said my child would never recover, I would have pulled the plug already.

[oplawlz]

And how is this child going to do that, exactly?

We see parents as the guardians, not doctors. I know it's different there, just pointing out the differences and why we're involved. Our child protective services don't get involved unless there is blatant abuse or the parents are proven to be utterly incapable of providing adequate care.

[Floopa]

Its the parents until the age of 18 in the states.

in europe it isn't, and the child is british (born in in the UK, and the UK is in europe).

no-one cares about the US, it doesn't concern you or your laws.

[Puri]

That's not the point. It's not the hospitals choice to end his life if this is true. It would be the parents making that decision for their child. And these parents, unlike you (who i am guessing has no kids), want to do everything they can to help him.

Yes I have no kids, but I can fully understand that the parents want everything they can to help their child. But if this help does not actually help and just causes suffering for the child the state has a right and an obligation to interfere as the decision by the parents is not driven by rationality but emotions.

[Elim Garak]

How the fuck do you get from Charlie can help, to any terminally ill people are free game in almost the same sentence?.

I can use as many sentences as required for you to get the point. How many do you need?

[Doctor Funkenstein]

Except when you ask the parents to pay a million bucks for this 'privilege'.

If they're willing to pay for it, yes, that's still a noble sacrifice.

And many many other people? for one of the most rare conditions in existence?

Oh, right, that must mean it DOESN'T EXIST AT ALL! And never will! They were just doing research on it for funsies, amiright?

[Jastall]

A lot of twenty somethings with little to offer beside ill-thought-out, internet assembled opinion. Not surprising from people that have no life experience and no children of their own.

This is one of those cases where no one involved is wrong except the vultures profiting financially and politically from this. I feel for the parents, but I agree with the courts and doctors.

I've seen several family members die of terminal conditions before my eyes, please lecture me further on my lack of experience.

I feel for the parents, they're desperate and will look for any glimmer of hope to save their child. But I have little respect for the doctors who feed this empty hope with honeyed words until they can cash it on the money, and feel nothing but disgust for the politicians who use this as a PR stunt to ''prove'' single-payer healthcare doesn't work, as Pence did.

At some point, either the kid just dies, or someone somewhere convinces the parents that enough is enough, and that based on his condition, prolonging his life is pointless. I've been through this myself. It's hard, but not accepting it only makes things harder.

[Doctor Funkenstein]

I can use as many sentences as required for you to get the point. How many do you need?

None, because it's an absolutely idiotic thing to say.

There's a huge difference between effectively donating yourself (or in this case, your brain-dead child for whom you have 100% right to make decisions for) to medical research and just taking anyone who's really sick and doing whatever the fuck you want with them.

[Themius]

People in this thread:

"give up and let your child die you heartless scumbag!"

... retarded thought process.

[Noomz]

Was just thinking this myself.......... What a stupid fucked up administration we have atm....

Muuuneeeeyyy!

[8bithamster]

Jesus.. so the US can look good to make an 11 month kid suffer even longer because the parents want some media fame? wtf.. Sorry, but if you really think the parents are in the right here, I suggest you actually think for a second.

[Themius]

You mean *willing to use funds donated by strangers, I assume?

- - - Updated - - -


I've probably said enough about the parents at this point but, I don't consider them to be doing what is in the best interests of the child.

So willing to pay for it considering they have the money... and they're not using it to better their lives to try and do everything they can for their child.

[Elim Garak]

None, because it's an idiotic thing to say.

There's a huge difference between effectively donating yourself (or in this case, your brain-dead child for whom you have 100% right to make decisions for) to medical research and just taking anyone who's really sick and doing whatever the fuck with them.

No there's not. Adding middle men doesn't change the equation. There are plenty of terminally ill people who cannot legally represent themselves and have other people representing them, who in most cases would love to stop providing care because it's a daunting experience and hiring a nurse is an expensive experience. They would gladly donate IF it would be allowed. And then would be required to by law to advance medical science.

[Noomz]

People in this thread:

"give up and let your child die you heartless scumbag!"

... retarded thought process.

You seem to not have read all the other posts stating that this child is pretty much an incurable vegetable. There is no recovering from the type of brain damage this kid has. He's kept alive solely by mechanical means.
So yes, let what's left of the child die.

[Anastacy]

People in this thread:

"give up and let your child die you heartless scumbag!"

... retarded thought process.

Other people in this thread:

"You can't walk, talk, breath, move, see, hear, or do ANYthing else a human being should be able to do on their own, and you'll never have a quality of life such that you can't achieve ANY amount of autonomy...so let's keep you alive attached to machinery for as long as we can!"

Yeah, fucking retarded.

[Independent voter]

I don't see this story in any of the big news outlets here. I wonder if Americans know what's going on?

[Zenfoldor]

I have a suspicion that if the topic was "Gard granted US citizenship by congress to fly to Finland for treatment!" more would be for it, and that is truly sad.

[Deleted]

People in this thread:

"give up and let your child die you heartless scumbag!"

... retarded thought process.

Keeping the child alive is cruelty.

Love is blind, a parents love moreso, this is why the doctors have rights over the parents.